Why would a retailer and an environmental organization join forces? The answer is simple: “To make supply chains more resilient and to measurably advance the protection of natural resources along the value chain.” Stefan Haensel, Head of Quality and Sustainability at Lidl International, outlines our joint mission: protecting climate and biodiversity while actively helping to shape a transformation toward resource-efficient food systems.
"At Lidl, we pursue a holistic approach that encompasses everything from climate protection and biodiversity to conscious nutrition. To achieve measurable progress, we need partners who offer not just expertise, but the courage to ask the tough questions. WWF is exactly that partner. Together, we are transforming Lidl’s operations and supply chains to minimize raw material risks and operate within our planetary boundaries. With over 12,900 stores worldwide, Lidl has the scale and influence to actively drive progress across the food industry."
"Our responsibility extends across national borders. By partnering with WWF in more than 30 countries*, we are raising our collaboration to an unprecedented international scale. Together, we develop tailored strategies and solutions—such as our biodiversity strategy—to bring business and nature into harmony and respect planetary boundaries. A central objective on this journey is to support our customers by providing an optimized assortment that makes it easier to make choice-based and health-promoting purchasing decisions. Only by working hand in hand can we drive the systemic change our industry needs."
"Sustainability as part of our understanding of quality is the foundation of our future viability. Together with WWF, we are leveraging our influence in over 30 countries to ecologically secure supply chains and operate within planetary boundaries. In this way, we make reliable action an attractive standard for our customers and actively drive positive change."
Together with WWF, we are combining our expertise to tackle key ecological challenges, by focusing on:
Climate change is a global challenge, and we are aware of our responsibility. That is why we are making climate protection a priority in our partnership with WWF. We have committed to reducing our emissions in line with the targets of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Furthermore, we are jointly developing and testing a concept for climate- and nature-based financing based on our remaining emissions. This financing approach aims to maximize synergy effects such as biodiversity and water while respecting social safeguards. The financing plan will be linked to corresponding nature conservation projects.
Together with WWF, we are reviewing our existing analyses and targets regarding nature-related risks. Our goal is to develop and promote a more comprehensive biodiversity strategy. This will enable us to identify and address risks to biodiversity, such as deforestation and species extinction, within our value chain. We will focus on identifying particularly high-risk value chains and regions and finding ways to increase their resilience using the WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter. We will develop specific implementation plans for these areas.
Using the WWF Water Risk Filter, we are revising our analyses and targets regarding freshwater risks to create a more comprehensive strategy for responsible water use. In collaboration with WWF, we identify and address water risks throughout our entire value chain. This is particularly important for high-risk products such as coffee, fruit, and vegetables, where we want to avoid issues like water contamination or scarcity. As part of our partnership, we will disclose the risks identified in our value chain and the measures we take to reduce environmental impact.
Our products rely on raw materials from all over the world. Therefore, we see it as our responsibility to source raw materials in a socially responsible, traceable, and sustainable manner. In order to fulfill our legal obligations, we are working together with WWF to establish traceable, deforestation-free supply chains for critical raw materials such as soy, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, beef, timber, pulp, and paper, aligned with the AFi guidelines and in compliance with upcoming EUDR regulations. The requirements apply to private-label products in all Lidl countries where the partnership with WWF applies. All existing and new suppliers must implement this sourcing policy by the end of the 2026 financial year.
As part of our partnership with WWF, we are strengthening our commitment to a plant-based diet, as recommended by the Planetary Health Diet. Our goal is to increase the proportional sales of plant-based products in our assortment by 20% by 2030 (compared to 2023). We regularly record the ratio of plant-based to animal-based protein sources using the recognized WWF methodology. This applies to our private labels and third-party brands, in both the standard and promotional assortments, and in all Lidl countries where the WWF partnership applies.
For traceable fish and seafood, we aim for a greater focus on transparency, traceability, and the use of recognized labels such as MSC, ASC, Organic, BAP 4-Star, and GLOBALG.A.P. Our goals apply to our private-label products in the fish and seafood assortment in all Lidl countries where the WWF partnership applies. We want to ensure that by February 2028, 100 percent of our fish and seafood assortment comes from sources that WWF classifies as recommended or acceptable. To support this, products should include information on the country of production, the species, and the catch or farming method, backed by fully traceable supply chains
We reduce food waste in our stores and logistics centers through targeted strategies. Therefore, we are developing a reduction strategy with clear targets. We focus on preventing waste and making the best possible use of unsold food, for example through donations. By-products also frequently arise during production, leading to food waste. We therefore want to specifically analyze production processes - especially for our private labels - and develop measures to reduce avoidable losses.
Through targeted public relations, communication, and educational programs, the Lidl Foundation and WWF aim to raise awareness that sustainable business practices are essential for our shared future. Among other things, we work together to advocate for transparent sourcing practices in our industry and society. As part of these efforts, we are developing measures for a constructive dialogue with key stakeholders. Our actions specifically target the protection of climate, water, and biodiversity. To achieve these goals, it is crucial that we leverage our joint expertise and experience to advance the protection of climate, water, and biodiversity at an industry level.
* The international partnership with WWF applies in the following Lidl countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA.
Learn more about the international partnership between Lidl and WWF here!
