Metro : Corporate Responsibility Report 2021/22

Dear Reader,

In this Sustainability Report, we look back at a fiscal year shaped by global upheaval. Although disruption and uncertainty create a challenging environment, we are highly agile, energetic and resilient in our day-to-day business. At the same time, we are looking to a future that requires a change of mindset today.

People returned to gastronomy, life returned to the streets. Last fiscal year began with normalization of our daily lives, and gradually so did our global supply chain. Then Russia’s war against Ukraine suddenly retested this return to global practice. The world order is out of balance, and with it the network of relationships that bind our world together. At the same time, the effects of global warming are becoming more prominent in our lives. Multiple crises ultimately pose risks to our business, which relies on robust supply chains. At the same time, these challenges present an opportunity to rethink structures and systems. This way we can develop new answers together. And we are responsible for this.

In this way, we can sustain the life we ​​love, with its diversity and community. For the life we ​​love – this is our customer attitude. About the ingredients – that’s what METRO stands for. This sustainability report shows how we are rethinking our business in line with our core corporate strategy to remain relevant for the future. Focused, ambitious and oriented on challenges where we as wholesalers can make a big difference. This is our ESG strategy that builds on sCore and his three sustainability priorities that he defined within it.

As part of our climate and carbon sustainability priorities, we want to continuously reduce CO2.2 Reduce emissions and contribute to a low-emission food system: in our own operations, logistics and assortment. Resource trading is our core business. How good we are at it is reflected in how well we waste resources along our supply chain, from natural ingredients to finished foods and their packaging. Resource efficiency makes a critical contribution to powering our business, supporting our customers and sustaining our livelihoods.

Within our sustainability priorities of ethics and trust, we secure the most important asset for our business: our customers’ credibility as partners. Rationale: A clear commitment to social responsibility and transparent sourcing. Reliable terms create a robust supply chain that can be managed more efficiently. If you know your partner, the more you can trace the product back to its origin and ensure as much as possible that social and environmental standards are being followed, the less likely it is to fail. This way, we can consistently keep our promise of reliability to our customers.

Solidarity, dialogue, diversity – our customers focus on people and their needs. As your partner, we stand by your side and do our best to meet your needs in the best possible way. How well this works depends on the commitment and power of your employees. Investing in employee needs is essential to truly realizing your business goals. Equity, inclusion and well-being are therefore her third priority of our sustainability. That’s because employees feel valued, engaged, and thoroughly supported at the right time, produce strong performance, and build sustainable relationships with customers.

For the life we ​​love – this is our customer attitude. To ensure that the diversity, fun and hustle they bring to our society is sustained, we need to take responsibility along the entire value chain. As a wholesaler, we are the central link in this chain, a two-way responsibility. On the one hand, we work with our suppliers to set standards for the responsible use of natural resources. Meanwhile, we provide our customers with practical and proven solutions to make their operations more sustainable and efficient.

With our three sustainability priorities, we have a clear roadmap for conserving resources in a targeted manner, designing responsible supply chains, and ensuring the well-being of each and every METRO employee. This is how we score in business, build strong relationships with customers, and build strong teams passionate about driving real change in business.

Go sustainable!