Retailers role in building the green economy

By Feroz Koor, Group Head Of Sustainability Woolworths Holdings Limited

As a major driver of the economy and a link between producers and consumers, the retail sector can promote sustainability throughout the supply chain, but need actionable policies to drive and track change.

Globally, retailers are facing increased pressure to address and help mitigate the ongoing climate crisis. As well as implementing changes in internal operations, retailers are uniquely positioned to promote sustainable practices amongst their producers, suppliers and consumers, helping to grow the green economy.

As one of South Africa’s leading retailers, Woolworths takes it environmental responsibility seriously. Over the past 15 years, it has put ambitious targets in place to meet its vision of being one of the world’s most responsible retailers. Woolworths’ Good Business Journey programme places sustainability at the core of the business and impacts everything it does. It focuses on improving eight key business areas, including energy and climate change, water, packaging and waste, and sustainable farming – all backed up with measurable targets. To achieve these, Woolworths collaborates with various stakeholders on their sustainability journey. Last year it launched its new Good Business Journey strategy and goals, named Vision 2025+, core to this vision is its commitment to achieve net zero carbon impact by 2040, with a 50% reduction by 2030. Woolworths has adopted a science-based target for its direct operations and is working with suppliers to set their own reduction targets.

Woolworths recently announced a South African retail first – the rollout of electric delivery vans to more than 70% of its fleet over the next 18 months to service online purchase deliveries in Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban. The electricity to power these vans will be sourced where possible from renewable sources maximising the opportunity to utilise existing solar installations and additional chargers co-located at strategic Woolworths store locations.”

The retailer is also using renewable energy – both solar and wind-powered – at several stores and distribution centres. Woolworths currently has close to 200 stores utilising technology that enables energy efficiency. The retail giant aims to obtain all its energy from renewable sources by 2030.

As well as making environmentally responsible changes to internal operations, Woolworths is working with its producers and suppliers to help underscore green practices. Thirteen years ago, Woolworths recognised the importance of regenerative agriculture and launched its Farming for the Future programme, which today includes more than 480 of its suppliers. The programme helps suppliers take a data-driven approach to farming, which supports the science-based management of farms as part of a wider eco-system. The programme now includes fresh and frozen vegetables, fruit, wine, long-life milk, fresh juice and horticulture suppliers.

As the climate crisis worsens, consumers increasingly demand that retailers enable them to make sustainable shopping choices. Woolworths is helping through its commitment to ensuring that all packaging will be either reusable or recyclable. The retailer has already taken significant steps to achieve this. More than 300 of its stores are plastic shopping bag free. Paper board packaging is being utilised for popular fresh produce, and numerous other products such as frozen veg and frozen pot sticker dumplings have shifted to recyclable packaging.

Ultimately, the only way to bring about meaningful, enduring environmental progress is for retailers to purposefully address their operational practices and to collaborate with stakeholders at every touch point in the supply chain. Through its Good Business Journey programme, Woolworths is positioning itself at the forefront of sustainability leadership, spurred on by its commitment to the planet and its future.

Last year Woolworths launched its new Good Business Journey strategy and goals, named Vision 2025+, core to this vision is its commitment to achieve net zero carbon impact by 2040, with a 50% reduction by 2030.”