Sustainability 
 

Advancing circular energy solutions with Moment Energy

Included in this new round of investments is Moment Energy, a pioneer in repurposed battery energy storage systems (BESS) and the first company in North America to manufacture certified, commercial-scale systems using second-life electric vehicle batteries. Built on the principle that every battery deserves a second life, Moment Energy’s platform extends EV battery lifespan, preventing premature recycling and landfill waste while enabling more sustainable energy use. Its cost-effective BESS solutions deliver reliable and flexible energy storage at scale across grocery retail infrastructure as well as in settings including data centers, hospitals, factories and microgrids. 

As Ingrid Maes, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of W23 Global, noted, “Moment Energy is meaningfully advancing what’s possible in sustainable retail infrastructure and supply chain circularity. As grocery operations face rising energy costs and increasing demand pressures, Moment Energy's second-life storage systems give retailers a faster, cleaner path to reliable backup power, while significantly reducing peak-demand utility costs.” 

Optimizing energy portfolios with Verse 

W23 Global is also investing in Verse, an energy intelligence platform that helps large-scale energy consumers manage increasingly complex energy portfolios. Its core product, Aria™, centralizes utility bills, contracts, and power purchase agreements across thousands of sites, providing a unified view of energy data. This enables retailers to compare forecasts to actual performance across stores, distribution centers and other physical assets, make smarter procurement decisions, and optimize costs and risk. With the addition of Dispatch Intelligence, Verse also orchestrates on-site energy resources in real time, helping AI infrastructure come online faster in a constrained grid environment. 

AI-enabled operations
 

Enabling secure agent-driven commerce with Skyfire

Expanding its focus to the emerging landscape of AI-driven commerce, W23 Global is investing in Skyfire, which is building a cross-ecosystem trust and permission layer for the agentic economy. The platform provides a secure identity and financial stack that enables retailers to distinguish trusted AI shopping agents from malicious automation. Through verified “Know Your Agent” (KYA) credentials and integrated payment capabilities, Skyfire allows businesses to safely open their digital channels to autonomous shoppers. 

"Skyfire is providing the critical infrastructure required to turn the rise of autonomous AI into a new frontier of growth for retailers," said Ingrid Maes, CEO and CIO of W23 Global. "By upgrading traditional commerce stacks with a dedicated agent identity and payment layer, Skyfire provides the key to unlock high-intent agent demand while shielding systems from the surge of bot-driven cyber risk. Skyfire provides the infrastructure retailers need to capture and process automated transactions securely and instantly.” 

Scaling compliant marketing with Haast

Among its latest investments, W23 Global is investing in Haast, an AI-native platform designed to automate marketing compliance and brand protection for consumer industries. Founded in 2023, Haast supports retailers in managing compliance across the full content lifecycle, from pre-publication review to continuous monitoring of live channels. Operating across text, image, video, and audio, the platform helps ensure consistent, compliant messaging while accelerating approval processes. It helps marketing, legal, and compliance teams save time, reduce risk, and speed up content approvals in a complex regulatory environment. 

Elevating customer experience with Cresta 

W23 Global also announces its investment in Cresta, a unified platform in human-centric generative AI for contact centers. Cresta’s platform combines autonomous AI agents with real-time coaching and conversation intelligence for human teams. Originating from the Stanford AI Lab and led by the co-founder of Google’s AI Contact Center, the company helps teams work more effectively by turning conversational data into live agent assistance. Their scalable technology has already delivered measurable operational results for global enterprises, with over 80 businesses as customers. 

As Ingrid Maes, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of W23 Global, noted, "Customer service has become a critical point of differentiation for retailers. The opportunity is no longer simply to automate interactions, but to deliver faster, more personalized and more consistent customer experiences while fundamentally improving the economics of service. We believe Cresta is one of the companies best positioned to help retailers achieve both." 

About W23 Global

W23 Global is a global grocery retail venture capital fund backed by five leading grocery retailers: Tesco (UK, ROI, Europe), Ahold Delhaize (U.S., Europe, Indonesia), Woolworths Group (Australia, New Zealand), Shoprite Group (Africa), and Empire Company Limited (Canada). W23 Global invests in innovative start-ups and scale-ups developing technology to transform grocery retail. Its work focuses on supporting companies that build solutions with practical application across markets, helping advance the way retailers operate and serve customers while addressing sustainability challenges. As technology continues to shape the future of grocery retail, W23 Global remains focused on solutions that make a tangible difference for both customers and retailers.  

For more information about W23 Global, visit www.w23.vc. 

Ahold Delhaize’s local brands source products from more than 180 countries and work with over 15,000 direct suppliers. Together, they serve 77 million customers every week. For us, sourcing food responsibly is about more than where products come from. It is about working together across brands to make everyday food, safe, affordable and healthier – for as many people as possible – and to support the transition to a more sustainable food system. 

Ahold Delhaize’s European brands continue to raise the bar and expand their shared sourcing efforts, with the aim to support affordability, increase access to healthier food and build more resilient supply chains. 

Harmonizing across own-brand product ranges 
One of the most important ways our European brands are working together is by harmonizing products across their own-brand product ranges. For example, they might agree to harmonize their recipes, ingredients, and packaging for an own-brand pasta sauce product. This enables them to reduce complexity in packaging and logistics, consolidate volumes and pass savings on to customers. 

So far this year, the brands have identified hundreds of key value items across our six European markets – the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Greece – where we see further opportunities to harmonize products and take better advantage of our scale. These products – from bananas to yogurt to toilet paper – play a critical role in our value proposition: they are purchased frequently, strongly influence price perception, and show limited need for local differentiation. 

These efforts build on the work our European brands did in 2025 to ramp up their shared approach to sourcing in order to keep everyday essentials affordable for customers. Sourcing together and combining volumes enables the brands to buy ingredients and products more efficiently, plan further ahead, build stronger long-term relationships with suppliers, reduce unnecessary complexity in the supply chain, and lower costs. And the money they save can be invested back into affordable prices for customers.  

In 2025, our European brands expanded their joint sourcing portfolio with 167 new products, including 100 items in their Price Favorite range. By the end of the year each of the European brands offered over 900 Price Favorite products, providing customers with greater choice and value across their assortments. Overall, the brands added 1,450 new own-brand products in Europe last year. 

Innovating through own brands 
For our European brands, own brands are also a way to play a leading role in innovation by leveraging their deep local insights and strong development capabilities. Own brands enable them to launch differentiated products that help customers make better choices without compromising on quality or taste.  

Some recent successes are Albert Heijn’s renewed own-brand BBQ assortment with over 80 new products – launched right in time for the sunny weather. Alfa Beta’s award-winning own-brand range “AB close to the Greek land” highlights their commitment to high-quality products inspired by the richness of Greek gastronomy and local production. And Maxi Serbia has significantly stepped up their own-brand offering to support customers who have faced ongoing pressure on their household budget in the country. Innovations like these in Europe continue to inspire product development across Ahold Delhaize as we pursue our ambition of 45% own-brand sales. 

Making healthy and sustainable choices easier and more accessible 
Joint sourcing also plays a key role in helping customers eat healthier and more sustainably. In 2025, more than half (52.1%) of Ahold Delhaize’s own‑brand food sales came from products classified as healthy. This reflects years of work across brands to improve everyday products – reducing salt, sugar and saturated fat, and increasing healthier options – while keeping prices accessible. Because many of our brands work with the same suppliers, cooperating means improvements can be made at scale. When a supplier reformulates an ingredient or improves a recipe, that change can benefit multiple brands and millions of customers. You can see this approach in action at the local brands. 

At Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, working together with shared suppliers has helped improve the recipes of everyday own‑brand products – cutting back on sugar, salt and saturated fat while keeping prices affordable for customers.  For example, Albert Heijn reduced the sugar in all its own-brand products by the equivalent of 134 million sugar cubes in 2025. You can read more about Albert Heijn’s progress in making its own-brand products healthier in its 2025 Impact Report.  

At Delhaize in Belgium, the same joint sourcing approach supports a wide range of healthier own‑brand products, including reduced‑salt and reduced‑sugar options that are part of many families’ regular weekly shopping basket – not premium products, but everyday choices. In 2025, Delhaize also launched a selection of hybrid protein products that blend traditional meat flavors with the advantages of plant-based ingredients – based on inspiration from Albert Heijn. 

Working with suppliers at scale also helps our brands source more responsibly and reduce waste. For example, as they harmonize own-brand products, our European brands are also working to reduce packaging materials – particularly the use of virgin plastic – for these ranges. In 2025, we surpassed our target to reduce the use of virgin plastic packaging as a result of several brand initiatives to improve plastic own-brand packaging. 

Building for the long term 
Joint sourcing is not about quick wins. It is a continuous effort to build a food system that works for customers, suppliers, and communities. By working together to create more affordable, healthy and responsible product ranges, our European brands continue to unlock meaningful benefits for both customers and the planet. Because what happens at the source ultimately shapes what ends up on the shelf. 

To learn more about joint sourcing at Ahold Delhaize, watch Robert’s story below.   

Sustainable energy for a future-proof horticulture sector
Dutch greenhouse horticulture plays a crucial role in the year-round availability of fresh fruit and vegetables. To keep this sector strong for the future, greenhouse businesses need to continue moving toward electrification and more sustainable energy use.

At Albert Heijn’s request, Bakker Barendrecht and AgroEnergy, a subsidiary of Eneco, carried out research to explore what is possible. The results show that many growers can already take meaningful and financially sound steps toward sustainability in the short term. This helps keep locally grown products fresh, high-quality and affordable.

For Albert Heijn, this is an important step in achieving its target of a 45% CO₂e reduction by 2030 (compared to 2018) across the entire supply chain. 

Working together across the supply chain
Each partner brings valuable expertise to this shared effort. Bakker Barendrecht and Eneco have worked with nearly all participating growers to identify which sustainable solutions fit their greenhouse operations. Eneco offers the technical expertise and guidance to help growers optimize and improve their energy consumption, including in areas where grid congestion poses challenges.

Albert Heijn supports growers through long-term partnerships that strengthen the supply chain. Innovation, sustainability and transparency remain central to this approach, helping ensure that quality, affordability, availability and sustainability go hand in hand.


A clear roadmap for growers
The core of the approach is the AgroEnergy Green Plan, a step-by-step plan that provides growers how much energy they use and which sustainable solutions match their situation. By managing energy in smarter ways, sustainable horticulture becomes technically achievable.

Growers also receive support in making the best use of subsidy programs. This helps them modernize their operations without putting pressure on the affordability or availability of locally grown vegetables and fruits.

“Based on our mission, ‘together we make eating better the easy choice. For everyone’, Albert Heijn believes in the power of collaboration to make a positive impact, not only for our customers but also for our partners throughout the supply chain," says Rob Heesen, Director of Partnerships & Business Development at Albert Heijn. "We can be truly proud that together we're demonstrating that it's possible to make things more sustainable and guarantee food security."

"Eneco is deeply committed to greenhouse horticulture," says Dick Velings, Director of Strategic Growth at Eneco. “Through our subsidiary AgroEnergy, we've been passionately working with growers to make the sector more sustainable for over 15 years. This partnership with Albert Heijn allows us to radically accelerate this process and, together with Bakker Barendrecht and the growers, also embark on a path to carbon neutrality.”


Sector-wide movement 
The Dutch government also sees sustainable horticulture as an important opportunity. The cabinet is investing €200 million to help the sector become climate-neutral by 2040.

On Monday, November 24, Albert Heijn met with growers, industry organizations, NGOs, research institutes, businesses and government representatives during a stakeholder meeting hosted by cucumber and bell pepper grower Reijm & Zn. The discussion focused on both possibilities and challenges in the sector’s energy transition with a clear message: it can be done.

"Greenhouse horticulture is a vital sector, and one where there's much to be gained through sustainability. It's therefore wonderful to see Albert Heijn, Bakker Barendrecht, and Eneco committing to sustainable vegetable cultivation. Initiatives like this demonstrate that we're building the sustainable, prosperous economy of the future together," says Sophie Hermans, Minister of Climate and Green Growth. 

Working for more sustainable, local agriculture
With the Cultivation Academy, growers will receive guidance and support in adopting regenerative agriculture practices. The goal of the academy is to bring Belgian growers together so they can share knowledge and experiences to improve and optimize their cultivation methods.

Delhaize strongly believes in the power of collaboration. By working with local farmers, the brand contributes to the shift toward a more sustainable agricultural sector and supports Belgian consumers in making more environmentally conscious choices. The seasonal vegetables offered by Delhaize are not only good for personal health but also for the planet. Regeneratively grown produce promotes biodiversity and strengthens soil health.

Sustainable growth
For Delhaize, sustainable growth means reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. Because every field, crop, and farm have unique needs, the brand takes a tailor-made approach to working with growers. The Cultivation Academy supports farmers in transitioning to more sustainable practices, such as planting cover crops and using water more efficiently. Regenerative agriculture is at the core of this strategy—a farming method that not only respects nature but actively restores and enhances it.

As farmers adopt regenerative methods, they implement new techniques and technologies that can initially result in higher costs or lower yields. To encourage the transition, the partnership includes an additional compensation model for participating growers.

“As a grower, I’m proud to host this training in my fields and to learn more about regenerative agriculture alongside my colleagues. Using natural fertilizers helps store carbon in the soil more effectively, which is an ecological benefit. We’re given tools to monitor soil health and take direct action ourselves. At every step, we consider the impact on the soil and the plant—because without plants, there are no vegetables.

For me, it’s a true win-win: I manage my land more sustainably while still achieving good yields, and I contribute to more sustainable vegetables on supermarket shelves,” says Gilke Croket, grower and Cultivation Academy participant.

“By applying regenerative techniques, we ensure that the vegetables produced by our growers are not only nutritious but also contribute to healthier soil and a more sustainable ecosystem. This benefits not just today’s consumers, but future generations as well,” says Inge De Paepe, Sustainability Manager at Delhaize.

More about Bakker Belgium
Since November 2019, Bakker Belgium has been a strategic partner of Delhaize. As part of the Greenyard Group, it supplies a large portion of the fresh fruit and vegetable range to Delhaize’s distribution centers. Their shared ambition is to increase fruit and vegetable consumption for a healthier future while creating a more sustainable food supply. Bakker Belgium has sister companies in the Netherlands (Ridderkerk) and the Czech Republic (Divisov), which also serve Ahold Delhaize. Find more information here.

Learn more about Arvesta
Arvesta is building the agriculture of tomorrow in a sustainable way through its unique expertise and smart farming innovations. Active in animal nutrition, agriculture, horticulture, and retail, Arvesta helps farmers grow and increase their yields. With more than 2,300 experts and 40 strong brands, Arvesta serves as a knowledge center for both farmers and consumers. As a full-service provider for farmers and growers, Arvesta is a leading player in Belgium and operates internationally in the Netherlands, France, and Germany. Find more information here.

Highlights from bol’s 2024 report 
The report reflects bol’s mission to make more sustainable choices easier for customers and partners, while continuously improving the platform’s own operations. “We’ve made great progress, but there’s still a lot to do,” says Dennis van den Berg, Head of ESG at bol. “We must continue to learn, continue to improve. Sustainability is not a KPI that you check off. It’s a responsibility that we must take seriously every day.”  A number of highlights from the report are included below: 

Reducing environmental impact  
Bol is focused on reducing the climate impact of its operations through various initiatives, including cutting emissions from its logistics and packaging. 

• In 2024, 9% of items were shipped without an outer box, resulting in a reduction of 4 million kg cardboard. Bol also uses recycled cardboard to reduce waste. 
• Bol converted two packaging machines to “Folding Green Machines”, which reduce carbon emissions per package by approximately 28%. The brand plans to convert more machines in 2025 to further reduce cardboard and glue usage.  
• Overall, carbon emissions per package decreased by over 5% compared with 2023.  

Supporting the circular economy  
Bol is making strides by introducing and expanding circular propositions, with a focus on extending the life of products through initiatives like second-hand sales, product repair and refurbished electronics. 

• In 2024, 159,000 broken products were sent in for repair, of which 90,000 were repaired and given a second life (the rest were recycled). 
• The brand also launched its refurbished electronics proposition, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and smartwatches. 
• Bol is collaborating with quality partners to ensure refurbished items meet high standards, including rigorous quality checks and a two-year warranty. 
• For 2025, bol plans to further expand its refurbished assortment by adding more partners and product categories. 

Collaborating with suppliers to reduce emissions  
Bol recognizes the critical role of supplier collaboration in achieving broader climate goals, and is actively engaging with suppliers on this topic.  

• The brand is working with suppliers to reduce carbon emissions, acknowledging that 80% of emissions come from the top 250 suppliers.  
• Bol launched the Climate hub (“Klimaathub” in Dutch) to help suppliers calculate, set and report on Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) goals for their carbon emissions.  
• In 2024, bol’s largest suppliers shared information about their emissions, providing a better understanding of the total carbon emissions within their supply chain. 

Promoting social impact and inclusion 
Bol is committed to creating positive social impact through various initiatives focused on enhancing inclusion and equity. 

• The Bollebozen program aims to improve language, reading and digital skills among children. In 2024, this program reached over 800,000 children and their caregivers. 
• The brand donated over 441,000 books to children in the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname. 
• Bol is focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in its workplace, with programs like Women in Product & Tech and Women in Leadership. The proportion of women in leadership positions increased to 43.4%, and women in Tech roles reached 28%. 

Working towards a more sustainable assortment 
Bol continues to develop ways of guiding customers towards more sustainable choices.  

• The platform is increasing the visibility of products with the “Goede Keuze” (good choice) label, which helps customers identify products with significant sustainability advantages over comparable items – such as recycled materials or the Fairtrade hallmark. 
• In 2024, there were 1.5 million “Goede Keuze” products on the platform. 

For the first time, bol’s 2024 Impact Report aligns with Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) standards, offering more transparent insights into key topics such as the environment, human rights, diversity and working conditions. Read the full report here

Ahold Delhaize ranked at Climate leadership level 

Around 13% of the thousands of companies globally assessed by CDP achieved the A or A- level this year, which is the scoring range indicating that Ahold Delhaize is a leader in managing the most significant climate challenges and opportunities.  To earn this ‘leadership’ status, as CDP states, “organizations must demonstrate best practice in the strategies they utilize and the actions they undertake”.  

CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system for companies, capital markets, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. CDP scores companies from D- to A. 

In obtaining the A- grade, Ahold Delhaize is recognized for its improvements compared to last year around climate risk and opportunities disclosures, scope 3 emissions disclosures and targets, integrating climate in business strategy and emission reduction initiatives.  
 

What’s next 

As food retailers, we are aware of how climate change is impacting the food systems, from how and where food is grown, products are sourced, to how we package products. And from how we aim to provide healthier and more sustainable assortments and help customers make more sustainable choices, to how we deliver groceries at our customers doorsteps.  

Our approach to addressing climate change focuses on both the impact of climate change on our business and how our business activities impact the climate. We aim to reduce our impact through our decarbonization commitments in our own operations and our value chain. We also aim to mitigate and adapt to climate-related risks and the implications for our business, including physical and transition risks, as well as the identification of climate-related opportunities in the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

Next to Climate, CDP scores companies also on the themes Forests and Water. Ahold Delhaize received a C rating for both, which is categorized as average amongst all CDP rated companies. We are proud of the Climate rating and recognize that we still have the opportunity to improve our performance on Forests and Water. 

For more information on Ahold Delhaize's approaches to Health & Sustainability including our Climate-related targets and actions, visit our Annual Report.  

Our scope 3 targets 

In 2023, in line with the SBTi guidance on land-related (forest, land and agriculture sector or FLAG) and non-land-related (Energy and Industrial sector or E&I), we replaced both our near-term and long-term scope 3 GHG emissions reduction targets with two reduction targets, FLAG and E&I sector targets. Both our near-term (2030) and our long-term (2050) scope 3 reduction targets are consistent with the SBTi methodology with the aim of maintaining the level of decarbonization required to keep the global temperature increase within 1.5°C of pre-industrial temperatures. 
 

Three levers for decarbonization 

To tackle this challenge, we have identified three key levers for decarbonization in our value chain (scope 3): 

• Engaging our suppliers and identifying emission reduction opportunities 
• Ensuring a lower emission assortment  
• Encouraging our customers to make more sustainable choices 

Partnerships and collaboration are an important part of how the brands increase transparency and support implementation of decarbonization techniques in their supply chains.  
 

Ahold Delhaize USA’s farmland-focused initiatives to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions  

Through several strategic collaborations with key suppliers, Ahold Delhaize USA is making strides to reduce GHG emissions in the value chain, contribute to a healthier planet, and create a more resilient and sustainable food system.  

Kellanova and Bartlett: regenerative wheat in North Carolina 

In summer of last year, Ahold Delhaize USA teamed up with Kellanova (formerly Kellogg Company) and Bartlett to launch a farm-to-shelf regenerative agriculture pilot aimed at reducing Scope 3 GHG emissions in wheat farming. This collaboration focuses on supporting North Carolina wheat farmers in adopting regenerative practices to enhance soil health and supply chain resilience. 

The pilot program involves financial investments from Ahold Delhaize USA, Kellanova and Bartlett to assist farmers in implementing regenerative agriculture techniques. Bartlett's certified crop advisors provide technical assistance to farmers, guiding them in conservation practices that improve soil health and water quality, while reducing emissions. The harvested wheat is milled at Bartlett’s facility in Wilson’s Mills, North Carolina, and used to produce Kellanova’s Cheez-It® and Club® crackers at their Cary, North Carolina, facility. These consumer products, which integrate regenerative wheat into their recipes, are expected to be available in Ahold Delhaize USA's local brand stores this year.  

General Mills: supply shed collaboration 

In September 2024, Ahold Delhaize USA and General Mills announced a collaborative initiative to address Scope 3 emissions within their shared value chain. This project focuses on co-investing in key supply sheds – geographic regions where key ingredients are sourced – to support farmers in adopting regenerative agriculture practices. 

The collaboration aims to implement regenerative farming techniques on over 70,000 acres of farmland in Kansas, U.S., and Saskatchewan, Canada, by the end of 2025. These areas represent the approximate acreage General Mills uses to source key ingredients, such as wheat and oats, for products sold in Ahold Delhaize USA's local brand stores, including Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. 

Farmers receive technical and financial support to implement practices like cover cropping and nutrient management. The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), a non-profit, member-based organization, will facilitate the program and oversee impact measurement. A combination of field sampling and modeling will be used to estimate net GHG emissions, with reductions and soil carbon sequestration verified by an independent third-party organization to ensure transparency and accountability. 

Campbell’s: collaboration for potato farming practices 

Ahold Delhaize USA and The Campbell's Company recently initiated a three-year regenerative agriculture pilot aimed at reducing carbon emissions associated with potato farming. This project focuses on supporting partner farms in implementing regenerative practices to enhance soil health and create more resilient agricultural systems. 

The pilot involves three potato farms located in North Carolina, New York and Michigan respectively, covering a total of 1,000 acres – the approximate area needed annually to grow potatoes for Campbell's products sold in Ahold Delhaize USA’s local brand stores. The harvested potatoes will be used in products such as Kettle Brand® chips, Cape Cod® chips and Campbell’s® soups, available in the stores of Ahold Delhaize USA’s great local brands.  

Key farming practices promoted in this initiative include cover cropping, compost application, nutrient management, and converting farm equipment to renewable energy sources. The companies will collaborate with farmers to measure soil health and emissions impacts, leveraging Campbell's broader sustainable agriculture program, which has engaged all its potato suppliers since 2023. 
 

Commitment to collaboration 

By working with key partners to support farmers in adopting regenerative agriculture, these programs aim to improve soil health, enhance supply chain resilience, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. From field to shelf, these efforts not only contribute to a lower-carbon food system but also help create positive environmental outcomes and support the long-term sustainability of farms and their communities.  

By engaging with suppliers in this way, we create a ripple effect of sustainability across the industry. Through continued collaboration, data-driven insights and innovation, we will keep working for a healthier future for people and planet. 
 

Further resources 

For more information, read Ahold Delhaize USA’s press releases or refer to our 2024 Annual Report: 

• https://www.adusa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ahold-delhaize-usa-kellanova-bartlett-announce-farm-shelf 
• https://www.adusa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ahold-delhaize-usa-and-general-mills-collaborate-decrease-value 
• https://www.adusa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ahold-delhaize-usa-and-campbells-company-launch-regenerative  
• https://aholddelhaize.com/digitalannualreport/2024  

The B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency. With B Corp Certification, Albert Heijn Netherlands joins a global network of more than 9,000 companies that prioritize positive impact and are committed to a more inclusive, regenerative, and equal economy.

Marit van Egmond, brand president of Albert Heijn: “As the largest supermarket in the Netherlands, we take steps – both large and small – every day to contribute to a healthy, sustainable, and social society based on our purpose. We do this together with all 125,000 colleagues, our partners and, of course, our customers. I’m proud of the recognition from B Lab, and I see the certification as a positive incentive to continue along our chosen path. I’m looking forward to that. Because the more you know and learn, the more you realize what’s still possible.”

Tessa van Soest, Director B Lab Benelux: “Albert Heijn Netherlands has reached an important milestone by achieving B Corp Certification. B Lab strives for economic system change, where companies create value for all their stakeholders. We warmly welcome Albert Heijn Netherlands to the B Corp community and, as B Corp Certification is all about continuous improvement, we look forward to the next steps in their sustainability journey.”
 

B Corp Certification: how does it work? 

To achieve B Corp Certification, an organization must score at least 80 out of a maximum of 200 points in an assessment conducted by B Lab. This process evaluates the impact of a company across five key areas: governance, environment, workers, customers, and community. Albert Heijn Netherlands scored 97.9 points, as noted in its public B Corp profile. Furthermore, every B Corp must embed a commitment to considering the impact of its actions on all stakeholders in its articles of association. To maintain certification, B Corps must recertify every three years. 

On an annual basis, Albert Heijn reports its progress in its sustainability report. You can read the 2023 report here. We’re very proud of this step forward and encourage Albert Heijn to continue on this path.

A substantial part of Ahold Delhaize’s daily work evolves around food. It only makes sense that Ahold Delhaize’s local brands work closely together with local food banks, to provide food donations and other resources. By working together with GFN, Ahold Delhaize can contribute and build on the quality of its local brands' numerous community initiatives. Ahold Delhaize will provide financial support and share expertise to help GFN build capacity, offer technical assistance, and drive innovation, making food banks more effective and resilient in the nine countries where Ahold Delhaize’s brands operate. 
 

President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize Frans Muller said: “The role of our brands’ stores goes beyond grocery shopping. For many years, they have actively partnered with local food banks, creating a positive impact in their communities. Partnering with The Global FoodBanking Network allows us to further contribute to addressing food insecurity and prioritizing healthy, nutritious and sustainable food. The contribution of GFN and its network of local food banks is invaluable in giving families and individuals a better and healthier future.”
 

“Food banks are rooted in their communities, which makes them key actors in reducing food insecurity and minimizing food waste and the corrosive impact it has on the climate,” said Lisa Moon, President and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. “Thoughtful partnerships like this one with Ahold Delhaize fortify those community bonds by providing impactful support and expertise that will help food banks ensure that more food ends up on families' tables. Together we can nourish people and the planet.” 
 

The announcement of the partnership coincides with the presentation of Ahold Delhaize's new Growing Together strategy. A key component of this strategy is supporting the transition to a healthy and sustainable food system, ensuring that healthy and sustainable food is accessible and available to all.  
 

About The Global FoodBanking Network  

The Global FoodBanking Network works with partners in over 50 countries to alleviate hunger and tackle climate change at the same time. Our partner food banks work with 50,000 local agencies and are supported by over 400,000 volunteers. Last year, we provided food to more than 32 million people. We are fixing the global food system so it functions as it should: nourishing people and the planet together. More: www.foodbanking.org. 

Ahold Delhaize raised €500 million in April last year by issuing a Green Bond under its updated Green Finance Framework. We allocated the largest portion of the proceeds to the Green Buildings and Energy Efficiency categories. Throughout 2022 and 2023, our bond proceeds have allowed to add 6 distribution centers and 51 stores to our building portfolio with EPC Label A. For example, Albert Heijn’s newest, state-of-the-art Home Shop Center has a fully gas-free infrastructure, more than 5,400 solar panels and energy efficient solutions.

We are implementing energy efficiency measures across all our local brands. Examples of earmarked projects include the installation of heat pump systems, LED lighting and energy efficient doors on refrigerated cases in our stores and distribution centers, and the replacement of refrigerants with lower Global Warming Potential alternatives.

“Building on the success of our first Sustainability Bond issuance in 2019 and our 2021 Sustainability-Linked Bond issuance, our inaugural Green Bond reinforced our commitment to sustainable finance. It aligns with Ahold Delhaize’s Healthy & Sustainable strategy and funds our climate transition,” said Miguel Silva Gonzalez, Senior Vice President & Treasurer at Ahold Delhaize. 

On December 31st, 2023, Ahold Delhaize had a total eligible Green project portfolio of €580 million. We allocated 86% of the portfolio to the €500 million Green Bond proceeds. Out of the portfolio, €198 million, or 34%, refinanced existing projects with expenditures incurred in 2022. Additionally, €383 million, or 66% of the portfolio, were used to finance new projects with expenditures incurred in 2023.

Sustainalytics, an independent provider of ESG research and ratings, delivered a second-party opinion on the Framework. The bonds carry a coupon of 3.50% and mature on April 4th, 2028. The subsequent Green Bond Allocation and Impact Report, and the second-party opinion, are available for viewing on Ahold Delhaize's website. KPMG Accountants N.V. provided Limited Assurance on the Allocation Report.

We recognize our role in moving towards a circular economy, focusing on eliminating unnecessary plastic, switching to reusable and/or recyclable packaging, and increasing the use of recycled content in own-brand plastic packaging. 

Collaboration across the value chain 

Ahold Delhaize has joined large consumer goods companies as signatories to the Global Commitment, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme, to collaborate with key players in the value chain. This group is, along with our input, currently shaping the next phase of the Global Commitment, which will shape the focus of further circularity efforts of our industry.

We also work with several network organizations to find solutions for sustainable packaging. Some of our brands are members of national Plastics Pacts that are implementing solutions towards a circular economy for plastic. For example, Albert Heijn is a member of the Dutch Plastics Pact, while Ahold Delhaize USA is a member of the U.S. Plastics Pact and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a membership-based collaborative that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable.

Leading by example 

• Alfa Beta launched a new type of paper packaging for its “AB think BIO” organic tomatoes, apples and pears that has the potential to save more than 4,000 kilos of plastic annually. At Albert Heijn, plastic bread clips were replaced by paper. 
• An example of our brands collaborating across the value chain is Albert Heijn’s collaboration with Avantium N.V., a technology company in sustainable chemistry, to make packaging more sustainable. To this end, Avantium’s 100% plant-based and polyethylene furanoate (PEF) is being used for various forms of packaging. The first application will be Albert Heijn’s new fruit juice bottle made out of PEF, to be introduced in the brand’s stores once Avantium’s commercial plant for PEF is operational. Albert Heijn is the first supermarket chain in the world to introduce PEF packaging for its own-brand products. 
• Delhaize partners with Fost Plus and major coffee brands to recycle coffee caps. In 2023 Delhaize joined forces to collect and recycle the aluminum and plastic coffee capsules still containing coffee grit in a sustainable way. As a result, the caps have been allowed in the blue bag (PMD) since 2023 and are recycled. Delhaize is the first retailer to join such an initiative.  
• Food Lion partnered with Sealed Air, Fieldale Farms and ExxonMobil on an advanced collection, recycling and reuse initiative. This pilot turned flexible plastics collected from nearly 180 Food Lion stores serviced by a DC in Greenville, South Carolina, into new food-grade packaging that is put back into the supply chain in a continuous cycle, diverting it from landfills. After a viable pilot, the process is now being evaluated for scale throughout Ahold Delhaize. This circular solution for food packaging waste was the first of its kind in the United States.  

Our targets and progress 

Ahold Delhaize has set 3 targets around plastics: 

1. By 2025, our brands aim to reduce the use of virgin plastic in their own brand primary product packaging by 5% compared to the 2021 baseline. 
2. 25% of our total own-brand primary plastic packaging weight will be made from recycled content by 2025. 
3. 100% of primary own-brand plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable in practice and at scale by 2025. 

The Global Commitment 2023 Progress Report concluded that while strong progress is being made in some areas, the 2025 target of 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable plastic packaging will almost certainly be missed by most organizations, including Ahold Delhaize. 

The main reasons for this are because there is a lack of needed infrastructure and availability of flexible packaging. Furthermore, achieving the target of 25% recycled content has been a challenge not only for us, but also for other retailers and CPGs. The main barriers include the limited access to high quality, large-scale quantity (and food-grade), certified PCR packaging and the high price of post-consumer recycled materials.  

For this reason, we have set an additional reduction target on virgin own-brand plastic product packaging, as this is something we have direct control over and that has a direct impact on reducing our footprint. 

In 2023, our brands reduced the use of virgin plastic in their own-brand primary product packaging by 10.3% compared to 2022. 

Continued focus on our commitments 

The realization of not meeting all of our initial targets underscores the urgency to accelerate action. We will continue to work with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Through this global working group, collaboration with suppliers and producers, and sharing of best practices within and outside of Ahold Delhaize, we continue to learn more from each other on how to reduce packaging and plastics. Next to that, we are happy to now also be part of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty – convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the WWF. A coalition which gives voice to over 200 businesses across the plastics value chain, financial institutions and NGO partners. Together, we are asking for an ambitious UN treaty that brings plastics into a circular economy, stopping them becoming waste or pollution. 

Please find more information about our approach on plastics in our Annual Report.  

The My Albert app incentivizes customers to eat more healthily by giving them credits for purchasing Nature’s Promise – Albert’s own-brand line offering 370 products, 200 of them organic – and other organic and plant-based options. Customers receive one credit for each Nature's Promise product and additional credits for purchasing selected healthy products. The brand also runs campaigns through which customers get extra credits for organic or plant-based products, including vegetarian and vegan options. 

Delhaize’s SuperPlus program offers a 10% discount on fresh products – including fruits and vegetables, bakery, dairy, meat, fish, deli, prepared meals and plant-based products – with Nutri-Score A or B. There’s no limit to the discount, and it can be used online or in the stores. And they’re taking it up a notch with promo-boost deeper discounts and personalized e-deals, making it even easier to make healthy choices. The program enables customers to stack more discounts on top of the great offers they already find in the Delhaize regular sales flyer, making healthier choices even more affordable. 

Learn more in our 2023 Annual Report. 

Why we choose to have science based emission reduction targets

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), helps companies determine a pathway for reducing their GHG emissions in line with the Paris Agreement’s climate action guidance for countries. The SBTi is founded by, amongst others, the United Nations Global Compact and WWF. It provides a targeting framework that has been adopted by leading companies around the globe and has been endorsed by several governments. At Ahold Delhaize we work with this independent framework because of its alignment with the Paris Agreement, and because it enables comparability with sector and non-sector peers as well as collaboration within the value chain.

For companies, there are 3 scopes that together encompass their total carbon footprint. Scope 1 and 2 involve the carbon emissions of a company’s own business. For Ahold Delhaize and its brands, these GHG emissions mainly entail our own energy consumption, leakages from the refrigeration systems in stores and distribution centers, as well as owned transport. Scope 3 entails the GHG emissions of our entire value chain, the so-called indirect GHG emissions. This involves amongst others the carbon footprint of (the production and transportation of) all products that are sold in our stores or on our online platforms.

Continuous process of adjusting to latest insights

Ahold Delhaize’s scope 3 GHG emissions footprint comprises a complex network of thousands of suppliers, producers and farmers who supply our brands with hundreds of thousands of different products, which in turn are sold to millions of customers each day. Mapping the carbon footprint and identifying how we can reduce the GHG emissions associated with all these products, requires conducting extensive research and gathering an immense amount of data.

Over the past years we have identified key reduction levers, and have been able to set short term (2030) and long term (2050) scope 1, 2 and 3 targets in line with the goal to limit global warming to 1.5ºC. However, the exact road to net-zero is not clear yet. We will keep refining our approach as more information – for example from suppliers, or detailed SBTi guidance on offsetting GHG emissions for those GHG emissions that cannot be abated – becomes available.

Moving towards an updated scope 3 target

When we established our latest targets for scope 1, 2 (in 2021) and 3 (in 2022), we submitted them to SBTi for validation. Our scope 1 and 2 targets have already been validated, and we are currently in the process of validation for our scope 3 target.

In the midst of our scope 3 validation process, SBTi added a requirement for companies to make a distinction between their forest, land, and agriculture (FLAG) and non-FLAG, or Energy and Industry (E&I) related GHG emissions. As a global business that relies on land-based activities, Ahold Delhaize is therefore required to set FLAG and non-FLAG near term and long term targets for scope 3, which we re-submitted to SBTi for validation at the end of 2023.

This means that going forward we will have scope 3 targets that are split up into these two categories. The submitted 1.5ºC-aligned targets pending SBTi validation are:

For the near term (2030):

• Reducing absolute scope 3 FLAG GHG emissions by 30.3% (or 4.7 MtCO2e) by 2030 from the 2020 baseline (for near-term target, 15.5 MtCO2e).
• Reducing absolute scope 3 E&I GHG emissions by 42.0% (or 12.4 MtCO2e) by 2030 from the 2020 baseline (for near-term target, 29.5 MtCO2).

For the long term (2050):

• Reducing absolute scope 3 FLAG GHG emissions by at least 72% (or 15.0 MtCO2e) by 2050 from the 2020 baseline (for long-term target, 20.8 MtCO2e).
• Reducing absolute scope 3 E&I GHG emissions by 90% (or 34.0 MtCO2e) by 2050 from the 2020 baseline (for long-term target, 37.8 MtCO2e).
• We commit to reach net-zero GHG emissions across our own operations and the value chain by 2050.

For setting our long-term and net-zero SBTi targets, we are making use of removals only to the extent permitted by the applicable SBTi guidance.

Our ambition in line with 1.5ºC

While the way we set – and report about – our climate targets will be continuously evolving as the world gains more and more insights into GHG emission reductions opportunities, our ambition is to reduce GHG emissions across our entire value chain in line with the 1.5ºC scenario. We will keep you updated on our progress, and share our learnings and challenges as we go forward.

To learn more about our plans to reduce GHG emissions across our entire value chain, please visit our Climate page or read our 2023 Annual Report.

Thousands of suppliers, hundreds of thousands of products 

The hubs are open-source platforms to support suppliers in starting their decarbonization journey step-by-step, and include instruction videos and links to external resources such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).  

Jan Ernst de Groot, CLO & CSO Ahold Delhaize: “Our value chain is a complex system with thousands of suppliers, producers and farmers around the world supplying hundreds of thousands of products. These products and their related packaging materials, in turn, are composed of materials and ingredients from other suppliers. Mapping the emissions from all these products and materials is a major challenge, for which we need input from our partners. The climate hubs are a great way to encourage our suppliers to track and reduce their emissions.” 
 

Emission reduction targets

Ahold Delhaize has established carbon emission reduction targets for scope 1, 2 and 31 in line with the UN’s goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Our scope 1 and 2 targets have been validated by SBTi and our scope 3 target is currently subject to validation. 
The majority of emissions in the brands’ value chains are from the products and services purchased from suppliers (88.1% of scope 3 emissions²). We engage suppliers to set emissions-reduction targets through the SBTi. These emissions-reduction commitments aim to support the acceleration of improvements in livestock farming, raw material sourcing, processing, transport, packaging, deforestation, food waste reduction and agricultural practices. These actions could address the majority of Ahold Delhaize’s scope 3 emissions by 2030. 

All local climate hubs are now live 

Wouter Kolk, CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia: “What initially commenced as an Albert Heijn initiative, was quickly adapted by Delhaize and eventually arrived at our brands across Europe. This is a great example of the local collaboration between the brands and how we can learn from each other’s best practices.” 

Since the end of 2023 all local climate hubs for the European retail banners are live – including Albert, Albert Heijn, Alfa Beta, Delhaize Belgium, Etos, Gall & Gall, Maxi and Mega Image. The aim is to continuously develop these climate hubs, to maximize support to suppliers.

1. See Ahold Delhaize’s 2023 Climate Plan Update for our targets and methodology.
2. This percentage is based on 2021 data. An updated number will be published in our 2023 Annual Report.

We commit to 1.5 degrees

Frans Muller, CEO Ahold Delhaize: “Humanity has been living beyond its means, depleting planetary resources and stretching the boundaries of what our earth can carry. Ahold Delhaize is taking action. We lead the transformation to a healthy and sustainable food system.” 

To support this, we have set science-based (SBTi) emission reduction targets for our own operations (scope 1 and 2) as well as our entire value chain (scope 3) in line with the UN’s goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Additionally, we conducted research to identify the levers we need to pull for each scope and presented these in our Climate Plan last year.

Jan-Ernst de Groot, CLO and CSO Ahold Delhaize: “With this update, we are taking an important step forward in defining a clear action plan on both our net-zero targets and interim (2030) targets. The challenge with long term net-zero targets is to connect these with immediate actions as well as concrete plans for interim targets. Ahold Delhaize is addressing this by providing a new level of disclosure in this plan.”

Overview of Ahold Delhaize’s scope 1, 2 and 3 decarbonization levers
 

Key emission reduction levers for our own operations

For our own operations, we are committed to becoming net-zero by 2040 with an interim target of a 50% reduction by 2030. Scope 1 and 2 reflect a relatively small part of the emissions from our value chain, but these are the emissions over which we have a direct influence. We are focusing primarily on these reduction areas:

1. Transition to low-GWP and natural refrigerants
   Our 2022 mix of refrigerant types and associated leakage accounts for 42% of our total scope 1 and 2 emissions. We are aiming to reduce refrigerant emissions to reach net-zero by 2040.
2. Transition to renewable energy
   In 2022, 35% of our scope 1 and 2 emissions were caused by electricity consumption. We plan to reduce electricity emissions to zero by 2035.
3. Transition from fossil fuels in heating and transportation
   Our fossil fuel-related emissions come mainly from two sources: transport and heating. Combined, this accounts for 23% of scope 1 and 2 emissions. Our long-term vision is to achieve 100% fossil-fuel free transport in both Europe and the U.S. by 2040.
    

Key emission reduction levers for our value chain

For our value chain, we have committed to a 37% reduction by 2030, and to reach net-zero by 2050. The majority of emissions in our brands’ value chains are from the products and services purchased from suppliers (88.1% of scope 3 emissions). We have identified three key priorities, and within that there are seven decarbonization levers that are estimated to have the most significant impact on our value chain emissions:

1. Engaging our suppliers and farmers
   We aim to engage our suppliers to set emissions-reduction targets in line with the latest science. These emissions-reduction commitments will accelerate improvements in livestock farming, raw material sourcing, processing, transport, packaging, deforestation, food waste reduction and agricultural practices. These actions could address the majority of our scope 3 emissions by 2030. Currently, more than 50 of Ahold Delhaize’s top 100 suppliers have either set science-based targets or are committed to doing so.
2. Providing assortments with a lower carbon footprint
   In collaboration with our suppliers, we seek to reduce the carbon footprint of our local brands’ assortments. This strategy varies across our different local brands and can include promoting a health-focused and reduced GHG emissions product lineup, investing in product development, and offering lower emission protein sources (e.g. plant-based alternatives). All our food retail brands in Europe have committed to baseline their current protein ratio (animal versus plant-based) and set protein ratio targets by the end of 2024. For example, Albert Heijn is helping customers transition to a plant-based diet by aiming to have 60% of proteins consumed come from plant-based sources by 2030.
3. Encouraging customers to choose lower emission products
   Our local brands continue to help customers understand the impact of their buying decisions. For example, they do this by stimulating and rewarding sustainable choices through loyalty programs and discounts and increasing product transparency through navigation systems and product labelling. By recognizing the challenges of behavioral change, we focus on addressing customer-identified barriers. We aim to facilitate easier, informed choices through accessible information, inspiration, and incentives.

Challenges towards net-zero

Our focus is on gathering data to make material reductions and drive towards our interim targets. Decarbonizing the value chain is a long-term ambition that will require all parties in the chain to work together. There are numerous challenges and opportunities on the path to decarbonization, not only for Ahold Delhaize but our entire industry. We are committed to continuing to work together with our partners on these challenges. For residual emissions that remain hard to abate, we provide our position on carbon removals in this updated plan, and how we may approach it in the future.

Lastly, we acknowledge that climate change will also have an impact on us. We present our approach to climate scenario analysis and climate-related risks and opportunities within our CDP response and our latest Annual Report. 

1. Ahold Delhaize commits to 1.5 degrees 

In line with the latest climate science to limit global warming, we have established short-term (interim) and long-term (net-zero) climate targets across our own operations (scope 1 and 2) and across our value chain (scope 3) which are in line with a pathway limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C.

2. Ahold Delhaize's climate targets are based on science

Our climate targets are the result of in-depth, long-term projects together with external expert parties to help us identify what our goals should be to reach net-zero on time.  

For this, we used the method of the Science Based Targets initiative, which interprets the requirements of the Paris Agreement and makes it relevant for business. It is by far the most widely adopted method used by companies worldwide.

Ahold Delhaize is proud to have committed to Science Based Targets for all three scopes. This makes us a leader in our industry, and we are happy to see this confirmed by external benchmarks that track industry performance such as the MSCI Sustainability Index.

Our scope 1 and 2 targets have been validated by SBTI and we are currently in an active target validation dialogue with SBTi on our updated scope 3 targets.

3. Ahold Delhaize's biggest challenge – and work – is in our supply chain

We do not only need to remove the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from our own operations, but also those in our supply chain. This includes the emissions that arise from growing raw ingredients, the production of products and their associated transportation.  

Our brands across Europe and the United States have hundreds of thousands of products on their shelves which are supplied by more than 10,000 suppliers. All of these suppliers source materials and ingredients from their own supply chains, resulting in complex supply chains covering all areas of the world.  

As a result, we all need to work together to move towards a more healthy and sustainable food system. To be able to change the system we also need governments to set level playing fields and consumers to help drive the change.

Here are the details 

We recently updated our targets in line with the latest SBTi methodology. Read more about this in this release.

For our own operations (scope 1 and 2), we are committed to becoming net-zero by 2040 with an interim target of a 50% reduction by 2030. 

For our entire value chain (scope 3), we have the following near term (2030) target:

• Reducing absolute scope 3 FLAG GHG emissions by 30.3% (or 4.7 MtCO2e) by 2030 from the 2020 baseline (for near-term target, 15.5 MtCO2e).
• Reducing absolute scope 3 E&I GHG emissions by 42.0% (or 12.4 MtCO2e) by 2030 from the 2020 baseline (for near-term target, 29.5 MtCO2).

And the following long term (2050) target:

• Reducing absolute scope 3 FLAG GHG emissions by at least 72% (or 15.0 MtCO2e) by 2050 from the 2020 baseline (for long-term target, 20.8 MtCO2e).
• Reducing absolute scope 3 E&I GHG emissions by 90% (or 34.0 MtCO2e) by 2050 from the 2020 baseline (for long-term target, 37.8 MtCO2e).
• We commit to reach net-zero GHG emissions across our own operations and the value chain by 2050.

For setting our long-term and net-zero SBTi targets, we are making use of removals only to the extent permitted by the applicable SBTi guidance.

More information about our Climate Plan can be found here.

More recent disclosure can be found in our 2023 Annual Report, starting on page 113.

Boukje Taphoorn, Chief Marketing & Sustainability Officer at bol.com, emphasizes that in addition to a sense of pride, the B Corp Certification sets a new standard for the future: "Of course it's fantastic that we are getting recognition in this way for our more sustainable choices and the social steps we have already taken so far. But we do not see certification as an end in itself. With the B Corp Certification, we are making a commitment for the future to continuously increase our positive impact on society. In addition, the certification process makes us even more aware of our impact on the earth. As one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the Netherlands and Belgium, we believe it is important to contribute to making more sustainable choices available and facilitating more sustainable options for everyone in the chain. That doesn't stop at the environment. We also want to do so in terms of corporate culture, transparency and social impact."

Wouter Kolk, CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe and Indonesia said: “I am proud of bol.com’s  achievement. Being a company with this amount and variety of products, customers and sales partners, means that every step has significant impact. Bol.com’s commitment to taking customers and sales partners along on its journey, aligns perfectly with Ahold Delhaize’s goal to make healthy and sustainable choices easy for everyone.”

Process towards B Corp
Every year, bol.com reports progress on corporate social responsibility and the sustainability of its own processes. Today, bol.com also presented its 2022 sustainability report. The sustainable and social steps made, partly form the basis of the route to B Corp Certification. Tessa van Soest, Executive Director B Lab Benelux: "With the achievement of the B Corp Certification, bol.com has reached an important milestone. We support bol.com's efforts to encourage customers to make increasingly more sustainable choices and to help their sales partners become more sustainable. We welcome bol.com to the community and look forward to bol.com's future steps in their sustainability journey."

How bol.com is making more sustainable choices

In recent years, bol.com has been working on concrete steps in the field of corporate social responsibility. Some examples:

• Bol.com became the first e-commerce company in the Netherlands and Belgium to be certified to the Climate Neutral Standard in April 2022, and received the certificate again in 2023. The certification and annual audit helps bol.com keep a sharp eye on whether it is on the right track in reducing its footprint;
• The bol.com fulfilment center, bol.com's logistics center, has been running on 100% green electricity since 2020, generated by its solar roof with 13,000 solar panels and wind turbines next to the building;
• 23 advanced packing machines in the bol.com fulfilment center provide smarter and tailored packaging of items together, for smaller packages, less packaging material and as little empty air as possible.
• In July 2022, bol.com founded Ampère, a startup that collects parcels from sales partners and brings them to delivery services as sustainably as possible. The delivery services, in turn, bring the parcels to the customer in a sustainable way. For example, the vans run on HVO, a renewable diesel made from vegetable oils. In addition, Ampère has a dense network of delivery points, making it easy for sales partners to deliver their parcels locally;
• On its website, bol.com helps its customers make more sustainable choices by labelling products as 'Sustainable Choice' and, in collaboration with Milieu Centraal, it is investigating how the company can better guide consumers to make more sustainable choices;
• As an employer, bol.com offers a vitality program, the option of holiday exchanges and a bonus scheme.
• Bol.com is committed to equal opportunities for children in the field of reading development and digital skills through its Bollebozen program. For example, bol.com has reached more than 250,000 children through various activities with Bollebozen by 2022, such as developing Letter Fun Packages to combat the reading dip during the holidays;
• Subject to customary conditions, including approval of the Consumer & Market Authority, bol.com is acquiring all shares in Cycloon. Intensifying the cooperation will enable Cycloon to scale up faster. This will optimize the synergy between both organizations and enable bol.com and Cycloon to realize more impact in making delivery more sustainable and social.

B Corp Certification: how does it work?

Every B Corp goes through an evaluation of its operations in five areas: governance, employees, community, environment and customers. Most companies score around 50 points in this evaluation. To get certified, you need to score a minimum of 80 points. Bol.com, compared to many other B Corps, is a relatively large company. When companies like bol.com seek certification, B Lab, the independent organization behind B Corp Certification, takes an even more thorough look at all business processes. Companies with B Corp status go through a rigorous assessment every three years to maintain it.

Throughout the B Corp process, which has lasted more than two years, bol.com has continuously worked on improvements for a more sustainable and social bol.com. The process consists of several steps: a risk analysis, impact assessment and improvement and verification of the results by B-Lab. The result is the publication of the assessment that provides full transparency on bol.com's sustainability performance. View bol.com's full B Corp assessment here. The certification was achieved with 81.2 points.

Cautionary notice

This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words and expressions such as steps forward, must, targets, future, believe, commitment, to help, steps, journey, will or other similar words or expressions are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the “Company”) to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Company’s public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company’s management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Company’s management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

The Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program provides funding as a reimbursement grant to eligible applicants seeking to improve urban agriculture infrastructure in Pennsylvania. These grants will build out the infrastructure of urban agriculture by investing in the food system, filling gaps, encouraging entities to work together, finding ways to bring operations to a greater scale, overcoming food deserts, and opening opportunities for people to become social entrepreneurs. 

Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined Dave Lessard, Vice President, The GIANT Company, Omnichannel Merchandising Fresh, for a check presentation and to tour the farm’s efforts to improve food access in its community.     

“Strengthening our food system is critical to The GIANT Company’s purpose of connecting families for a better future. And urban agriculture is critical to this narrative – it is growing food security, creating healthier communities, addressing food system inequities, and connecting families around the dinner table,” said Lessard. “We are so proud to support this year’s Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program as part of our 100th anniversary celebrations, as these dollars will help grow resilient, food secure communities for generations to come.” 

The GIANT Company’s support is part of its 100th anniversary celebration efforts, which honors team members, customers, and the communities it serves. Building on its century-long commitment to grow strong, healthy communities, philanthropy is a cornerstone of the company’s anniversary celebration. It will build on its legacy by making donations and participating in volunteer activities aligned with its purpose of connecting families for a better future through efforts to eliminate hunger, change children’s lives, heal the planet, promote wellbeing and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging. 

The sustainability report, which complies with Global Reporting Initiative Standards, provides an overview of Albert Heijn's achievements last year towards a healthy, social and sustainable society. See some of the key highlights listed below:  

• The ambition to reduce CO2 emissions in the supply chain was tightened from 15% to 45% by 2030 (scope 3) and the vegetarian, vegan and plant-based range was further expanded to over 1,000 products. 
• In 2022, Albert Heijn sold over 132 million fewer sugar cubes, over 44,000 kilograms less salt and over 270,000 kilograms less saturated fat compared to 2021.  
• Introduction of dynamic markdowns and AH Overblijvers. AH Overblijvers' are packs filled with products that are approaching their sell-by date, are left over at the end of the day or are being removed from the range. Both initiatives were introduced with the aim of further reducing food waste and giving customers the opportunity to shop at a lower price. 
• Free plastic bags for fruit and vegetables were discontinued, saving 243,000 kilos of plastic per year.  
• A total of over €7 million was donated to social organizations.  

Learn more inside Albert Heijn’s full sustainability report. 

Season 2, Episode 3: The potential of customer insights and AI in retail 

In this brand-new episode, Wouter and Aimee discuss how AI can help make the industry more sustainable and innovative, how properly leveraging customer insights can transform the retail experience, and what the challenges in doing so are from an ethical standpoint.  

Guest: Aimee van Wynsberghe, Alexander von Humboldt Professor for Applied Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, University of Bonn 

Co-host: Wouter Kolk, CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe and Indonesia 

Listen to the episode below, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! 

The Planet Hannaford branding builds on the tagline “Local Actions. Greener Future.” This speaks to the sometimes-daunting question of how people can make a big impact on a small level by reinforcing the message that what people do as part of a community adds up to a better, greener future. Planet Hannaford will come to life for customers throughout the month of April in a variety of ways, including in-store collateral; ads in Fresh magazine and the weekly flyer; and online at Hannaford.com and on the retailer’s social media channels. This initiative invites shoppers to take part in everyday decisions that are better for themselves and the planet – such as using reusable bags, shopping local and in-season, and following the “reduce, reuse and compost” model for waste reduction. 

“Planet Hannaford meets customers where they are on their sustainability journey by letting them know that shopping at Hannaford is an easy way to support environmental sustainability, which is an increasingly high priority for our customers,” said Hannaford Supermarkets Healthy Living and Sustainability Marketing Manager Sue Till. “Planet Hannaford is an extension of our commitment to building a better, greener future for the communities we serve.”  

The launch of Planet Hannaford builds on earlier milestones the grocer has been able to make in the space of sustainability. In 2021, Hannaford became the first large-scale grocery retailer in its marketplace to achieve zero food waste-to-landfill by donating or diverting all food at risk of going to waste, while in 2022, Hannaford announced its commitment to have all stores be powered by renewable energy by 2024, making the retailer the first large-scale supermarket business to present such an ambitious timetable for this goal.  

This further illustrates Hannaford’s commitment to reducing waste and protecting the environment.  

For more information about Hannaford’s sustainability commitment and programs, visit Hannaford.com/Sustainability. 

With thanks to our brands' farmers, suppliers and customers dedicated efforts, we’re contributing to a healthier planet. Below you can see some key examples of how we're investing in our planet.  

When announcing our updated Scope 3 targets last November, we identified three main drivers of emission reduction in our entire value chain; suppliers and farmers, low-carbon products and customer engagement: 

Transforming business and supporting farmers in reducing their carbon emissions 

• We are providing longer-term contracts including premium pricing, concrete environmental requirements and co-investments on farms as seen with our Dutch brand, Albert Heijn's Better for Nature & Farming program. 
• Similarly, bol.com announced it will help its sales partners become more sustainable by offering a network of advice and support parties. 

Expanding the product range of sustainable low-carbon products 

• Our great local brands are continuously increasing the number of low-carbon products in their assortments and, together with suppliers, are bringing new alternatives to the market.  
• All our European brands are committing to baseline their current protein ratio and set protein ratio targets by the end of 2024.   

Improving customer engagement and marketing low carbon products to influence behavior 

• By rewarding more sustainable choices with loyalty programs and discounts, we aim to help customers understand the impact of their buying decisions, while incentivizing them to make sustainable purchases. Several of our brands like Albert in the Czech Republic and Delhaize in Belgium have leveraged local loyalty programs to bring increasing product transparency to vegan and vegetarian options. 
•  In the same vein, this has encouraged the introduction of more plant-based protein products in some of our brands’ assortments. For example, Albert Heijn has committed to achieve a distribution of 60% plant-based and 40% animal-based protein sales by 2030. 

By collaborating with our brands’ farmers, suppliers and customers we are continuously finding innovative solutions to contribute to a more sustainable food system. 

Making the world a better place

Albert Heijn is committed to contributing to a more sustainable food system throughout the value chain in a way that touches on all five pillars of B Corp certification: governance, environment, employees, customers and community. This includes sustainability initiatives like wasting less food, packaging differently and including more vegetarian and plant-based products in the assortment. But also, through more sustainable transportation, less greenhouse gas emissions, better protection of human rights and the development of production methods that are better for animals, nature and people. Marit van Egmond explains: "The B Corp framework gives us insight into where we can further improve our social and environmental performance. As Albert Heijn, we are always looking for ways to make a difference and impact in a positive way. The independent assessment from B Lab, which can lead to B Corp certification, reinforces this."

About B Corp

B Corp is a certification for for-profit companies that are evaluated for their social and environmental impact. Companies undergo a rigorous assessment that focuses on their impact on five pillars: governance, environment, employees, customers, and community. The B Corp community currently includes more than 6,500 B Corps across 89 countries.

True pricing

Albert Heijn also announced today that it is starting a pilot project with True Pricing. In three Albert Heijn stores, customers will be able to buy coffee at the true price. The true price is the normal retail price plus social and environmental costs throughout the entire value chain. With this experiment, Albert Heijn wants to raise awareness of social and environmental costs, help customers make more sustainable decisions and get to know the customers' opinion. In this experiment, Albert Heijn is working together with the independent organization True Price. Albert Heijn invests the proceeds of the additional amount in improvement projects in the coffee chain in cooperation with the Rainforest Alliance.

By offering this support, it will help the 51,000 sales partners of bol.com to quickly find good help in mapping their CO2 footprint, reducing and compensating for emissions and making their range more sustainable. Since 2022, bol.com's own operations are climate neutral according to the Climate Neutral Certification standard, and with this next step, the company will also help partners to become more sustainable themselves. It is expected that hundreds of sales partners will make use of this network in the initial phase.     

How the sustainability advice works 

Through Apps & Services on the bol.com Partner Platform, bol.com has already put sales partners into contact with third parties who can support them in their growth. Among other things, these parties can help with the automation and optimization of pricing or provide strategic advice. For these services, bol.com has previously entered into partnerships with third parties, such as with Rabobank for applying for financing and with insurer Insify. Sustainability support has now also been added.   

The advantage for the sales partner lies in bol.com's pre-selection of reliable parties and easier connection to the new network of advisory and support parties. Currently, The Terrace, Rainbow Collection, Vaayu, Returnless and GroenBalans are part of the network. These are parties that can help sales partners gain insight into emissions and can also provide concrete advice on how to make purchasing or manufacturing items more sustainable. In time, more parties and services will be added.
 

83% of sales partners want to make their business more sustainable 

Boukje Taphoorn, Chief Marketing & Sustainability Officer at bol.com: “83% of our sales partners want to make their business more sustainable, but many of them don't know where to start. In addition to the steps we’re taking as a company, we are happy to help sales partners with their own sustainable development. For this we use the existing expertise in the market, sustainability is a major task that we have to do together.” 

Leontine Gast, Director at The Terrace consultancy: 'There is a huge drive and need to make things more sustainable and we see that many entrepreneurs don't know where to start. What is expected of you? How do you set priorities, set goals, measure your impact and communicate about sustainability? These are complicated questions, especially when a business has their hands full with day-to-day matters. A trusted advisor who has extensive knowledge of sustainability can really make a difference. That's why it's so great that bol.com is now making it easier for their sales partners to find the right sparring partner.' 

Creating a positive movement  

Bol.com’s initiative is a good example of how Ahold Delhaize's brands are working towards a more sustainable retail system. Encouraging and supporting suppliers to set their own emissions-reduction targets in line with the latest scientific evidence is a key element of Ahold Delhaize's decarbonization efforts. We aim to play a leading role in this. We are proactively engaging with our brands’ supplier base and are using our position in the world as a food and e-commerce retailer to contribute to creating a positive movement towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.   

Albert Heijn is a connecting link between customers, suppliers, farmers and growers in the Dutch food chain. The Better for Nature & Farmer program began in 2017. The program and its content have been developed in close collaboration with farmers and growers, specifically for each type of chain, such as dairy, poultry, and pig farmers and growers. To date, a total of 1,100 farmers and growers have been involved with these programs, where together with Albert Heijn, the aim is to improve animal welfare, nature and the earning capacity of the farmer.  

These programs are independently audited annually by certification institutes and tested for ambition, reliability and transparency by Milieu Centraal. 

Marit van Egmond, CEO Albert Heijn commented on the decision "Working together in a closed supply chain from land to customer is essential to take steps towards better animal welfare, a better climate and a healthy income model for farmers and growers. We have been working towards this for some time through Beter voor Natuur & Boer. By opening up these programs to other parties, we are actively contributing to the aim to building a new food system, building a more sustainable future, and together, making the world a better place.”  

The program 

Together with 450 dairy farmers, 100 pig farmers, 200 poultry farmers and 360 fruit and vegetable growers in the Netherlands, Albert Heijn is working to improve animal welfare, sustainability and climate.  This specifically includes the earning power of farmers and growers. Albert Heijn establishes long-term agreements with the farmers and growers through joint consultation. The goal is a healthy price for every farmer and grower, in every season. Additional investments by farmers [in sustainability or improving animal welfare are intended to be compensated for by Albert Heijn. The supermarket chain has been working with many farmers and growers for a number of generations. They supply potatoes, fruit and vegetables, dairy products, cheese, pork and chicken meat and meat products. 

Creating a positive movement 

The Better For program is a good example of how Ahold Delhaize's brands are working towards a more sustainable food system. Encouraging and supporting suppliers to set their own emissions-reduction targets in line with the latest scientific evidence, and signing up to the Science Based Targets initiative is a key element of Ahold Delhaize's decarbonization efforts. We aim to play a leading role in this. We are proactively engaging with our brands’ supplier base and are using our position in the world of food retail to contribute to creating a positive movement towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.  

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"If we want to ensure that electric driving becomes truly widespread, we need to make it as easy as possible, for example by giving motorists the opportunity to recharge their car on their driving route or, while doing their weekly shopping. A widespread and freely accessible charging network is indispensable for this and that is where we want to lead the way, with the installation of the largest fast charging network within the retail sector in Belgium," says Xavier Piesvaux, CEO of Delhaize.   

Helping customers, local residents and passers-by save time 

With the 1,800 green-energy-operated charging points that Delhaize will install in its parking lots in the coming years, the supermarket chain wants to offer an extra service to its customers. During their shopping visit, which takes about 35 to 40 minutes on average, they can charge their electric vehicle up to 80% full via the fast charging point. In this way, Delhaize is on board with its customers, who save time by being able to combine filling up their car with shopping. A charge point can be reserved remotely in advance so that customers can be sure of their charge, and payment can be made by bank card, charge card or via the Electra application.  

In addition, the charging points are also there for local residents who do not have a private charging station. They can (also outside opening hours) use ordinary, slower charging points at Delhaize car parks to charge their cars. The retailer also wants to make life easier for passers-by whose route includes a Delhaize. They can stop over, fill up and maybe do some quick shopping in the meantime. "That way we can also attract new customers. People who otherwise would not shop at Delhaize might now do so because of the convenience they experience by combining grocery shopping and filling up," Piesvaux said.   

Ease of use is key

Drivers will be able to charge their cars 24 hours a day at a competitive rate. The charging stations each have a capacity of 150kW, i.e. 75 kW per charging point. To develop its fleet of fast charging stations, Delhaize is working with the young French company Electra, a specialist in fast charging of vehicles. Electra is investing more than €100 million in this project, in partnership with EDI (Electric by D'Ieteren), which wants to distinguish itself by focusing on more than just charging infrastructure available at home or in the office.   

"The love that Delhaize has for good and healthy food, Electra has for mobility. We have succeeded in finding a partner where - as with us - the customer is at the center, resulting in an ease of use that other suppliers find difficult to match," Piesvaux said. "We in turn are also very happy with the cooperation," said Augustin Derville, General Manager of Electra BeLux. "We are helping thousands of Belgian drivers find a charging station in their neighborhood who can save a lot of time with this and are determined to make charging as easy as possible."  

Transition to sustainable mobility   

It is a very conscious decision by the retailer to install fast charging points specifically for electric cars and bring them even closer to people. In this way, it wants to help society in the important transition it is facing, namely that towards sustainable mobility. "Delhaize's ambition in terms of sustainability and reducing CO2 emissions is great," says Xavier Piesvaux. "Our sustainability program The Lions Footprint consists of numerous actions to reduce CO2 emissions as sharply as possible, among other things. All our stores are CO2 neutral, by 2050 we will have reduced our CO2 emissions by 50% and our head office and distribution centers are equipped with 330 green charging points for charging electric (company) cars. But it's not just about what we do ourselves: we believe that as a retailer we can play an important role and really encourage people to eat better, live better and now also move more sustainably."   

Ahold Delhaize received a score of 76 out of 100, well above the industry average of 37 points. With this score, Ahold Delhaize maintains its position as number one of the industry in the United States, ranks third in Europe and continues to be a member of the DJSI World Index. Ahold Delhaize and its great local brands remain committed to work on the sustainability efforts as part of our Grounded in Goodness strategy with a focus on healthier people and a healthier planet 

Jan Ernst de Groot, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ahold Delhaize, said: “The Dow Jones Sustainability Index gives us an indication on how our Environmental, Social and Governance efforts are valued, and we are pleased that we continue to be ranked among the leading companies in our industry.”  

The DJSI World tracks the performance of the world’s leading companies against environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. It is an important barometer to measure our performance and progress in these areas, not only in our own operations but also with customers and in our value chain. 

For more information about Ahold Delhaize’s Healthy and Sustainable strategy please visit: https://www.aholddelhaize.com/sustainability/

The new Facility increases the total revolving commitments from €1.0 billion to €1.5 billion, reduces Ahold Delhaize’s borrowing costs, and extends the maturity date to December 2027, which may be further extended pursuant to two twelve-month extension options. 

The Facility links the cost of borrowing to Ahold Delhaize’s annual performance on sustainability KPIs that are aligned with its “Grounded in Goodness” strategy, that focuses on healthier people and a healthier planet. Specifically, the Facility includes three sustainability KPIs to reduce Ahold Delhaize’s carbon emissions within its own operations (scope 1 and 2), reduce food waste and help customers make healthier choices. The Facility also includes the opportunity to add scope 3 carbon emissions reduction performance targets by 2025. Ahold Delhaize will report progress on its performance targets in its annual reports. 

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. and Société Générale acted as Coordinators and Sustainability Coordinators on the Facility. 

Cautionary notice 

This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words such as may, further, subject to, will or other similar words or expressions are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.  

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the “Company, or “Ahold Delhaize”) to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to the risk factors set forth in the Company’s public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company’s management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Company’s management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. 

Since its introduction in 2002, the Hannaford registered dietitian program has become a mainstay for shoppers both in-store and online. The program, which provides free nutrition education from Hannaford’s roster of registered dietitians, helps shoppers identify nutritious meal ideas and learn about shopping strategies for eating healthy on a budget or for specific dietary needs, such as heart disease or diabetes. 

The program has grown significantly since its launch two decades ago, when it became one of the first programs of its kind to be offered by a large-scale supermarket retailer in the Northeast. Beginning with four dietitians in a handful of stores, Hannaford shoppers now have access to free nutrition education from more than 30 dietitians in over 50 stores across New England and New York. 

“Making it easier for our communities to learn about the benefits of incorporating healthy, fresh foods into their lives has always been important to Hannaford,” said Hannaford Supermarkets Healthy Living Manager Sue Till. “Our registered dietitian program is an important resource for customers seeking to improve their health and wellness. We are tremendously proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this program and look forward to continuing to enhance the free nutrition resources we provide to our customers in the years to come.”  

Hannaford registered dietitians lead more than 1,000 in-store classes, tours and online seminars per year focused on a variety of topics, including heart-healthy eating, shopping using the Guiding Stars nutrition navigation system, meal planning made easy, and nutrition for kids. Additionally, the dietitians support 200 community events each year by providing nutrition education at schools, libraries and health care facilities. The program has supported more than 200,000 shoppers to date in 2022.   

While the size and scope of the program has evolved over the years, one element has remained the same: Registered Dietitian Marilyn Mills, who has served New Hampshire customers for the program’s full 20-year duration.  

“Being a supermarket dietitian allows me to support my community, whether it be an aisle walk with a family seeking lower sugar cereal, or in a virtual class teaching attendees about shopping on a budget,” said Mills, who was the first dietitian hired when Hannaford launched the program. “During my day, shoppers will stop and seek my knowledge to support a new need, such as a change in their health and diet, or a desire to learn more about a new seasoning or cooking method. I feel like I’m giving back to my community as it grows and changes.” 

Hannaford Registered Dietitian Program By the Numbers 

• Hannaford registered dietitians are available in-person at more than 50 Hannaford stores throughout five states. 
• Hannaford has hosted more than 550 free online nutrition classes in 2022.  
• Hannaford customers enjoy approximately 600 complimentary in-store classes and store tours each year.  
• Hannaford registered dietitians provide nutrition education at more than 200 community events annually.  

For more information about the Hannaford Registered Dietitian program, visit www.Hannaford.com/Dietitians.  

Zaandam, the Netherlands, 29 November 2022 – Ahold Delhaize today announces the update of its interim CO2 emissions reduction target for its entire value chain (scope 3) to at least 37% by 2030, and to become net-zero by 2050. For its own operations (scope 1 and 2), the company remains committed to become net-zero by 2040 with an interim target of a 50% reduction by 2030. With this updated scope 3 interim target, Ahold Delhaize aims to achieve the decarbonization of its entire value chain and ensures that all of its climate targets are in line with the UN's goal of keeping global warming below 1.5°C.  

The updated interim target is aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative’s Net-Zero Standard. In accordance with the recommendation by the Science Based Targets initiative, Ahold Delhaize is using its latest available emission profile from 2020 as baseline for its 37% 2030 reduction target, updated from a 2018 baseline before. In November 2021 the company joined the Business Ambition for 1.5°C, a global coalition of UN agencies, business and industry leaders, in partnership with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the UN led campaign ‘Race to Zero’. The update today is part of the annual climate reporting cycle as per the Business Ambition agreements. 

Decarbonization pathway 

Whereas scopes 1 and 2 involve the CO2 emissions of Ahold Delhaize’s own operations (mainly consisting of energy, refrigeration systems, and owned and leased transport), scope 3 represents the indirect CO2 emissions across our entire value chain. This value chain consists of thousands of suppliers, producers and farmers who supply hundreds of thousands of products that are sold to millions of customers across the United States and Europe each day.  

Jan Ernst de Groot, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ahold Delhaize: “As a group of mainstream supermarkets and retailers, we want to provide customers with sustainable and healthy products, while keeping shelf availability and affordability top of mind. Our commitment is to future generations, to continue to play a leading role in the transition to a more sustainable food system. We are proud of frontrunners like Albert Heijn, who inspire other brands within the Ahold Delhaize group – and the sector - to take sustainability performance to the next level in their market.” 

The updated interim target is the result of extensive review, which started in November 2021 together with external experts. This review shows that the main drivers of emission reduction in scope 3 can be structured in three categories: suppliers and farmers, low-carbon products and customer engagement.  

Suppliers and farmers 

A key element of our decarbonization efforts is encouraging and supporting our suppliers in setting their own emission reduction targets in line with the latest scientific evidence, and signing up to the Science Based Targets initiative. These emission reduction commitments will accelerate improvements in livestock farming, raw material sourcing, deforestation reduction, processing, food waste reduction, packaging and transport. Our brands can contribute by supporting their suppliers and farmers with concrete environmental actions. They can do this, for example, by setting up long-term contracts with farmers. 

Low-carbon products 

Several of Ahold Delhaize’s brands continue to introduce more plant-based protein products in their assortments, driving the improvement of existing assortments and the development of new assortments with less embedded emissions. Our Dutch local brand Albert Heijn, for example, committed to achieve a distribution of 60% plant-based and 40% animal-based protein sales by 2030. All our brands in Europe will commit to baseline their current protein ratio and set protein ratio targets by the end of 2024. 

Customer engagement 

Helping customers understand the impact of their buying decisions and make choices that fit their needs, their tastes and their values is an important part of our approach. This includes stimulating and rewarding more sustainable choices through loyalty programs and discounts, increasing product transparency through navigation systems and product labelling, improving assortments with more vegan and vegetarian products, and increasing awareness and knowledge about a healthy lifestyle.  

As a result of this new target the Ahold Delhaize climate plan has been updated, and is available on the corporate website.

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Reducing CO2 emissions throughout poultry and pork chains

Albert Heijn has long-term partnerships with more than 1,100 farmers and growers in the fresh produce chain within their Better for Nature & Farmer programs. Within these programs, CO2 reduction is explicitly included, as well as transparent long-term agreements about climate, sustainability, animal welfare and appropriate earning capacity.

In late 2020, Albert Heijn began working with supply chain partners to precisely calculate greenhouse gas emissions in poultry and pork chains. Here, they were able to  calculate using the primary data from the value chains, what the CO2 impact is for these products where they can now take targeted action to reduce CO2 emissions. In the pork chain for example, animal feed is responsible for 50% of total emissions and in the case of poultry, 77%. Therefore, Albert Heijn is already encouraging the use of circular feed and deforestation-free soy in its animal feed chains. To gain further insight into other chains, Albert Heijn is also collecting primary exact data for beef, salmon, eggs, meat substitutes and fruits and vegetables, among other categories.

On the road to better food

In addition to Albert Heijn reducing CO2 emissions throughout its value chains, the following initiatives are also part of Albert Heijn’s sustainability approach:

• Albert Heijn is helping customers transition to a plant-based diet by ensuring 60% of proteins consumed come from vegetable sources by 2030. This can be achieved, for example, by offering a wide range of vegetarian and vegetable products, including an affordable range of vegan Price Favorite products, making the customer aware of the positive impact of eating less meat, providing inspiration for vegetarian recipes and offering vegetarian substitutes in the online shop. Albert Heijn’s meat substitutes product range has also already doubled to more than 300 products.
  
  
• Albert Heijn has already significantly reduced emissions in its own business operations – shops, distribution centers and offices – by 92.3% compared to 2018. This was mainly due to the switch to 100% Dutch wind energy at the beginning of 2021. The remaining emissions in its own operations are compensated for by contributing to VCS-certified climate projects. This makes Albert Heijn’s business operations climate neutral.
  
  
• By mid-2022, all large own-brand suppliers mapped their full carbon footprint for the first time – including a reduction plan and reduction targets. Albert Heijn is also planning CO2 reductions in the supply chains of well-known brand suppliers. This contributes to the ambition of a 45% reduction by 2030.
  
  
• Albert Heijn also has climate-neutral products including Perla coffee which has been part of the range for more than four years. And since the beginning of 2022, all own-brand bananas have been climate neutral, from the plantation to the store.
  
  
• As less food waste also contributes to reducing CO2 emissions, Albert Heijn aims to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. Some initiatives that are already helping Albert Heijn reach this target include their recently rolled out AH Overblijvers (Albert Heijn Leftovers) and dynamic discount rates across all stores.

In addition to all illuminated advertisements being turned off, as well as the lighting above fresh products and cosmetics aisles, all outdoor lighting is switched off, apart from necessary lighting that allows a safe passage for people. 

Measures introduced in previous years as part of Delhaize Serbia’s sustainability strategy, will also be accelerated. By the end of 2024, its entire store network will use LED lighting, and by the end of November this year, the existing fluorescent lighting in the Distribution Center will be replaced by LED lighting, which is expected to cut power consumption by about 700 MWh per year on the company level. Implementation of modern software solutions that combine the use of natural lighting with artificial lighting will also begin throughout the entire retail network by the end of this year. 

“During the analysis of the introduced measures, we considered the habits of our customers, as well as global challenges and the need to rationalize energy use. We therefore introduced changes to work processes in order to cut consumption during daily peaks. These measures have been implemented throughout the entire system, and we will be reminded of our own responsibility as individuals every time we see a message in the supermarket that calls for responsibility and rational consumption,” said Dejan Virijević, Member of Executive Committee and Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain at Delhaize Serbia. 

Currently, the company has about 60 stores in its system that use CO2 as their cooling systems. Replacements are planned for 17 more stores by the end of the year, and the company plans to stop using Freon completely in the next 8 years. This will cut power consumption of cooling systems by about 40% compared to Freon-based cooling systems. 

Among the new measures is the introduction of a central cooling monitoring and management system. This software will enable economic management of power consumption by turning off certain showcases during the night, raising temperatures during the night and managing the thawing period. This system has already been implemented in over 170 stores and will be introduced in another 80 by the end of the year. Furthermore, in the next few days, remote management of air-conditioning systems will be brought in 10 stores, and an additional 15 in 2023. 

Ahold Delhaize brands continue to cut their carbon emissions  

All of our great local brands are taking steps to reach net-zero carbon emissions across all operations by 2040 (scope 1 and 2) and to become net-zero businesses across the brands’ entire supply chains, products and services no later than 2050 (scope 3). We have set these commitments in accordance with the Science Based Target initiative’s Net-Zero Standard requirements.  

"Giant is proud to be the first grocery retailer on the east coast to launch a partnership with Loop, a global leader in eliminating waste, and offer our customers a program that allows them to shop for products while helping our environment,” said Diane Couchman, Vice President Category Management, Non-Perishables at Giant Food. “We look forward to expanding our Loop item offerings and launching in more Giant locations in the near future.”  

An assortment of products in reusable Loop containers from well-known brands including Kraft-Heinz and Nature’s Path will be found in branded displays at participating Giant stores. When finished with a product, the empty packaging is returned to a Loop Return Point at any of the participating stores. From there, the containers are sent to Loop to be sanitized, then returned to the CPG suppliers to be refilled and returned to the store for future purchase. Customers are charged a small packaging deposit at checkout, and a full refund is given once the container is returned. 

To maintain advanced sanitization standards for all reusable containers, Loop consults with Ecolab Inc. — a global leader in cleaning and hygiene solutions — to identify proper equipment and design on-site cleaning procedures. 

The launch event – held at the Cathedral Commons Giant Food store in Washtington D.C. – was attended by the following people: Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle and Loop; Mary Cheh, Washington, D.C. Councilmember of Ward 3; Stacy Cobb, Head of Strategic Planning at The Kraft Heinz Company; and Daniel Wiggington, Director of Direct Store Delivery at Giant Food. They are pictured together cutting the ribbon at the end of the launch event.  

For more information on Loop, visit www.exploreloop.com.  

World Vegetarian Day In honor of World Vegetarian Day today, we’re sharing the great initiatives our local brands are continuously working on to promote plant-based and vegetarian assortments in-store and online.  

Giant Food in the U.S. for example has worked diligently to give customers a true omnichannel experience when shopping or searching for plant-based products on Giantfood.com. In relevant categories such as meat, seafood and dairy; plant-based has been incorporated into the online aisle experience for ease of customer shop ability. Additionally, Giant Food aims to place plant-based or vegetarian items as the first product customers will see as they enter a department.  

FreshDirect, our leading online food grocer in the U.S. has increased its plant-based assortment within the dairy category by 6% in 2022, adding 76 new plant-based items to the site. They’re also ensuring that plant-based consumers are able to enjoy seasonal flavored products this year with a variety of festive flavors – pumpkin, maple, peppermint, etc. – across yogurt, alternative milks, and even an oat-based Nog! FreshDirect also has a dedicated vegan and vegetarian landing page where customers can easily shop the assortment. 

Stop & Shop offers a free “Nutrition 101: Plant-based Eating” webinar with registered dietitians that explains how plant-based eating does not have to be difficult and shares tips to get started. It also offers a shoppable online page that includes better-for-you plant-based picks to inspire creative cooking ideas. In-store, Stop & Shop has integrated many plant-based items into its departments and it continues to see great innovation and growth in several plant-sourced products.   

All of our other U.S. supermarkets including Food Lion, Hannaford and The GIANT Company also have a great range of plant-based and vegetarian assortments both in-store and online.  

Albert Heijn, our local brand in the Netherlands is helping customers get more protein from plant sources by increasing its plant-based assortment with more than 1000 products on offer and 150 new products this year. It also encourages customers to adopt a healthy lifestyle by promoting the consumption of more fruit and vegetables, fiber, water, less sugars and fats via recipes from Allerhande (brand recipe magazine) and the help of their FoodFirst Lifestyle Coach app. 

Other European brands including Albert and Delhaize Serbia are also increasing their plant-based assortments. Delhaize Serbia together with domestic producers are developing innovative items, which is opening the space for plant-based production processes.  

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To learn more about how Ahold Delhaize is making healthier choices more widely available, check out our healthier choices webpage

During this month, the garden will grow herbs and salads such as basil varieties, mint, dill and red leaf lettuce. Customers can also purchase these items and see how it’s grown within the supermarket. 

This innovation was introduced in cooperation with Czech start-up, GreeenTech and represents a unique solution. GreenTech is a technology company that specializes in indoor farming that is self-sufficient and produces its own fresh produce made specially for restaurants, offices or urban communities. About the collaboration with Albert, Dmitrij Lipovskij founder of GreeenTech, shares: “Albert is the first retailer who uses this technology directly on the sales floor [in the Czech Republic] and I am very glad, that Albert gave us opportunity to make this concept come alive.”  

This AA rating also reflects the efforts of Ahold Delhaize and its local brands to manage risks, reduce carbon emissions, and continuously improve a diverse and inclusive workplace. All of these actions – small and large – have contributed to our strong ESG score. 

The unchanged AA score recognizes that Ahold Delhaize’s ESG practices lead those of global peers and are well-aligned with shareholder interests. Overall, it exemplifies that we’re a leading company in managing the most significant ESG risks and opportunities in the industry. As the MSCI ESG ranking is a primary research tool and a widely used benchmark by investors, this result will further underpin investors understanding of the importance we place on being a business that is fit for the future. 
 
With Healthy and Sustainable as one of the four priorities of Ahold Delhaize’s Leading Together strategy, we will continue to pursue new initiatives in support of our purpose to help customers - Eat well. Save time. Live better.  

“We believe transparency brings both accountability and change, and we recognize the important role we play as a local retailer and essential service in our communities,” said Ira Kress, President of Giant Food. “We’re committed to publishing our work and progress as we strive to continue to improve every day and serve as a positive presence and leader for our associates, customers and partners across each of the communities we are privileged to serve.” 

Within the report are details of Giant’s initiatives in serving its customers, associates and communities throughout 2021. Highlights from the report include: 

Better Neighbor 

• 4,600,288 pounds of food donated to communities through Giant’s Feeding America food bank partners 
• $1.25 million donated to the USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore through a combined effort of Giant and its customers to support local service members and their families 
• $2.29 million raised through the Annual Pediatric Cancer Fundraising Program benefitting The Children’s Cancer Foundation and Johns Hopkins Oncology Department 
• $300,000 donated to local organizations working to eliminate race, ethnic, gender, health and economic disparities 
• $2 million pledged through the Giant Family Foundation to communities facing severe economic and health inequalities 
• 900 participants impacted by the growth of the Produce Rx Nutrition Incentive Program, in partnership with DC Greens to provide healthy fruits and veggies 
• 3.9 million plastic bags saved from landfills and 102,400 meals provided to local nonprofits through the Giant Bags4Cause fundraising program 

Better Place to Shop 

• Over 1,100 classes, store tours and community events offered by the Giant Healthy Living team 
• Over 38,000 individuals reached through nutrition education efforts 
• Over 1 million vaccines administered, including COVID-19 vaccines and boosters to community members at 152 Giant Pharmacy locations as well as through mobile vaccine clinics 
• Continued to spotlight 218 diverse suppliers offering over 3,100 products to Giant customers 
• Grew local vendor partnerships to over 200, partnered with more than 50 local farms, to offer over 800 local products and growing 
• Launched a local aisle online at giantfood.com featuring a collection of local offerings including over 70 unique online exclusive items 
• Launched online SNAP benefits allowing customers to pay for grocery delivery or pickup orders with an EBT card 

Better Place to Work 

• Named one of The Washington Post’s Top Places to Work 2021 
• Earned 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for the third consecutive year for efforts in LGBTQ+ workplace equality 
• Offered associate engagement in Business Resource Groups including Pride, THRIVE, Giant Veterans, Women’s Inclusive Network, Corporate Council and Young Professionals 
• $130,000 in scholarships and grants awarded to 40 associates 
• #HealthyAtWork program offered to associates led by over 160 Healthy Living Ambassadors 
• Celebrated top performing leadership members and associates through 73 Presidential Awards for Top Values in motion winners, two Top Women in Grocery award recipients and 11 Women of Influencer winners 

For more information, view the full Better Neighbor Report here.  

The GIANT Company presented Rodale Institute with a check for $1,099,208.55 at a ceremony event at The GIANT Company headquarters, which was attended by Rodale Institute CEO Jeff Moyer, The GIANT Company President Nicholas Bertram, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Reading, and other recipients of funding from the Healing Our Planet campaign. 

“Through their generosity in rounding up at the register, our customers have once again proven how dedicated they are to healing our planet and we couldn’t be more grateful for their support,” said Jessica Groves, community impact manager, The GIANT Company. “Since joining forces with Rodale Institute last year, we have seen firsthand how they are working to expand regenerative organic agricultural practices and create a more sustainable food chain, which is more important than ever before. We’re honored to team up with Rodale as we work to improve the health of people and the planet we call home.” 

“Many organizations talk about the problems related to human and planetary health,” said Jeff Moyer, Chief Executive Officer of Rodale Institute. “Nick, the team at The GIANT Company, and their customers are taking action to help find solutions to those problems. By forming a strong partnership with Rodale Institute, the company has taken steps to ensure that more farms will be organic, more soil is being regenerated, and more organic food is available to consumers.” 

Rodale Institute has been conducting research into regenerative organic agriculture, as well as farmer training and education opportunities, since 1947, and currently operates 8 campuses in 4 states. The GIANT Company’s donation will directly support three key initiatives of Rodale Institute centered around farm consulting, farmer training, and research. 

These initiatives include: 

• Rodale Institute Farmer Training program (RIFT), an on-site internship that trains beginning farmers for a career in regenerative organic agriculture and supports the Institute’s farm share program, mobile pop-up markets and farmers markets. 

• Rodale Institute’s Organic Crop Consulting Services, launched in 2019 with the support of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which support farmers who are seeking to transition to organic through one-on-one mentorship with the Institute’s trained agronomists. 
• Rodale Institute’s research focuses on three primary areas: growing organic agriculture, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and solving food insecurity by growing nutrient-dense foods.  

In addition to Rodale Institute, additional funds were raised for Planet Bee Foundation and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. 

• Inner city of The Hague (city center ring) 100% electric by the end of 2022 
• Inner city of Rotterdam (city center ring) 100% electric in the first quarter of 2023 
• City center Utrecht (center) 100% electric in the second half of 2023 
• Inner city of Amsterdam (city center ring) 100% electric in the second half of 2023 

Constantijn Ninck Blok, Director of Logistics & Chain at Albert Heijn: "The demand for transport is growing, partly due to the popularity of home delivery. At the same time, we want to take major steps to reduce CO₂ emissions as quickly as possible – we see this as our responsibility. This can only be achieved through good cooperation, so it is fantastic that we are now doing this together with our transport partners in the four major inner cities in the Netherlands. And we are not finished yet -- our ambition goes further: ever quieter and cleaner delivery, of course, focused on convenience, with sufficient availability and always on time for our customers."

By expanding the number of electric trucks and electric delivery cars used and properly planning trips, charging moments and locations, Albert Heijn and its transport partners will ensure that fully electrical deliveries can be made in these city centers.

Albert Heijn is focusing early on the “zero-emission zones” that are expected to be introduced by Dutch cities from 2025 to improve air quality. By 2030, only completely emission-free delivery cars and trucks will be allowed to drive in these zones.

As much biofuel as possible
Until 100% emission-free delivery and supply is possible in the Netherlands, Albert Heijn will reduce CO₂ by switching completely to biofuels and renewable diesel by 2024. The brand started switching over to biofuels in 2021, and now has 240 trucks that run on more environmentally friendly LNG fuel. The goal is to expand this to 270 before the end of 2022.

Charging stations
While many customers can cycle and walk to its stores, Albert Heijn also wants to make other forms of sustainable transport as easy as possible. Together with Eneco eMobility, the brand will install 240 electric car charging stations at stores this year.

CO₂ reduction
Albert Heijn wants to “Make better food accessible together. For everyone.” To achieve this mission, the company is taking more and more steps to leave the world a better place and has significantly reduced emissions in its own business operations – shops, distribution centers, home delivery and offices. In its own stores, Albert Heijn reduced CO₂ emissions by 92.3% compared to 2018, mainly by switching to 100% Dutch wind energy at the beginning of 2021.

Albert Heijn compensates for the remaining emissions in its own operations by contributing to VCS-certified climate projects, making its own business operations climate neutral, and continues to work on further reduction across the supply chain.

There is consensus around the globe that what we do now to slow climate change over the next decade is critical to ensuring a healthy future for all of us. Our stakeholders are increasingly interested to understand how companies are reducing their negative impact on the planet and have high expectations around transparency and traceability.

As a parent company of 19 retail brands in the United States, Europe and Indonesia, Ahold Delhaize has a role to play in the transition to a healthy and sustainable global food system. This is a central part of our Leading Together strategy.

At Ahold Delhaize, we believe that what’s healthy and sustainable should be accessible and available to all. We are working towards this through our “Grounded in Goodness” health and sustainability approach, that focuses on healthier people and a healthier planet.

Grounded in Goodness is based on the idea that the world’s health crisis and climate crisis are intrinsically linked. Acting responsibly today is imperative to securing a better tomorrow for generations to come.

Our approach ensures the decisions we make are grounded in doing the right thing for people and planet. We collaborate closely with our partners and our brands to empower customers to join this journey with us. It’s a careful balance. As mainstream grocery retailers, we need to do this in addition to maintaining a clear focus on product affordability, diverse assortments and quality, all of which are of paramount importance to our brands’ diverse customers and communities.

As we drive improvements in our own operations, we also partner across the value chain to help develop markets with the right supply and demand to support and sustain the growth of healthier and more sustainable diets and a robust, more resilient food supply system. Informing, encouraging and engaging is at the heart of our approach to develop customers demands and bring customers along, creating lasting behavior change.

With the most recent IPCC report just out, the world is more conscious than ever about the immediate steps we all need to take to mitigate climate change. At Ahold Delhaize we’re committed to doing our part.

Jori Ebskamp, lead CSR & sustainability at bol.com: "To reduce our own CO2 emissions, we have already taken steps to make our buildings, packaging, deliveries and returns more sustainable. In the coming years, our focus will be on further reduction, in line with the conditions of CNG. We also support our sales partners in reducing their emissions, for example by sharing knowledge and offering logistics services that make their processes more sustainable. In addition, we now also offset their operational emissions. Because together with all our sales partners, we can really make an impact."

Jouke Roelfzema, CO2 specialist E-commerce at Climate Neutral Group: "By receiving the label, bol.com is the first e-commerce party in the Netherlands and Belgium to be climate-neutral certified according to the Climate Neutral Certification standard. This makes them an inspiring example for the rest of the industry. We hope this will also encourage other organizations to start reducing their climate impact."

Emissions partners also included in the calculation

To receive the quality mark, an organization must have insight into the CO2 emissions of all its processes. In the case of bol.com, this means that the emissions are calculated from the moment that items arrive at bol.com in a fulfillment center until delivery to the customer's doorstep, and everything in between. This takes into account the sales of bol.com itself as well as sales of partners who sell via the platform. The calculation for bol.com includes the impact of fulfillment centers, offices and server locations, as well as energy consumption, packaging and delivery. For sales partners selling via the platform, the calculated emissions consist of an estimate of the impact of their energy consumption, packaging and delivery. The production of items by suppliers and manufacturers is not included in the scope. 

Reduction measures

In recent years, bol.com has taken various measures to further reduce its own emissions. For example, by switching to 100 percent wind and solar energy for all buildings, but also by packing items more tailored with less packaging material thanks to the growing use of smart packing machines. 

Verification of Climate Neutral Certification label by independent auditor

The reduction measures and compensation will be monitored by an independent auditor. From now on this auditor will assess each year whether bol.com is achieving its reduction goals and still complies with the Climate Neutral Group's climate neutrality standard. This way an annual assessment is made to determine whether bol.com may continue to carry the Climate Neutral Certified label. 

“Last year’s grant recipients demonstrated that no matter how big or how small a project may be, you can make a difference in healing our planet,” said Jessica Groves, community impact manager, The GIANT Company. “As we again partner with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, this year we are shifting the focus to projects centered around our waterways and water conservation. Water is crucial for sustaining life which is why we need to protect our water resources for today and for the future.”  

The 2022 Healing the Planet grant program is accepting online applications now through April 28, 2022 via the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Eligible projects must be located in areas where The GIANT Company operates stores within Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia or West Virginia. Examples of qualifying projects include stream health and water quality monitoring activities, marine debris removal, storm water/MS4 education initiatives, lake/pond ecology, watershed education activities, watershed landscape measures, rain gardens, streambank restoration, erosion control, AMD remediation, rain barrels, pollution abatement and source water protection. A total of $300,000 in funding is available, with grants to be awarded at the $2,500, $5,000, or $10,000 funding levels. Awardees will be announced in June.   

Last year, 42 recipients received more than $500,000 in funding through the Healing the Planet grant program in support of projects that aimed to build environmental stewardship by connecting people and families to community green spaces, supporting environmental efforts, and building community gardens.  

“The health of our local waterways is intimately connected to the overall health of our communities. Our waterways provide recreation, impact our economy, connect us to neighborhoods and to each other. Healthy waterways are vital to thriving, successful communities,” said Shannon Reiter, president, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “We are honored to once again partner with The GIANT Company to provide opportunities to make a difference in the health of local waterways and communities. We also want to thank all of you who ‘rounded up’ at the register. Your generosity will directly impact and protect the health and quality of local waterways.”  

As part of The GIANT Company’s healing the planet initiative, the brand is committed to plastic bag recycling and plastic reduction efforts, zero-waste initiatives, a solar field and bee pollinator habitat, energy-efficient fixtures in-stores, and sustainably sourced seafood, coffee and tea. To learn more, visit giantfoodstores.com/pages/our-purpose.  

In addition, customers can also support The GIANT Company’s healing the planet initiatives. Now through May 31, customers can round up their purchase at any GIANT, MARTIN’S or GIANT Heirloom Market store at checkout. Funds donated through round up will benefit Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, Planet Bee Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on driving awareness for pollinators in local communities, and Rodale Institute, the leading voice in developing solutions for the regenerative organic movement. 

Convenience and sustainability  

Customers are increasingly embracing self-service and the possibilities that technology offers for this. For example, the use of self-scan and apps has grown enormously in recent years. Customers are increasingly looking for convenience: it needs to be simple, and it needs to be right. Therefore Albert Heijn, bol.com and Budbee combine their expertise and will introduce parcel lockers where customers can pick up and return their ordered parcels at their convenience without having to stand in line. This gives customers more flexibility to organize their time as they see fit. The parcel lockers will replace the bol.com pick-up points that have been found in almost all Albert Heijn stores since 2013.   

Deliveries to Budbee's parcel lockers are made in the Netherlands using fossil-free and renewable fuels. A Budbee parcel locker also accommodates 37 to 258 parcels, so the courier can deliver dozens to hundreds of parcels at a time during a single delivery. This makes the parcel lockers both a convenient and more sustainable option for consumers shopping online.   

The parcel always fits  

The first parcel lockers can be found in fifteen Albert Heijn stores in the Netherlands and Belgium starting this week. Over the next two years, this number will be expanded to 700 stores. The parcel lockers are located in or directly outside the Albert Heijn stores and consist of lockers of different sizes. In this way the parcel always fits. Customers who choose to pick up their package at an Albert Heijn store will receive a message after ordering when the package has been delivered. The message contains a code to open the safe.  

Marit van Egmond, CEO Albert Heijn: "Customers are increasingly experiencing the convenience of digitalization. We see this in the use of self-scan and the AH app, which brings everything together digitally. The introduction of parcel lockers makes it even easier for customers to pick up or return a parcel. I am proud of the cooperation with bol.com and Budbee, together we create synergy and further implement our omnichannel strategy."    

Jørgen Höppener, General Manager Benelux at Budbee: "At Budbee we are continuously looking for new opportunities to make the e-commerce sector greener and more customer friendly. Therefore, we are very proud to launch this in-store solution with such great Dutch partners. In combination with our technology, we are making sustainable online shopping available to an even larger group of people."  

Vincent Weijers - COO bol.com: "Every day customers order many items from bol.com. Of course, we want to deliver those tens of thousands of orders per day to our customers quickly, efficiently and as sustainably as possible. With this flexible, smart and scalable innovation, we have the ambition to increase the convenience and service for our customers and to further make the delivery of our parcels sustainable." 

Marit van Egmond, CEO Albert Heijn says: “This title is an important recognition from consumers for our efforts to make better food – healthier and more sustainable – available to everyone. Sustainability is a journey in which you gradually make the world a better place. All steps together make a big leap. For example, we have recently launched great initiatives to combat food waste and we have made some of our packaging circular.” 

Annemarije Tillema, Country Director Sustainable Brand Index Netherlands: “Albert Heijn has again succeeded in gaining more appreciation from Dutch consumers for their sustainability work this year, compared to previous years. An important motive behind this appreciation is the range of organic, fair trade, vegetarian and vegan products on offer. Consumers also see that Albert Heijn is taking responsibility for themes such as food waste and chain transparency. Plastic reduction, animal welfare and sustainable packaging are topics for the increasingly aware Dutch person where Albert Heijn can show even more efforts and impact. Continuous improvement is expected.” 

Learn more about Albert Heijn's recognition in their press release here (only available in Dutch).  
 

Bol.com 

Bol.com has been recognized as the most sustainable e-commerce brand for the second year in a row according to the Sustainable Brand Index™ (SBI) 2022. Last year, for the first time, e-commerce was included as a separate category in the survey where bol.com was also considered the most sustainable e-commerce brand by consumers.

Bol.com aims to achieve climate-neutral shopping by 2025, which means that bol.com wants to reduce its CO2 emissions per package as much as possible and help customers make a conscious choice with its sustainable assortment. Jori Ebskamp, lead CSR & sustainability at bol.com said: “In recent years, bol.com has put a lot of effort into reducing its CO2 emissions. And we will continue to do so by making our buildings, packaging, deliveries and returns even more sustainable. We are not only looking critically at our own emissions, but we also want to help our partners to become more sustainable. The outcome of the SBI survey shows that our efforts are appreciated by Dutch consumers, who appreciate that we are on the right track.” 

Bol.com is continuously working on reducing its CO2 emissions. For example, all bol.com buildings in the Netherlands and Belgium run entirely on solar and wind energy. And through the use of smart packing machines that customize packages, bol.com uses less packaging material and can also transport more packages by van or cargo bike. Bol.com also offers a more sustainable alternative in more and more product groups. This already applies to 60 percent of the product groups. This includes second hand items and items made from at least 50 percent recycled materials. 

Learn more about bol.com's recognition in their press release here (only available in Dutch). 

Led by RBS President Roger Wheeler, who serves as Chair, and DE&I Manager Valencia Seals, Vice Chair, the council includes representation from each of the company’s Business Resource Groups (BRGs), five at-large members, the RBS leadership team and DE&I Coordinator Carley James, who serves as coordinator of the council. Together, they leverage a wide variety of perspectives to make an impact.   

“At Retail Business Services, we hold ourselves accountable for fostering an environment where all associates feel welcome and know they work for a company where they belong,” Roger said. “In standing up the council, we will further our journey and accelerate action.”  

The group will collaborate over the course of a two-year term to share insights that inform the RBS DE&I journey, identify opportunities to build the culture of belonging and help to create action plans that leverage opportunities and overcome barriers.   

“The DE&I team is excited to partner with this diverse group of individuals to further our progress,” Valencia said. “We’re looking forward to leveraging their unique experiences and insights to inform our DE&I strategy, and we are grateful for their commitment to furthering DE&I at Retail Business Services.”  

Later this spring, RBS will release its second annual DE&I Progress Report, which gives associates a transparent view into how the company is progressing on its DE&I journey, working on a set of defined measures.  

Electric car charging stations

Albert Heijn and Eneco eMobility have reached a partnership agreement to install electric charging poles at Albert Heijn stores. This year, 240 of these stations will be installed at stores, giving customers a convenient way to charge their cars and making it easier to make a conscious choice to come to the store by sustainable transport -- in addition to cycling or walking, of course. The energy powering the charging poles is fully sustainable and comes from Dutch wind energy.

In addition, the supermarket announced that all of Albert Heijn's own stores in the Netherlands and Belgium will stop using natural gas by 2023, enabling an additional CO2 reduction of 1.8%.

BREEAM certification

Albert Heijn has also taken important steps in making logistics and distribution more sustainable. By investing in the latest technical solutions, Albert Heijn has received a BREEAM [Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method] certificate for seven of its home shopping centers, five distribution centers and the Ahold Delhaize Zaandam Office.

Co2 emissions reduction

Albert Heijn has lowered its CO2 emissions by 92% through initiatives that include:

• Purchasing electricity generated by 100% Dutch wind energy since early 2021, sourced from Eneco’s “Hollandse Wind” (Dutch Wind).
• Building new stores that don’t run on natural gas since 2010; as a result, three-quarters of its stores already run without gas, and the brand will reach 100% by 2023.
• In total, more than 40 kilometers of wall refrigeration units in all stores are covered with refrigeration doors, and low refrigeration units are equipped with night cover.
• In almost half of the stores, heat pumps capture the heat from the coolers to heat the store.
• In 50% of stores, cooling is done with natural refrigerants, which pollute much less than chemical refrigerants.
• 310,000 LED lights have been installed in stores for a 50% energy savings.
• Solar panels are being installed on more and more roofs at Albert Heijn’s locations. For example, the distribution center in Zaandam has 11,063 of them, or the equivalent of 2.5 soccer fields.

Most vegan-friendly supermarket in Flanders and Brussels

Albert Heijn Belgium was named the most vegan friendly supermarket in Flanders and Brussels. The brand won this award for the first time in 2020, through a survey conducted by BE Vegan, EVA and Bite Back. According to these organizations, Albert Heijn Belgium particularly excels in vegan charcuterie and vegan cheeses – two areas where it leaves its competitors far behind. It also achieved top scores in all other dairy substitute segments (milk, cream, yogurt, butter and ice cream).

Raf Van den Heuvel, General Manager of Albert Heijn Belgium said, "We have been consciously focusing on vegan since the start of Albert Heijn Belgium. Recently, the demand for vegan products has grown strongly and you can see that in our wider range. We think it's important to continue to surprise our customers with popular vegan products and innovations. We do this by introducing many new products with a competitive price. It is our mission to make better eating accessible together for everyone. This award proves that we also keep that promise. We are particularly happy about that."

With Nutri-Score, consumers can see at a glance which products within a product group have a healthier composition. The food choice logo translates the nutritional value of products into a clear letter and color code. A is dark green and is shown on products that have the healthiest composition within a product group. Score E is red and is shown on products from the same product group with the least healthy composition.  

Comparing products

Each product is assigned a score based on a special algorithm. There are plus points for proteins, fibers, fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts. Energy content (kcal), sugars, saturated fat and salt push the score down. The logo compares the products in a certain product group with each other, for example: yoghurt with other types of yoghurt, and not with cheese. And when a fruit juice scores a C, that drink is a healthier choice than a juice with an E in the same product group.

Marit van Egmond, CEO of Albert Heijn says, "At Albert Heijn we want to make better food accessible. For everyone. And a healthy lifestyle is more important than ever. That is why we have been a strong supporter of the introduction of Nutri-Score. We are convinced that this food choice logo will help our customers make healthier choices. And not only for a product with an A or B rating, but also for a product with a D rating instead of an E rating. Every step counts!"

Supporters  

The independent food choice logo, Nutri-Score, was developed by French scientists and has now been introduced in Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium. The Dutch government also opted for Nutri-Score in 2019. It is expected that the food choice logo will be officially used nationwide in the first half of 2022 – after final approval by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

Feeling good

Marit van Egmond: "Albert Heijn offers the most choice in products with an A or B score. That is because we have been structurally improving our own-brand products for years: we add extra fiber and use less sugar, salt and saturated fats.” Feeling good in your own skin starts with a healthier diet, but exercise, sleep and relaxation are also extremely important, says Marit. "Of course we want to inspire and support everyone to start 2022 in a good and healthy way. Nutri-Score helps and so does our FoodFirst Lifestyle Coach. This free app offers advice, inspiration, countless health challenges, videos and exercise, nutrition and meditation schedules. Experienced coaches advise on a lasting healthy lifestyle change."

Informing customers

In the coming weeks, Albert Heijn will inform customers in television commercials and advertisements about how Nutri-Score works. In addition, customers will find a lot of information on ah.nl, in the ‘Allerhande’ magazine, in the Better Food magazine (‘Beter Eten’) and in the bonus folder. Special brochures, showcase stickers and shelf maps can be found on the shop floor.   

How does dry misting work? 

Inspired by the morning mist that hangs over crop fields, engineers sought to replicate this natural occurrence and managed to develop a dry misting system. The system is equipped with ultrasonic technology to make the finest mist from the purest filtered water. As the mist floats out of the humidifier through a special diffuser and thinly surrounds supermarket produce, the mist evaporates, the humidity rises, and the temperature drops naturally. This allows the produce to keep important nutrients and have a significantly increased shelf life as it can better retain moisture and stay fresh. 

Pilot expectations 

The installation of the dry misting system in Alfa Beta was completed in early October and Mega Image’s three month pilot began in September. The NfR team has taken the lead in sharing information and coordinating the project, supported by the technical department. In the three months that the pilot will last, several factors will be analyzed. One of the most relevant being the generated savings enabled by decreased shrink/loss and improved sale performance. The NfR team is confident it will be a success and will bring benefits to others.  

Ahold Delhaize received a score of 83 out of 100, equal to the 2020 score and well above the industry average of 26 points. We continue to rank highest among food retailers in Europe and the US.

The DJSI World tracks the performance of the world’s leading companies against environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. It is an important barometer to measure our performance and progress in these areas, not only in our own operations but also with customers and in our value chain.

For more information about Ahold Delhaize’s Healthy and Sustainable strategy please visit: https://www.aholddelhaize.com/sustainability/