REWE GROUP
Sustainability  
Report 2021
based on the standards of the GRI
The complete REWE Group Sustainability Report 2021
can be found at www.rewe-group-nachhaltigkeitsbericht.de/2021/en.
DOWNLOAD VERSION

Ladies and Gentlemen,
dear partners and friends of the REWE Group,
In late April 2022, our REWE Group Dialogue Forum was able to take place again for the ﬁrst time since the onset of
the pandemic over two years ago. Held as a hybrid event, it was an important step in our personal and constructive
exchange with our stakeholders during these challenging times.
Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, one of the world’s most distinguished climate researchers and Director
Emeritus of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, held a keynote speech in which he called for far
greater determination in our eﬀorts to protect the climate. In his impressive lecture, he demonstrated with great
expertise and fervour how little time we have left to limit climate change to a manageable level. As dramatic as the
challenges ahead of us may be, however, the outlook for the future remains optimistic: We are still in a position to
achieve a radical reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within this decade. But as Schellnhuber emphasised: “The
time to act is now!”
GRI 102-14
Foreword by Lionel Souque

For us at the REWE Group, this sentence is both a mandate and a motivation. Global warming and loss of biodiversity
are without a doubt the two greatest ecological problems of our time – and they both have a direct impact on our
nutritional security, which means we cannot aﬀord to put them oﬀ. We consider it our responsibility as a company to
do our part in helping to alleviate these problems. REWE is therefore going to support the new NABU climate fund of
our long-standing partner NABU with at least 25 million euros over the next ﬁve years. Together we are launching the
largest moorland restoration project for agricultural use in Germany, and we believe that strengthening and creating
natural carbon sinks has huge potential to eﬀectively protect the climate.
Another major milestone on our journey: The REWE Group intends to purchase green electricity from a new oﬀshore
wind farm in the North Sea from 2025 onwards. Energy supply plays a strategic role in the context of our climate
goals: We are a green power pioneer in the German food retail sector. Our stores have been completely using power
produced from renewable sources since 2008. By signing a corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) for the new
Borkum Riﬀgrund 3 wind farm, we are now the ﬁrst food retailer to go one step further: We are directly promoting the
expansion of renewable energies and taking on process responsibility as well as a more active role within the energy
transition.
Moreover, we want to make it easier for our customers to opt for electric mobility by massively expanding the electric
charging station infrastructure – because we will only succeed in stopping climate change if we as a society
undertake maximum eﬀorts in all areas of life. That is why we are increasingly relying on state-of-the-art fast-charging
stations that allow our customers to conveniently charge their electric vehicles while they shop. This, I am sure, is just
what is needed to further accelerate the spread of electric vehicles. Our goal is to establish one of the largest and
most modern fast-charging networks in Germany – with at least 2,000 fast-charging stations and 4,000 additional
charging stations at selected REWE and PENNY stores throughout Germany by the end of 2024.
Dear readers, these are just a few examples to show you that we are continuing to take responsibility and use our own
innovative strength to actively tackle challenges and develop solutions. Some 15 years have passed since we decided,
out of conviction, to pursue the goal of becoming an ever more sustainable company. This is how we know that doing
business – and living – in a more sustainable way is an ongoing process. And the last two years in particular have
shown us just how quickly we can be stripped of what we believed to be certainties.
In times like these, it is therefore more important than ever to show solidarity and hold together. On this note, I would
like to express my particular gratitude once again to all employees of the REWE Group in Germany and abroad, as well
as to our independent retailers, whose extraordinary commitment has ensured that our company has come through
the crisis largely unscathed up to this point. And more than that: In moments of deep despair – such as the
catastrophic ﬂoods in the Ahr valley in the summer of 2021 or the terrible war of aggression on Ukraine – their
willingness to help knows no bounds. From donating goods and money, to organising relief transports at short notice,
to providing permanent voluntary support: The commitment of our employees makes me very proud indeed.
As a cooperative company that has been in business for 95 years, sustainability for us means, above all, taking
responsibility for what we do and for the impact of our decisions on future generations. The values of solidarity,
community and sustainability are ﬁrmly anchored in our corporate culture. Our core business, retail and tourism,

directly aﬀects the lives of millions of people every day – in Germany and Europe as a whole. That is why it is
important for us to take a clear stand for a sustainable society – you can count on that now and in the future.
I hope you enjoy reading our Sustainability Report 2021 and ﬁnd it informative and interesting!
Best regards,
Lionel Souque
Chief Executive Oﬃcer

Goals and KPIs
at a Glance
The REWE Group has deﬁned key ﬁgures and clear goals within its four pillars of sustainability. This
makes it possible to measure progress and adjust measures if necessary. The most important KPIs and
goals are presented below. As raw material production and product processing are highly relevant in
terms of sustainability criteria, they are summarised separately.

Green Products
Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
Fully integrate strategically relevant production
sites for the store brands of REWE, PENNY
Germany and toom into a training programme
(capacity building) by the end of 2030
See the
section Social
Aspects in the
Supply Chain
Improve access to complaint mechanisms in
relevant supply chains for the store brands of
REWE, PENNY Germany and toom by the end of
2025
Fully integrate relevant food and non-food
producers for the store brands of REWE, PENNY
Germany and toom into an environmental
programme by the end of 2030
See the
sections
Environmental
Aspects in the
Supply Chain
and
Packaging
100% more environmentally friendly store brand
packaging by the end of 20301
Reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions in the
supply chains for store brand products of REWE
and PENNY Germany by 15% by the end of 2030
(compared to 2019)
See the
section
Climate
Protection in
the Supply
Chain
Increase Nutri-Score labelling on relevant2 store
brand products of REWE and PENNY Germany to
80% by mid-2022 and 100% by mid-2023
See the
section
Nutrition
Energy, Climate and the Environment
Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
Reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions for all
countries and companies of the REWE Group by 30%
by 2030 (compared to 2019)
Achieve climate neutrality for all countries and
companies of the REWE Group by 2040
-7.3%
See the
section
Climate
Protection
on a
Company
Level
Training programme for
better working conditions
Complaint mechanism
Environmental programme
Packaging
Greenhouse gas emissions
in the supply chain
Nutrition
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 This goal applies to the REWE Group in Germany (REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY stores) and, since 2019, also to the international sales lines
(BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY and ADEG).
2 Not relevant are, for example, mono-products such as rice, potatoes or ﬂour, as well as products that have no added sugar/salt, such as mineral
waters, cooking oils or vinegar.
Greenhouse gas emissions on
a company level
1 The calculation of emission intensity includes direct, indirect energy-related and further indirect emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3). For more information,
see the also section Climate Protection on a Company Level.

Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
1,359,106
-18%
Reduce electricity consumption per square metre of
sales area by 10% by 2030 (compared to 2019)
- 5.2%
See the
section
Energy
Energy consumption for all countries and companies
of the REWE Group incl. independent retailers (in
GWh)
6,768.24
Fuel consumption (lorries/vehicles) for all countries
and companies of the REWE Group incl. independent
retailers (in GWh)
1,355
See the
section
Logistics
and
Mobility
445,275
Absolute volume of non-hazardous waste generated
by companies of the REWE Group in Germany and
Austria excluding retailers in tonnes
871,799
See the
section
Waste
Completed stores built in accordance with DGNB e.
V. requirements (green building)
315
See the
section
Green
Building
Employees
Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
Keep the training percentage (trainees as a
percentage of the total workforce in full-time
equivalents) at 5.4% until 2025
5.6%
See the
section
Training and
Education
Increase the level of internally staﬀed management
positions to 80.0% by 2025
75.1%
Achieve a balanced gender ratio in management
positions by 2025
45.3% female,
54.7% male
See the
section
Diversity and
Equal
Opportunity
1 The calculation of emission intensity includes direct, indirect energy-related and further indirect emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3). For more information,
see the also section Climate Protection on a Company Level.
Total greenhouse gas emissions for all countries and
companies of the REWE Group incl. independent
retailers (Scope 1 to 3) in tonnes of CO2 equivalents
Reduce refrigerant-related greenhouse gas
emissions for all countries and companies of the
REWE Group by 60% by 2030 (compared to 2019)
Electricity consumption
Energy consumption
Fuel consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions1
in logistics
Absolute greenhouse gas emissions in logistics incl.
external shipping logistics for all countries and
companies of the REWE Group incl. retailers in
tonnes of CO2 equivalents
Non-hazardous waste
Stores certiﬁed in
accordance with DGNB e. V.
Training percentage
Internal staﬃng
Gender ratio
1 The employment rate of people with disabilities is calculated by headcount and therefore has a diﬀerent calculation basis than when determining the
mandatory share of employed people with severe disabilities according to Section 154, Book IX of the Social Welfare Code (SGB) (Germany). The
decision to calculate the employment rate of people with disabilities by headcount was made in order to be able to determine a uniform key ﬁgure for
all countries (Germany and Austria). Individuals with disabilities are deﬁned according to Section 2 of the German Social Welfare Code and the
Austrian Disabled Persons Employment Act (BEinstG).

Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
Reduce the number of accidents per 1,000 full-
time equivalents to 43.5 by 2025
48.8
See the
section
Occupational
Health and
Safety
Management
Keep the employment rate of individuals with
disabilities1 at a level of at least 3.0% until 2025
3.0%
See the
section
Diversity and
Equal
Opportunity
Social Commitment
Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
Share of long-term projects (> two years)
94%
See the
section
Projects and
Sponsorships
Number of children and adolescents reached
68,528
Number of children and adolescents reached
31,225
Sponsorships and donations in support of Tafel
food banks in Germany and Austria
€682,227
Project total in the ﬁnancial year
€2,291,691
See the
sections
Projects and
Sponsorships
and
Biodiversity
Raw Materials in Focus and Products
Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
1 The employment rate of people with disabilities is calculated by headcount and therefore has a diﬀerent calculation basis than when determining the
mandatory share of employed people with severe disabilities according to Section 154, Book IX of the Social Welfare Code (SGB) (Germany). The
decision to calculate the employment rate of people with disabilities by headcount was made in order to be able to determine a uniform key ﬁgure for
all countries (Germany and Austria). Individuals with disabilities are deﬁned according to Section 2 of the German Social Welfare Code and the
Austrian Disabled Persons Employment Act (BEinstG).
Accidents
Employment rate of
individuals with disabilities
Long-term projects
Nutrition and exercise
Children and adolescents
Vigilant approach to food
Biodiversity and
environmental protection
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 Figures exclude near- and non-food, tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
2 Self-service and service counters.
3 Data for this goal will be collected as of the next ﬁnancial year.
4 These items include the product groups of chocolate tablets and bars, pralines, Easter and Christmas sweets. Nut/nougat spreads and instant cocoa
cannot be determined automatically in the context of this survey, which is why these items are not included in the scope of reporting.
5 The purchasing volume is the number of sales units of the purchased store brand products.
6 Where possible, at least 20 per cent recycled material from waste collected via the yellow sack.

Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
100% certiﬁed bananas (Rainforest Alliance,
Fairtrade, organic) and pineapples (Rainforest
Alliance, organic) at REWE and PENNY Germany
by the end of 2016
See the
section Raw
Materials in
Focus –
Food
100% cotton textiles certiﬁed according to Cotton
made in Africa and GOTS at REWE, PENNY and
toom Baumarkt DIY stores in Germany by the end
of 2025
98%
See the
section Raw
Materials in
Focus –
Non-Food
Net sales value of organic store brand and
manufacturer brand products1 as a percentage of
the net sales value of all store brand and
manufacturer brand products sold by REWE and
PENNY in Germany
8%
See the
section
Organic
16%
19%
7%
Area of planted and enhanced ﬂower strips (in
hectares)
888
see the
section
Biodiversity
13,300
6,500
95% conventional pork of German origin (5xD = the
pigs are born, reared, fattened, slaughtered and
processed exclusively in Germany) among the store
brands of REWE and PENNY Germany by summer
2022
See the
section
Regionality
100% organic fresh eggs of the “Spitz & Bube”
brand at REWE Germany by the end of 2020
See section
Animal
Welfare
100% store brand ﬁsh products (frozen,
convenience, fresh and canned) at REWE and
88%
See the
section Raw
Materials in
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 Figures exclude near- and non-food, tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
2 Self-service and service counters.
3 Data for this goal will be collected as of the next ﬁnancial year.
4 These items include the product groups of chocolate tablets and bars, pralines, Easter and Christmas sweets. Nut/nougat spreads and instant cocoa
cannot be determined automatically in the context of this survey, which is why these items are not included in the scope of reporting.
5 The purchasing volume is the number of sales units of the purchased store brand products.
6 Where possible, at least 20 per cent recycled material from waste collected via the yellow sack.
Bananas/pineapples
Cotton and textiles
Organic
Net sales value of organic store brands1 of REWE
and PENNY in Germany as a percentage of the net
sales value of all store brands
Net sales value of “REWE Bio”1 products as a
percentage of the net sales value of all store brand
products at REWE
Net sales value of “PENNY Naturgut”1 products as
a percentage of the net sales value of all store
brand products at PENNY
Biodiversity measures in fruit
and vegetable cultivation
Number of nesting boxes and nesting aids for birds
and bats
Number of insect nesting aids
German origin
Eggs
100% eggs free of chick culling among REWE
Germany’s store brands by the end of 2021
Fish

Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
PENNY in Germany certiﬁed according to the
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC),
GLOBALG.A.P., Aquaculture Stewardship Council
(ASC) or with organic certiﬁcation, if available
Focus –
Food and the
Guideline on
Fish and
Seafood
84%
100% fresh meat2 (beef, pork & poultry) from at
least livestock farming system 2 among REWE’s
and PENNY Germany’s store brands by the end of
2025
63%
See the
section
Animal
Welfare
8.5%
100% processed meat products (sausage, incl.
canned, frozen and convenience) from at least
livestock farming system 2 among REWE’s and
PENNY Germany’s store brands by the end of 2025
100% fresh milk from Austria and Germany among
the store brands of REWE and PENNY Germany by
the end of 2021
See the
section
Animal
Welfare
100% drinking milk from at least livestock farming
system 2 among REWE’s and PENNY Germany’s
store brands by the end of 2025
100% drinking milk from at least livestock farming
system 3 among REWE’s and PENNY Germany’s
store brands by the end of 2030
3
See the
section
Animal
Welfare
100% store brand wood and paper products in the
non-food sector at REWE and PENNY in Germany
featuring Blauer Engel (Blue Angel), FSC Recycled,
PEFC Recycled, FSC 100%, PEFC™ or FSC Mix
certiﬁcation by the end of 2025
99%
See the
section Raw
Materials in
Focus –
Non-Food
100% store brand coﬀee products at REWE and
PENNY in Germany featuring Rainforest Alliance,
See the
section Raw
Materials in
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 Figures exclude near- and non-food, tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
2 Self-service and service counters.
3 Data for this goal will be collected as of the next ﬁnancial year.
4 These items include the product groups of chocolate tablets and bars, pralines, Easter and Christmas sweets. Nut/nougat spreads and instant cocoa
cannot be determined automatically in the context of this survey, which is why these items are not included in the scope of reporting.
5 The purchasing volume is the number of sales units of the purchased store brand products.
6 Where possible, at least 20 per cent recycled material from waste collected via the yellow sack.
In the long term, 100% store brand ﬁsh mono-
products at REWE and PENNY in Germany with
tracking codes on the packaging
Fresh meat2
100% fresh meat2 (beef, pork & poultry) from at
least livestock farming system 3 among REWE’s
and PENNY Germany’s store brands by the end of
2030
Processed meat products
Fresh milk
Drinking milk
Wood and paper
100% store brand wood and paper products in the
near-food sector at REWE and PENNY in Germany
featuring Blauer Engel (Blue Angel), FSC Recycled,
PEFC Recycled, FSC 100%, PEFC™ or FSC Mix
certiﬁcation by the end of 2020
Coﬀee

Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
organic or Fairtrade certiﬁcation by the end of
2020
Focus –
Food and the
Guideline on
Coﬀee
100% certiﬁed cocoa among REWE and PENNY
Germany store brands by the end of 2020
99%
See the
section Raw
Materials in
Focus –
Food and the
Guideline on
Cocoa
Products
100% microplastic-free cosmetic products as per
the REWE Group understanding deﬁned in our
guidelines among the store brands of REWE and
PENNY in Germany by the end of 2020
See the
section
Water and
the Guideline
on
Microplastics
in Cosmetic
Products
99.89%
100% Nordmann ﬁrs which are fairly grown “Fair
Trees” at toom Baumarkt DIY stores in Germany
See the
section Raw
Materials in
Focus –
Non-Food
100% RSPO-certiﬁed palm (kernel) oil among the
store brands of REWE and PENNY Germany, in
Austria and at Lekkerland
See the
section Raw
Materials in
Focus –
Food and the
Guideline on
Palm Oil
99%
Number of PRO PLANET products at REWE and
PENNY in Germany5
1,373
See the
section PRO
PLANET
9%
884
Number of products at REWE stores in Germany
842
See the
section
Regionality
200
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 Figures exclude near- and non-food, tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
2 Self-service and service counters.
3 Data for this goal will be collected as of the next ﬁnancial year.
4 These items include the product groups of chocolate tablets and bars, pralines, Easter and Christmas sweets. Nut/nougat spreads and instant cocoa
cannot be determined automatically in the context of this survey, which is why these items are not included in the scope of reporting.
5 The purchasing volume is the number of sales units of the purchased store brand products.
6 Where possible, at least 20 per cent recycled material from waste collected via the yellow sack.
Cocoa
100% Fairtrade-certiﬁed chocolate products and
sweet baked goods4 among the store brands of
REWE and PENNY Germany
Cosmetic products
100% cosmetic products free of focused synthetic
and semi-synthetic polymers in dissolved/gel-
like/liquid form as per the REWE Group
understanding deﬁned in our guidelines (if this is
possible without loss of performance) among the
store brands of REWE and PENNY in Germany by
the end of 2020
Nordmann ﬁrs
Palm oil
Purchase of 100% at least segregated certiﬁed
palm (kernel) oil by 2018 and 100% at least mass
balance certiﬁed fractions and derivatives by 2020
PRO PLANET
25% of REWE’s and PENNY’s store brands in
Germany to carry the PRO PLANET label by the
end of 20255
Number of PRO PLANET products at toom
Baumarkt DIY stores in Germany
REWE regional concept
Number of “Da komm ich her” (That’s where I’m
from) regional concept products at BILLA, BILLA

Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
50% of all store brand juices, nectars and fruit juice
drinks at REWE and PENNY Germany (excluding
promotional, seasonal and regional items) to carry
Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, Naturland, organic,
SAI FSA Bronze/ Silver/Gold or GLOBALG.A.P.
certiﬁcation by the end of 2025
See the
section Raw
Materials in
Focus –
Food and the
Guideline on
Juices
Share of store brand fresh milk and UHT milk
products bearing the seal of the Verband für
Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik e.V. (VLOG)
(German Association of Non-Genetically Modiﬁed
Foods) at REWE and PENNY in Germany
100% certiﬁed herbal and fruit tea products (with
at least 30% certiﬁed raw ingredients) among the
store brands of REWE and PENNY Germany by the
end of 2025
93%
See the
section Raw
Materials in
Focus –
Food and the
Guideline on
Tea Products
100% elimination of peaty soils from store brands
and brand products at toom Baumarkt DIY stores
in Germany by 2025
See the
section Raw
Materials in
Focus –
Non-Food
100% store brand PET packaging in the detergents
and cleaning products sector made of recycled
material6 at REWE and PENNY Germany by the
end of 2021
95%
See the
section
Packaging
and the
Guideline on
More Eco-
Friendly
Packaging
38%
-22%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 Figures exclude near- and non-food, tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
2 Self-service and service counters.
3 Data for this goal will be collected as of the next ﬁnancial year.
4 These items include the product groups of chocolate tablets and bars, pralines, Easter and Christmas sweets. Nut/nougat spreads and instant cocoa
cannot be determined automatically in the context of this survey, which is why these items are not included in the scope of reporting.
5 The purchasing volume is the number of sales units of the purchased store brand products.
6 Where possible, at least 20 per cent recycled material from waste collected via the yellow sack.
PLUS and Sutterlüty in Austria
Juices (formerly orange
juice)
100% orange and pineapple direct juice at REWE
and PENNY in Germany to carry Rainforest Alliance
or organic certiﬁcation by 2025
Soy as animal feed
Tea
100% certiﬁed black and green tea among the
store brands of REWE and PENNY Germany by the
end of 2020
Peat-free soil
Packaging
On average, 50% recycled material content in non-
reﬁllable PET beverage bottles among the store
brands of REWE and PENNY Germany by the end
of 2023
20% reduction in the amount of plastic used in
store brand packaging at REWE and PENNY in
Germany by the end of 2025 (compared to 2015)
100% of the plastic store brand packaging at REWE
and PENNY Germany to be recyclable by the end of

Topic
Goals
Status
Measures
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 Figures exclude near- and non-food, tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
2 Self-service and service counters.
3 Data for this goal will be collected as of the next ﬁnancial year.
4 These items include the product groups of chocolate tablets and bars, pralines, Easter and Christmas sweets. Nut/nougat spreads and instant cocoa
cannot be determined automatically in the context of this survey, which is why these items are not included in the scope of reporting.
5 The purchasing volume is the number of sales units of the purchased store brand products.
6 Where possible, at least 20 per cent recycled material from waste collected via the yellow sack.
2025
100% certiﬁed paper packaging at REWE and
PENNY Germany by the end of 2020

GRI 102-1: Name of the organization
GRI 102-3: Location of headquarters
GRI 102-5: Ownership and legal form
Company structure
The cooperative REWE Group is an international group of trade and tourism companies. REWE (Revisionsverband der
Westkaufgenossenschaften) was established in 1927 by 17 purchasing cooperatives. The REWE Group is proud of its
cooperative roots. The Supervisory Board, shareholders, retailers and the Management Board of the REWE Group
view the long-range cooperative structure as a guarantee of independence and self-determination. In 2007, this
commitment was reaﬃrmed in the Travemünde Declaration. The headquarters of the REWE Group has been located
in Cologne ever since the company was established in 1927.
REWE-ZENTRALFINANZ eG, Cologne, (RZF) and its subsidiaries jointly form the RZF Combine (hereinafter referred to
“combine”) and the REWE Group, an international trade and tourism company, along with all cooperatively organised
independent retailers (listed in the combine as associated companies at equity).
As of 31 December 2021, RZF comprised 287 Germany-based subsidiaries (previous year: 275) and 166
international subsidiaries (previous year: 171).
GRI 102-2: Activities, brands, products, and services
GRI 102-4: Location of operations
GRI 102-6: Markets served
GRI 102-7: Scale of the organization
GRI 102-10: Signiﬁcant changes to the organization and its supply chain
Markets and countries with business activities
In 2021, the REWE Group did business in 21 European countries with about 380,000 employees (previous year:
384,000). Total external revenue rose to 76.5 billion euros in 2021 (previous year: 74.6 billion euros).
GRI 102-1 – 102-7, 102-10
REWE Group Portrait

The combine’s business activities are broken down into six business segments, which are divided in turn into divisions
and business units. The combine does business in the business segments described below with the following brands,
amongst others:
The Trade Germany business segment comprises the divisions REWE, PENNY Germany and Trade Germany Central
Businesses.
The REWE division is active in both retail and wholesale. A total of 1,655 supermarkets and consumer stores are
operated under the brands REWE and REWE CENTER. In the wholesale business, a total of 2,722 REWE and REWE
Dortmund retailers are supplied along with nahkauf stores and other major customers. REWE is also involved in online
business activities via the REWE delivery service oﬀered on REWE.de.
A total of 2,136 discount stores are operated under the PENNY sales brand in the PENNY Germany division.

The division known as Trade Germany Central Businesses includes the production and sale of baked goods under the
Glocken Bäckerei brand name, the production of meat and sausage products under the Wilhelm Brandenburg brand
name, domestic and international product companies, online retailing (ZooRoyal and Weinfreunde) and e-commerce
services (REWE Digital). It also includes domestic real-estate companies.
The Trade International business segment comprises the divisions Full Product Range Austria, Full Product Range
CEE and PENNY International. A total of 2,765 supermarket and consumer stores are operated by Full Product Range
Austria and CEE. In Austria, stores are operated under the brands BILLA and ADEG. The wholesale business supplies
362 ADEG retailers. Trade International also operates its BILLA supermarket format in Bulgaria, Slovakia and the
Czech Republic. Health and beauty shops are operated under the BIPA brand name in Croatia and Austria and
supermarkets under the IKI brand name in Lithuania.
The PENNY International division operates the brands PENNY MARKT and PENNY MARKET at a total of 1,636
locations in Italy, Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
The Convenience business segment comprises the divisions Convenience Germany, Convenience International and
Convenience Central Businesses. In the divisions Convenience Germany, to which the 16 REWE To Go shops are
assigned, and Convenience International, enjoyable on-the-go products are supplied to petrol station shops,
department stores, food and beverage shops, fast-food chains, kiosks, canteens, bakeries and other providers. More
than 74,500 sales locations are supplied. The Convenience business segment operates in Germany and the
Netherlands under the name Lekkerland and in Belgium and Spain under the name Conway. The division
Convenience Central Businesses comprises central and IT services.
Tourism is the second core business of the REWE Group. This activity is conducted under the umbrella of the DER
Touristik Group, one of Europe’s leading travel companies. The DER Touristik Group comprises more than 130
companies. It employs 9,400 people in 16 European countries. Each year, millions of guests take trips arranged by
one of its tour operators or specialists. The DER Touristik Group includes the tour operators DERTOUR, Jahn Reisen,
ITS, Meiers Weltreisen, Travelix, Kuoni, Helvetic Tours, ITS Coop Travel, Billa Reisen, Koning Aap, Apollo, Exim Tours
and Fischer; more than 2,300 travel agencies (including DERTOUR, DERPART, Kuoni, Exim, Fischer as well as
franchise and cooperation partners); the hotel brands Sentido, Aldiana, Calimera and Cooee; as well as the online
travel portal Prijsvrij Vakanties. DER Touristik Group also oﬀers on-site support to its guests: With 74 oﬃces, the
group’s agency network is present in 29 destination countries. The employees of the destination agencies support the
guests of the DER Touristik Group from the time they arrive until the time they depart a holiday location.
The DIY Stores business segment operates 279 stores in Germany under the brands toom Baumarkt and B1 Discount
Baumarkt. As part of its wholesale business, it also supplies 37 retailers and franchisees.
The Other business segment comprises central services of the parent company and various subsidiaries for combine
companies and third parties. These primarily involve procurement functions (product wholesale and warehousing),
central settlement, del credere-assumptions, IT services, energy trading and combine ﬁnancing and coordination of
combine-wide advertising activities.

GRI 102-8:
Information on employees and other workers
The total number of employees in the REWE Combine in Germany and Austria, including independent retailers (the
scope of the Sustainability Report), remained constant at about 264,000 between 2020 and 2021. The REWE Group
currently employs about 380,000 people throughout Europe.
The scope of this report also includes about 72,000 people who are employed by independent REWE retailers. REWE
independent retailers predominantly operate their stores in accordance with the REWE partnership model. For this
purpose, REWE and the individual retailer jointly establish a general mercantile partnership. The key ﬁgures cover all
retailers who can be recorded via a central accounting system – a ﬁgure that totals about 95 per cent.
Not included in this are the other foreign companies of the REWE Group, national and international companies that
are not part of the combine, independent retailers, REWE Dortmund SE, akzenta, REWE Spedition und Logistik GmbH
and the small companies Mayﬂor, ZooRoyal and Eurogroup in Germany as well as ADEG and Sutterlüty in Austria.
The percentage of trainees in the workforce in Germany and Austria has remained relatively constant for years. In
2021, the share totalled 4.0 per cent, a slight increase from the previous year (3.7 per cent). The percentage of part-
time employees (excluding marginally employed individuals and trainees) totalled about 41.8 per cent during the
reporting period. The percentage of open-ended full-time employees was about 87.7 per cent in 2021. As a rule, all
new employment contracts issued in Austria are limited term. These country-speciﬁc “timeframe” jobs are included
in the number of limited-term employment contracts.
GRI 102-8, 102-41
Employee Structure

Employees by employment contract, gender and region
Limited term
Open-ended
2019 (no information)
0
1
2019 (diverse)
0
2
2019 (female)
12,905
117,056
2019 (male)
11,553
58,737
2019 (total)
24,458
175,796
2020 (no information)
0
1
2020 (diverse)
1
4
2020 (female)
15,187
124,017
2020 (male)
14,100
66,512
2020 (total)
29,288
190,534
2021 (no information) ✔
3
0
2021 (divers) ✔
2
4
2021 (female) ✔
14,305
124,524
2021 (male) ✔
13,366
67,237
2021 (total) ✔
27,676
191,765

The data bearing a checkmark was submitted only to a cursory review. 
Limited term
Open-ended
2019 (no information)
0
0
2019 (divers)
0
0
2019 (female)
2,702
29,777
2019 (male)
1,149
10,424
2019 (total)
3,851
40,201
2020 (no information)
0
0
2020 (divers)
0
0
2020 (female)
2,869
29,791
2020 (male)
1,169
10,730
2020 (total)
4,038
40,521
2021 (no information) ✔
0
0
2021 (divers) ✔
0
0
2021 (female) ✔
3,403
29,101
2021 (male) ✔
1,408
10,687
2021 (total) ✔
4,811
39,788

The data bearing a checkmark was submitted only to a cursory review. 
Limited term
Open-ended
2019 (no information)
0
1
2019 (divers)
0
2
2019 (female)
15,607
146,833
2019 (male)
12,702
69,161
2019 (total)
28,309
215,997
2020 (no information)
0
1
2020 (divers)
1
4
2020 (female)
18,056
153,808
2020 (male)
15,269
77,242
2020 (total)
33,326
231,055
2021 (no information) ✔
3
0
2021 (divers) ✔
2
4
2021 (female) ✔
17,708
153,625
2021 (male) ✔
14,774
77,924
2021 (total) ✔
32,487
231,553

The data bearing a checkmark was submitted only to a cursory review.

Employees by type of job and gender
2019
2020
2021
Full time
37,290
39,984
40,767
Part time
91,113
94,012
95,055
Trainees
4,480
4,606
4,855
MEI*
29,557
33,262
30,656

2019
2020
2021
Full time
46,178
50,575
51,963
Part time
12,473
14,886
15,321
Trainees
4,865
5,243
5,661
MEI*
18,347
21,807
19,753
2019
2020
2021
Full time
0
1
0
Part time
1
2
2
Trainees
0
1
2
MEI*
1
1
2

2019
2020
2021
Full time
1
0
1
Part time
0
1
0
Trainees
0
0
1
MEI*
0
0
1

2019
2020
2021
Full time
83,469
90,560
92,731
Part time
103,587
108,901
110,378
Trainees
9,345
9,850
10,519
MEI*
47,905
55,070
50,412
*MEI Marginally employed individuals

Percentage distribution of employees by job area*

2019
2020
2021
Trade Germany
176,444
191,681
190,380
Trade International
44,052
44,559
44,599
DIY stores
15,396
17,253
16,751
Travel and tourism
4,337
4,011
3,392
Convenience
525
3,238
3,145
Other
3,598
3,699
3,825
* GRI 102-48: The ﬁgures diﬀer from those contained in the previous year’s report due to a new classiﬁcation system used in the areas of Trade Germany and
Miscellaneous.
GRI 102-41:
Collective bargaining agreements
As of 31/12/2021, a total of 189,276 of the 192,327 employees in the combine company (excluding employees of the
independent REWE retailers in the partnership model) were covered by collective bargaining agreements and/or
labour-management agreements. This represents a coverage rate of 98.4 per cent. In terms of the scope of the
Sustainability Report, including the independent retailers, 71.7 per cent of employees were covered by collective
bargaining agreements and/or labour-management agreements. The REWE retailers are independent entrepreneurs
who are part of a general mercantile partnership. Collective bargaining coverage is generally created when a company
joins an employers’ association. Joining such an association is an autonomous decision taken by the independent

REWE retailers themselves. The retailers must pledge to the REWE Group that they will apply a minimum level of
human resources standards. This naturally includes compliance with all laws, including payment of the minimum
wage.

As a trade and tourism company, the REWE Group obtains its products and services from a wide variety of suppliers
and from many diﬀerent supply chains. The supply chain links of raw materials production and processing involve a
heightened risk of non-observance of labour and social standards and also of negative environmental eﬀects. They
are the focus of the REWE Group’s activities.
The company has intensely concentrated on these supply chains, both as a strategic question and in terms of
individual raw materials. As a way of transparently showing how the supply chains used by the trade group look in
detail, the REWE Group has described six supply chains that are particularly relevant to this Sustainability Report in
the form of an interactive supply chain. These supply chains cover the entire process – from cultivation to transport
and store – and identify where the greatest risks are found and where the high-impact potential of the REWE Group
lies.
GRI 102-9
Supply Chain

SSeelleecctteedd  ssuuppppllyy  cchhaaiinnss  ooff  tthhee  RREEWWEE  GGrroouupp
GRI 102-9:
Supply chain
The REWE Group strives to reduce the environmental and social impacts of its business operations wherever possible
– including in its wide range of supply chains. In this process, the REWE Group evaluates social and environmental
risks in the value chains of its store brands (for more information, see the section Implementation).
At the end of 2019, the REWE Group committed itself to binding conditions that create fair conditions along global
supply chains. But it also noted that a national supply chain law would be insuﬃcient for this purpose. Instead, it said
international legal regulations would be the only way to eﬀectively address the issue and include all actors of value
chains under a compulsory set of rules. The trade company ﬁrmly believes that human rights are a non-negotiable
issue.
In 2021, the coronavirus pandemic created new challenges for the actors in various supply chains. In its role as food
provider, the REWE Group is part of the “critical infrastructure”. In a continuous dialogue with its suppliers and
business partners along supply chains, the REWE Group succeeded during the pandemic, a period that posed serious
challenges for planning management, in keeping food supplies ﬂowing to customers and protecting the health of its
employees by applying a multifaceted infection-prevention programme.
Principles
In its Declaration of principles on human rights, the REWE Group has pledged to strengthen human rights in both its
own business activities and in global supply chains as well as to prevent human-rights violations. As a way of
enforcing environmental and social standards particularly in farming and processing, the REWE Group uses certiﬁed
raw materials in its store brands. The company’s Guidelines for Raw Materials also include a binding framework that
governs business relationships with contract partners in supply chains.
Soya
Natural stones
Cotton
Cocoa
Palm oil
Bananas

The REWE Group discusses its fundamental approaches, measures and goals in particular in the sections Social
Aspects in the Supply Chain and Environmental Aspects in the Supply Chain.
Implementation
In 2021, the REWE Group worked intensively to implement the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in
Supply Chains, a law that takes eﬀect on 01/01/2023. The company also conducted detailed gap analysis to identify
the company’s strategic and operational shortcomings (for more information, see the section Social Aspects in the
Supply Chain).
In 2018, the REWE Group conducted a risk analysis of the product groups and raw materials used in the supply
chains of the store-brand products sold in Germany by REWE and PENNY (see the section Product-Related Risk
Analysis). This review enabled the company to identify particularly high-risk product groups and focus raw materials
in terms of their impact on the value chain. The analysis found that fruit and vegetables in general and bananas;
pineapples; meat; dairy products, including feed for animals like soy; coﬀee; tea; palm oil; ﬁsh; orange juice; textiles;
and natural stones in particular had the highest environmental and social impacts (for more information about raw
materials, see Raw Materials in Focus – Food and Raw Materials in Focus– Non-Food).
The following sections provide background information about the REWE Group’s commitment to sustainability in its
supply chains:
!"Management approach green products
!"Biodiversity
!"Living wages and incomes
!"Raw materials in focus – food
!"Raw materials in focus – non-food
!"Women in the supply chain
!"Child and forced labour
!"Climate protection in the supply chain
!"Environmental aspects in the supply chain
!"Product-related risk analyses
!"Social aspects in the supply chain
!"Animal welfare
!"Water

The REWE Group strives to create a balance among the economic, environmental and social impacts of its business
operations wherever possible. To this end, it continuously measures its own performance and progress. When
diﬀerent goals conﬂict with one another, the company consults with experts from its own ranks and from external
stakeholder groups.
GRI 102-11:
Precautionary principle or approach
As an international trade, travel and tourism company, the REWE Group faces a number of risks related to its
business activities. These risks include logistics risks, price trends, amended laws and regulations that occasionally
may have short reaction times. The company uses a uniform risk management system to successfully address this
threat potential and seize long-term opportunities. The company’s management and supervisory bodies are informed
annually about the combine’s current risk situation in a standardised report. To this end, risk managers send risk
reports that contain inventories of relevant individual risks from the risk areas as of a given date. Risks with similar
content and causes are subsequently aggregated at the combine level into risk categories and classiﬁed based on the
threat potential to the REWE Group’s business activities, ﬁnancial and earnings position, cash ﬂows and image.
For more information about risk management, see the Management Report for business year 2021, pages 24–30.
Analysis of the social and environmental risks in the supply chains
As a way of systematically implementing sustainability into its supply chains, the REWE Group in Germany is taking a
due-diligence approach based on the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains. The process
comprises ﬁve stages: risk analysis; development of focal points and objectives; the deﬁnition and implementation of
measures; monitoring; and reporting. For further information on the analysis of the social and environmental risks in
supply chains, see the section Product-Related Risk Analysis.
GRI 102-11
Risk Management

CClliimmaattee--rreellaatteedd  rriisskkss  aanndd  ooppppoorrttuunniittiieess
As a trade and tourism company, the REWE Group is aﬀected by both the physical and transitory risks
arising from climate change. Heat waves, storms, droughts and ﬂoods impact the food retail sector and raw
material production. Agricultural operations suﬀer 63 per cent of the damage and losses caused by extreme
weather events, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The German Ministry of Food
and Agriculture reports that the country’s hectare yields for grain plunged 16 percent below their three-year
average as a result of the drought that struck the country during the summer of 2018. An increase of 2
degrees Celsius in the Earth’s temperature could drive up the raw-material costs of the food and beverage
sector by 10 percent through 2030, according to a study done by the auditing ﬁrm PwC. The company’s
own locations can also be aﬀected by extreme weather events like the disastrous ﬂooding that struck the
German states of Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Saxony in July 2021. A total of
55 REWE, nahkauf und PENNY stores located in the Ahr Valley area of Rhineland-Palatinate were either
damaged or destroyed by the ﬂooding. In the company’s tourism business, entire destinations are
threatened by climate change. In particular, these areas include islands, coastal regions and ski resorts. The
REWE Group also faces transitory risks resulting from international and national eﬀorts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions like the Paris climate agreement or the German Climate Protection Act: One
example of these risks is carbon pricing, a system that will increase the costs of energy and raw materials.
The general public is also calling on political leaders and companies to introduce ever-stricter climate
protection measures.
Climate change is also aﬀecting consumer behaviour: Faced with the increasingly obvious impact of climate
change, German consumers want to have foods that are more sustainable. A study conducted for the
Federation of German Consumer Organisations in 2021 found that 92 per cent of respondents rated the
observance of tougher environmental standards and regional sources of food as important and that 95 per
cent want food-production staﬀ to have good working conditions and high animal welfare standards to be
observed. Furthermore, investments in the transformation – that is things like the transition from fossil fuels
to renewable energies and decarbonisation, eﬀorts like those the REWE Group is already making – can do
more than simply oﬀset the costs associated with the negative impact of climate change: A study conducted
by the auditing ﬁrm Deloitte found that the green transition will enable the economy to grow at a stronger
rate over the long term than it would have if the investments in the 1.5-degree goal of the Paris climate
agreement were not being made.
The REWE Group is concentrating its eﬀorts on the company’s own impact on the environment and climate.
It is continuously reducing its climate-relevant emissions in the process: After setting its climate objectives
on the company level (see the section Climate Protection on the Company Level), the REWE Group issued its
Guideline on Climate Action in the Supply Chain in January 2022 for the purpose of facilitating reductions in
its supply chains. The REWE Group plans to more closely analyse climate-related risks and opportunities,
integrate them into strategic processes and devise related measures.

The REWE Group is the trailblazing company that lifted the issue of sustainability from its niche existence and turned
it into mainstream matter for society. In a reﬂection of its commitment to fostering and bolstering the issue of
sustainability, the company supports a wide range of initiatives and organisations involved in sustainable commerce,
environmental and animal protection, conscious diets and social issues.
GRI 102-12, 102-13
Overview of the initiatives and memberships of the REWE Group
The REWE Group is active in industry initiatives and serves as the driving force behind some of this work itself. The
aim of these multistakeholder eﬀorts is to integrate as many actors as possible into these activities through
collaboration and opportunities to share experiences and to jointly create approaches that will have a positive long-
term impact. This is the only way to meet a broad range of sustainability challenges.
The REWE Group is actively involved in the following sustainability initiatives (in alphabetical order), among others:
5 am Tag (5 a Day): As a charter member of the association “5 am Tag”, the REWE Group supports eﬀorts to boost
consumption of fruit and vegetables to ﬁve portions a day and to foster healthy diets for children. In an alliance with
other sponsors, including the German Nutrition Society, the company has been actively working since 2000 to
promote the consumption of more fruit and vegetables.
Aktion Mensch e. V. (Campaign for People): This initiative works to foster an inclusive society and supports socially
sponsored projects and campaigns. The REWE Group works with the initiative on various projects – including the
erection of inclusive playgrounds.
amfori Business Environmental Performance Initiative (amfori BEPI): amfori BEPI helps the company to improve its
environmental-oriented performance in global supply chains. The REWE Group is represented in working groups and
contributes to the initiative’s continued development.
GRI 102-12, 102-13
Initiatives and Memberships

amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative (amfori BSCI): As a member of this initiative, the REWE Group, its
suppliers and producers have committed themselves to observing amfori BSCI’s code of conduct. The REWE Group is
an active member of working groups that are shaping further development.
Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC): The quality seal for ﬁsh promotes aquacultures that are more
environmentally responsible and recognises responsibly raised ﬁsh and seafood. The council and the REWE Group
conduct a continuous dialogue and work constantly together.
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ökologisch engagierter Lebensmittelhändler und Drogisten (Working Group of Environmentally
Committed Food Retailers and Drugstores): This working group is made up of an alliance of food retailers and
drugstores that sell a wide range of environmentally friendly products. The members work to enhance this segment,
support organic farmers and add their voices to public debates about dietary questions.
ARGE Gentechnik-frei (ARGE Non-Genetic): The association Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Gentechnik-frei erzeugte
Lebensmittel (Working Group for Non-Genetically Modiﬁed Foods) is an independent platform for member companies
in the food retail sector, food production and feed production as well as of organisations and trade associations in the
areas of environmental protection, consumer protection and farming. The organisation has been awarding the quality
seal “Produced genetically free” in Austria since 1997. The REWE Group in Austria is a co-founder of the group and
has a seat on the organisation’s board of volunteer directors.
Berufsgenossenschaft Handel und Warenlogistik (Occupational Cooperative Trade and Product Logistics): The
statutory accident insurance institution for trade and product logistics supports the REWE Group through targeted
prevention of occupational accidents and illnesses. The CEO is Roland Krämer. He heads the Centre of Expertise
Health & Innovation at REWE Zentral AG and, thus, occupational health management of the REWE Group in Germany.
Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für Umweltbewusstes Management e. V. (German Working Group for Environmentally
Aware Management): The company network devoted to sustainable business practises interweaves environmental,
economic and social questions together. As a member of the network, the REWE Group works with other companies
to achieve the goal of sensitising the business community, municipalities and organisations about the vision of
sustainable business practises and to facilitate the environmentally eﬀective, economically sensible and socially just
achievement of this vision.
Biodiversity in Good Company: This cross-industry alliance brings together companies that work jointly to protect and
sustainably use global biodiversity. The REWE Group has committed itself in this initiative to integrating this eﬀort into
its operational sustainability management.
Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft (Alliance of the Organic Food Industry): This leading association of
agricultural producers, processors and retailers of organic foods in Germany works to ensure that the environmental,
commercial and social activities of the organic food sector are appropriately understood by political leaders and
society. The REWE Group joined this alliance in 2017 as part of its work with the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ökologisch
engagierter Lebensmittelhändler und Drogisten” (Working Group of Environmentally Committed Food Retailers and

Drugstores). The REWE delegate has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2020 and represents the
interests of retailers in the entire organic food sector.
Bündnis für nachhaltige Textilien (Alliance for Sustainable Textiles): This alliance is a partnership of various
stakeholders who are committed to improving the global value chain of the textile industry. When it joined the group
in 2015, the REWE Group committed itself to making long-term improvements to the environmental, social and
commercial conditions in international textile supply chains.
Charta der Vielfalt (Charter of Diversity): The Charter of Diversity is an employer initiative that fosters diversity in
companies and institutions. The focal point of these activities is a voluntary commitment that the member companies
make to diversity management. The REWE Group signed the Charter of Diversity in 2016.
Competitive Cashew Initiative (ComCashew): ComCashew strives to increase the competitiveness of the cashew
value chain in selected African countries. The initiative helps producers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire,
Mozambique and Ghana to increase their yields and the quality of their nuts. More than 170 pubic and private
partners have joined the initiative. Other partners include research institutes. The REWE Group became a member of
the initiative’s board in 2019.
Consumer Goods Forum: The global industry network made up of more than 400 companies in trade, industry and
services in over 70 countries works to create a better life for all consumers through improved business practises.
Positive changes are also fostered under the motto “Better Lives through Better Business”. The REWE Group is a
member of the Consumer Goods Forum, serves on the Board of Directors and is an active member of two working
groups that focus on the areas of plastic and human rights.
Consumer Insight Action Panel – Club for Sustainable Plastic Packaging: The Club for Sustainable Plastic Packaging
was created in 2019 by the Collaborating Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP) and other
stakeholders as part of an EU-wide project called the Consumer Insight Action Panel. In addition to the REWE Group,
other members of the club include actors from trade, industry, system catering, packaging, collection and recycling
as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and research institutes. The group’s goal is to accelerate the
transition to a recycling economy for packaging by focusing on consumer behaviour. The club’s work is also
supported by the German Federal Environmental Foundation.
Cotton made in Africa: The objective of the initiative’s work is to improve the quality of life for people who live in the
cotton-growing regions of Africa. The REWE Group has been supporting the initiative since 2008 and is a member of
its board.
Demeter e. V.: This organisation is Germany’s oldest organic farming trade group. Demeter growers and producers
work in accordance with biodynamic business principles and guidelines that are much stricter than the European
Union’s eco-regulation. The REWE sales line joined the organic food association Demeter in September 2020 in order
to foster organic agriculture throughout Germany and agricultural structures in the region.

Demographie Netzwerk e. V. (Demographic Network): In 12 working and thematic groups, the network develops new
knowledge and facilitates the sharing of know-how – with the aim of bringing about commercial, social and
technological changes and tackling the related challenges in a network with other companies and organisations. As
part of its membership in the network, the REWE Group committed itself in 2006 to non-discriminatory, age-neutral
human resources policies, a balanced age structure in its workforce, holistic health-promotion programmes and
knowledge sharing among generations. The company ended its membership in the network eﬀective 31 December
2021.
Detox Campaign: As part of Greenpeace’s Detox Campaign, companies have pledged to reduce the use of hazardous
materials in textile products. The companies outline the results of their work and data in a progress report. The REWE
Group joined the Detox Campaign in 2014. Its membership oﬃcially ended in 2020. Nonetheless, the REWE Group
remains committed to the goal of eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals in textile production.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen e. V. (German Sustainable Building Council): The sales lines REWE,
PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores are members of the non-proﬁt German Sustainable Building Council. As
members, they promote sustainable construction practises.
Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz (German Consumer Protection Foundation): The foundation is committed to
strengthening consumer work in Germany. It supports projects that foster consumer skills particularly among children
and adolescents. The REWE Group is a member of the foundation’s Advisory Board.
Deutscher Reiseverband (German Travel Association): DER Touristik has been an active member of the German
Travel Association’s working group on child protection since 2010. Members of the travel association, NGOs and
government representatives work to ﬁght the sexual exploitation of minors in tourism. One aim of these activities is to
sensitise and provide information to tourists and employees for the purpose of preventing children from being sexually
abused. DER Touristik is also the vice chairman of the travel association’s Sustainability Committee. This committee
focuses on the issues of environmental and climate protection, human rights and social responsibility. It acts as a
catalyst for ideas in the travel industry.
Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (German Red Cross): The German Red Cross helps people during crises and fosters the
observance of humanitarian international law. The REWE Group works with the German Red Cross and provides
ﬁnancial support to the initiative after disasters like the devastating ﬂoods that struck parts of Germany in 2021 or the
Ukrainian conﬂict occur. It also supports projects designed to help children and adolescents.
ECPAT Deutschland e.V. – Arbeitsgemeinschaft zum Schutz der Kinder vor sexueller Ausbeutung (Working Group
for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation): This alliance of 28 institutions and groups across Germany is
committed to protecting children from all forms of commercial exploitation and sexual abuse. The association is also
a member of the children’s rights organisation ECPAT International based in Bangkok, Thailand. The network has 122
members from 104 countries. To promote the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ECPAT highlights the causes
of abuse, investigates violations, develops prevention measures, sensitises the general public about the issue and
plays an active role in politics, justice, commerce and education. The association also helps DER Touristik to develop

and implement measures. ECPAT instructors train employees and partners about child protection and the
implementation of the Child Protection Code (The Code).
Fair Trees Fund: The Danish organisation Fair Trees promotes fair working conditions during the harvesting of seeds
used to produce Nordmann ﬁrs in Georgia. toom Baumarkt DIY stores have been a member of the Foundation Council
of the Fair Trees Fund since 2019. The foundation supports a broad range of social projects in the harvesting region of
Racha and promotes the health and education of the region’s residents.
Fairtrade Deutschland e. V.: With its fair trade seal of approval, this non-proﬁt organisation, which is known
internationally as TransFair, promotes fair trade relations worldwide. The Fairtrade label is awarded to products that
come from fair trade and that meet certain social, environmental and commercial criteria during production. The aim
of Fairtrade is to improve living and working conditions of disadvantaged small farmers and workers, strengthen
domestic economies and abolish unfair global economic conditions in the long term. The REWE Group works on
various projects with Fairtrade Deutschland e. V. and certiﬁes a large number of products with the Fairtrade seal.
FEMALE RESOURCES – MIT FRAUEN IN FÜHRUNG (WITH WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT): The companies that are
part of this Cologne-based alliance strive to provide women and men with equal professional growth opportunities and
promote the hiring of women in management positions. The companies’ work focuses on the sharing of good
practises, participation in cross-mentoring programmes, networking events and training courses. The REWE Group
became a partner in the group in 2016 and regularly participates in the cross-mentoring programmes, among other
things.
Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI): This Dutch organisation promotes responsible production practises and
responsible trade with plants along the entire supply chain. As a member of the initiative, toom Baumarkt DIY stores
are striving to obtain at least 90 per cent of ornamental plants on the basis of the initiative’s criteria starting in 2020
and afterwards. Under these criteria, suppliers must employ environmental and social standards based on such
certiﬁcation systems as GLOBALG.A.P. and MPS GAP or GRASP and MPS SQ. toom Baumarkt DIY stores are also
active members of working groups that are striving to make the ornamental plant business more sustainable.
Food for Biodiversity: The REWE Group joined forces in March 2021 with other companies, trade associations,
certiﬁcation organisations in the food retail sector, environmental groups and research institutes to create an
organisation called Food for Biodiversity. This alliance, the ﬁrst of its kind in the industry, strives to make the
protection of biological diversity a key focal point of the entire food retail sector, extending all the way to upstream
value chains.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®): This organisation works to promote sustainable forestry and strives to ensure
compliance with environmental and social standards. This goal is achieved through global standards, the involvement
of all relevant interest groups and support from widely known companies as well as independent environmental and
social organisations. toom Baumarkt DIY stores have been a member of FSC® since 2018.

Forum für nachhaltigere Eiweißfuttermittel (Forum for More Sustainable Protein Feed): In this dialogue forum, the
food retail sector, the feed retail sector, civic society actors, environmental NGOs and political representatives
discuss the opportunities and goals associated with the use of more sustainable protein feed in Germany. The REWE
Group joined the forum in 2014.
Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao e. V. (The German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa, GISCO): This multistakeholder
initiative has been working since 2012 to improve the quality of life of cocoa farmers, protect natural resources and
biodiversity and promote the production and marketing of sustainable cocoa. As a charter member, the REWE Group
has joined forces with other companies to support a project called PRO-PLANTEURS, a joint cocoa project in Côte
d’Ivoire.
Forum Nachhaltiges Palmöl (Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil): The objective of this multistakeholder initiative is to
signiﬁcantly increase the volume of sustainably produced palm oil and improve existing certiﬁcations and standards.
The forum was created in 2013 by the REWE Group and other partners.
Fur Free Retailer: This global programme strives to create networks between fur free companies and interested
consumers. The REWE Group joined the programme in 2018.
Futouris e. V.: The goal of this sustainability initiative of the German travel industry is to promote tourism destinations
by providing long-term support to projects being conducted in the areas of environment, biodiversity and
responsibility for society and culture. DER Touristik joined Futouris in 2015 and was a member of its Board of
Directors until the end of 2021.
GLOBALG.A.P. Arbeitsgruppe zu Umweltaspekten im Kulturpﬂanzenanbau (Working Group on the Environmental
Aspects of Cultivated Plant Production): In this working group, the REWE Group and other members focus on the
reﬁnement of GLOBALG.A.P. standards. The focus of this work is environmental sustainability in the certiﬁcation of
agricultural crops.
GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP): GRASP is a model used to conduct social risk
assessments of companies that have been certiﬁed under the GLOBALG.A.P. standard. The REWE Group is a member
of the Technical Committee, a group that advises the Steering Committee about strategic and technical
enhancements.
Haltungsform (Livestock Farming Conditions): The REWE Group is working to improve sector-wide animal welfare
standards. The four-stage label for livestock farming conditions for the REWE Group’s fresh store-brand items was
converted into an industry solution in 2019. The uniform label “Haltungsform” is used to provide transparent
information about livestock farming conditions. It consists of four stages and deﬁnes criteria for chicken, turkeys,
pigs, cows, ducks and rabbits.
HolyGrail 2.0 – Digital Watermarks Initiative: The pilot project HolyGrail 2.0 was initiated by the European Brands
Association for the purpose of continuing the HolyGrail project supported by the Ellen McArthur Foundation. Its goal

is to develop improved conditions for a recycling economy in the packaging area. A digital watermark on packaging
has been designed to promote improved sorting behaviour and thus facilitate high-quality and high-quantitative
recycling. The REWE Group joined the project in July 2020.
Initiative für nachhaltige Agrarlieferketten (Initiative for Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains): The initiative
promotes increased sustainability in global agricultural supply chains and works to improve the quality of life for small
farmers. The REWE Group is a member of the initiative and active in a working group that focuses on living wages and
incomes.
Initiative Tierwohl (Initiative Animal Welfare): The aim of this alliance of farming, meat industry and food-retail
representatives is to create more animal friendly meat production. The participating companies in the German food
retail sector ﬁnance the extra work required by the animal welfare measures, which extend well beyond legal
requirements. The REWE Group is a charter member of the initiative and has been active in it since 2015.
Interessengemeinschaft FÜR gesunde Lebensmittel e. V. (IG FÜR – Interest Group FOR Healthy Foods): The interest
group promotes social awareness about healthy diets and sustainability. The REWE Group is a member of the group’s
Board of Directors.
JOBLINGE e. V.: Companies, government authorities and private individuals work together in this group to help young
people with diﬃcult starting conditions in life to gain real job opportunities and to integrate these individuals into the
labour market and society. The JOBLINGE Compass integrates young refugees. The REWE Group has been a
premium partner since 2016. As part of a programme called “Ehrensache” (Act of Honour), employees at REWE, DER
Touristik and PENNY act as volunteer mentors. The JOBLINGE participants receive work placements that provide
them with insights into the work world and are given trainee positions or full-time jobs.
Kindernothilfe e. V. (Emergency Help for Children): The association works on behalf of children in diﬃcult
circumstances by providing access to education and creating fair living conditions. The REWE Group has been
working with the organisation since 2010 to provide children and adolescents in Haiti with better access to education.
klimaaktiv pakt2030 (climateactive pact2030): The “klimaaktiv pakt2030” is Austria’s climate package for large
companies. Eleven major companies have joined forces with the Sustainability Ministry for the purpose of achieving
Austria’s climate goals by 2030 as part of company-driven climate protection eﬀorts. As the group’s largest member,
the REWE Group in Austria is playing a major role in the pact’s success. The project’s progress is tracked in an annual
report.
Land schaﬀt Leben e. V. (Land Creates Life): This Austrian organisation transparently shows consumers how food is
produced in Austria – from on-site cultivation and processing to the ﬁnal product in stores. The REWE Group in
Austria, which consists of the trade companies BILLA, BILLA Plus, PENNY and ADEG, was one of the group’s ﬁrst
supporters. It became an oﬃcial sponsor in 2014.

Lean & Green Initiative: The non-proﬁt initiative recognises the successful reductions that participating companies
have made in the carbon emissions of their warehousing and logistics processes. Lekkerland in Germany has been
part of the initiative and a member of its advisory board since 2014. Lekkerland in the Netherlands has been a
member of the initiative since 2012 and has already been awarded three Lean & Green Stars.
Conway Spain has been a member of the AECOC Lean & Green Committee since 2016 and received its ﬁrst Lean &
Green Star in 2021.
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC): The MSC is an independent non-proﬁt organisation that awards a seal for ﬁsh
and seafood from sustainable wild-ﬁshing practises. The certiﬁed ﬁsheries work to create sustainable ﬁsh stocks,
foster intact marine habitats and protect endangered species. The REWE Group conducts a regular dialogue with the
organisation.
Naturland e. V.: With approximately 140,000 farmers, beekeepers and ﬁsh farmers in 60 countries, Naturland
promotes sustainable agricultural and food practises that produce unadulterated high-quality organic products.
Naturland’s requirements extend beyond the requirements of the EU organic farming regulation by covering many
more areas. As a result, they help to conserve resources, promote biodiversity, facilitate increased animal welfare and
improve working conditions in risk countries, among other things. The REWE sales line has maintained a close
partnership with Naturland since 2009 for the purpose of bolstering organic farming practises and making organic
products available to a broader market.
Naturschutzbund Deutschland e. V. (NABU – Nature Protection Alliance Germany): In 2015, the REWE Group
entered into a strategic partnership with the German environmental group NABU in a step that intensiﬁed the
collaborative relationship that the two groups initiated in 2009. As part of this eﬀort, the joint project work being
conducted in the areas of biodiversity and PRO PLANET was expanded and an agreement was reached to collaborate
on such issues as protection of the seas, packaging, conservation of resources and the fostering of biological
diversity. During working groups and strategy workshops, NABU and the REWE Group drew up roadmaps covering the
achievement of the sustainability goals set by both groups. One new aspect of this partnership is the NABU Climate
Fund that was initiated in 2021. The fund purchases or leases former moors and wet meadows. These areas are then
rewetted to create eﬀective carbon sinks.
Partnerschaft für Nachhaltigen Orangensaft (Partnership for Sustainable Orange Juice): This partnership promotes
social justice, worker rights and environmental protection in the orange juice supply chain. The long-term objective of
its work is to increase the share of sustainably produced orange juice in the German and European market. The REWE
Group is a charter member of this partnership.
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certiﬁcation Schemes (PEFCTM): The system to ensure sustainable
forestry encompasses the entire product-creation process, from raw materials to the end product. Inspections are
carried out by independent specialists. All protective functions in forestry receive appropriate consideration. toom
Baumarkt DIY stores have been a member of PEFCTM since 2018.

Rainforest Alliance: The Rainforest Alliance is a sustainability standard used in the production of agricultural raw
materials and products. The REWE Group joined the Rainforest Alliance in 2018 and is a member of its Standards
Committee. This committee makes decisions about further steps in the alliance’s work on the basis of public
standards. In 2018, the Rainforest Alliance merged with the standards organisation UTZ to create a bigger impact.
Recyclat-Initiative: The Recyclat-Initiative was launched in 2012. This alliance of partners from various sectors
intensively promotes eﬀective recycling. The members work to develop sustainable material loops and use materials
found in Germany’s yellow bag programme in which plastic rubbish is collected from private households in the
country. As a member of the initiative, the REWE Group promotes value chains shaped by recycling economies.
Regionalfenster e. V. (Regional Window): The “Regionalfenster” seal provides consumers with veriﬁed information
about the source of ingredients in products and the processing location. In this manner, it creates transparency that
complements store-brand-speciﬁc information. As another way of promoting regional products, the REWE Group
became a charter member of the supporting association Regionalfenster e.V. in 2012 and has been applying the
group’s seal to selected products in PENNY and REWE stores since 2014.
respACT: The company platform for responsible business practises in Austria provides information about
sustainability, creates networks for the issue and serves as a driving force behind it in the country. REWE Group in
Austria has been a member of respACT since 2009.
Roundtable for Human Rights in Tourism e. V.: The roundtable is a non-proﬁt group and an international
multistakeholder initiative that promotes human rights in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and
Human Rights. The initiative acts as an open network and helps tourism companies to observe human rights in
tourism by preventing, addressing and eliminating human rights violations in the supply chain of their business
activities. DER Touristik Switzerland is a member of the roundtable, and the DER Touristik Group is a partner in many
projects.
Runder Tisch für nachhaltiges Palmöl (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, RSPO): This non-proﬁt organisation
works with its members to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil. Companies must fulﬁl a
broad range of environmental and social criteria in order to produce sustainable palm oil. The REWE Group joined the
organisation in 2011.
Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung e. V. (Study Group for Tourism and Development): This study group
critically and constructively examines the opportunities, risks and responsibilities of tourism developments and
focuses on development-related information and training work in tourism. It releases publications on this subject,
conducts advanced training courses, works in the area of tourism research and consultation, and participates in a
dialogue about questions of tourism development. In addition, the study group organises such international
competitions as the TO DO Award, a prize that recognises the participation and voice of local citizens in tourism
projects and programmes. DER Touristik is represented in the Study Group for Tourism and Development and is a
member of the jury for the TO DO Awards.

SÜDWIND e. V. (SOUTHWIND): The association promotes fair commercial relationships and supports women and
people in need. SÜDWIND e. V. is represented on the REWE Group’s Sustainability Advisory Board by a research
associate who primarily provides insights into the area of action “Fairness”.
Sustainable-Finance-Beirat der Bundesregierung (Sustainable Finance Board of Advisers of the German
Government): This board of advisers is made up of representatives from ﬁnance and business, the civil society and
the scientiﬁc community. It advises the German government regarding the development and implementation of its
sustainable ﬁnance strategy. The REWE Group was represented on the board of advisers for the 19th legislative
period by its Head of Finance.
Sustainable Juice Platform: The platform strives to improve social and environmental conditions in the supply chains
of the fruit juice industry. It was created for the purpose of helping fruit juice producers to integrate CSR measures
into their company strategies. The aim is to make a long-term sustainable contribution along the global value chain of
fruit juices on behalf of all stakeholders. The REWE Group became a member of the Sustainable Juice Platform in
2016 and plays an active role in a working group that focuses on orange juice from Brazil. The REWE Group was also a
member of the steering committee from 2017 to 2021.
Tafel Deutschland e. V. (Tafel Food Banks Germany): The organisation collects surplus, qualitatively ﬂawless food
and distributes it to people in need. The REWE Group has been one of the main sponsors of the more than 950 Tafel
food banks in Germany since 1996. CEO Lionel Souque and Dr. Daniela Büchel, a member of the Divisional
Management Board of Retail Germany, have two seats on the organisation’s advisory board. The REWE Group has
also sponsored a large number of events held by Tafel Deutschland e. V. over the years.
The Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety: The accord is designed to increase safety in the textile industry
by employing independent inspectors who check on building safety, ﬁre prevention and electrical safety during
factory visits. The REWE Group signed the accord in 2013. It signed the follow-up document, the 2018 Transition
Accord, in 2017. Since this accord expired, the REWE Group has been supporting the RMG-Sustainability Council
(RSC) that was set up in 2020 to oﬃcially take over the responsibilities for the accord in Bangladesh. In May 2021,
the REWE Group signed a three-month extension of the 2018 Transition Accord. The company is also planning to sign
the new International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry once the new version has
been prepared and reviewed. This document would remain in eﬀect through October 2023.
The Centre for Child Rights and Business (formerly the Centre for Child Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility):
The centre helps member companies like the REWE Group to implement child rights policies. DER Touristik has been
a member of the group since 2018.
The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (The Code): “The
Code” is a multistakeholder initiative made up of governmental and non-governmental organisations, trade
associations and initiatives. Its members have committed themselves to observing a voluntary catalogue of six criteria
to prevent children from being sexually exploited in the travel and tourism industry. The group’s local organisations
also work around the world to implement the criteria and sensitise people about the issue. DER Touristik has been a

member of the group since 2016.
Travelife for Tour Operators and Travel Agents: The training, management and certiﬁcation initiative has been
working since 2007 to promote sustainable practises in the travel and tourism industry. It helps travel operators and
agencies to monitor and improve the social and environmental impact of their business activities with the help of
training courses, a sustainable management system and a company certiﬁcation programme based on international
sustainability standards. As a member of the initiative, DER Touristik has access to the know-how and resources of
Travelife and proﬁts from the certiﬁcation of its own designation agencies and their service providers.
Travelife Stay Better (Travelife Accommodation Sustainability): Travelife Stay Better is an internationally recognised
sustainability programme for accommodations. About 1,500 members in more than 50 countries use Travelife
instruments and resources like e-learning courses and checklists to improve the environmental and social impact of
their commercial activities. The standard recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) consists of
criteria used to evaluate the quality of accommodations in the areas of human rights, work conditions, social
commitment and environmental impacts. A global team of independent inspectors visits every accommodation to
determine whether it meets the Travelife standard . The hotels of DER Touristik Hotels & Resort are currently
undergoing the certiﬁcation process with the Travelife standard.
Verband für Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik e. V. (VLOG – German Association of Non-Genetically Modiﬁed Foods):
In Germany, non-genetically modiﬁed foods may be labelled by the German Association of Non-Genetically Modiﬁed
Foods e.V. (VLOG). REWE Group in Germany has been a member of VLOG since 2012.
VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE e. V. (CONSUMER INITIATIVE): The initiative conducts environmental, health and social
work with consumers. The managing director of the VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE e. V. is a member of the REWE
Group’s Sustainability Advisory Board and provides insights in particular to the needs of consumers.
Verein Donau Soja (Donau Soja Association): REWE International AG is a charter member of the association “Verein
Donau Soja”. This group has been promoting the cultivation of non-genetically modiﬁed soybeans since 2012. This
work resulted in the organisation of a joint project in the Zupanja region of Croatia to help farmers in 2017 and 2018.
Verein für kontrollierte alternative Tierhaltungsformen (Association for Controlled Alternative Livestock Farming
Forms): The association acts as an inspection authority that vouches for the origin and tracing of eggs produced by
free-run, free-range and organic farms. As an association member, the REWE Group supports the group’s interests
and applies its decisions and requirements.
Women Empowerment Principles (WEP): The seven principles of the Initiative of UN Women and the UN Global
Compact focus on international labour and human-rights standards, the equal-opportunity aspects of the Agenda
2030 and the objectives of the United Nations for Sustainable Development. This includes equal pay for equal work,
gender-speciﬁc measures to promote women and zero tolerance of sexual harassment in the workplace. The REWE
Group joined the initiative in November 2020 and is committed to strengthening the role of women in the company
and society.

World Banana Forum: The forum brings together a wide range of stakeholders in the global banana supply chain to
promote sustainable cultivation practises, the observance of human rights and improved working conditions. The
REWE Group is a member of the World Banana Forum and has served on its advisory board since 2014.
XertiﬁX: To seamlessly track the supply chain of natural stones all the way back to the quarry and independently
monitor the observance of social and environmental criteria, toom Baumarkt DIY stores work with the autonomous
experts at XertiﬁX.
You will ﬁnd information about other partners and memberships in the section Sustainability on the REWE Group’s
website.

The REWE Group has deﬁned fundamental principles, norms of behaviour, the Guideline on Sustainable Business
Practices and a number of policies related to raw materials for the purpose of integrating responsible business
practises into both the company and its supply chains.
GRI 102-16:
Values, principles, standards and norms of behaviour
With the goal of “The Best Performance – for Customers, Retailers and Employees”, the fundamental values of REWE
Group were formulated in the Mission Statement drawn up in 2008:
!"We act independently according to the ideas of community!
!"We work for the customer. We are at the heart of the market!
!"We welcome new directions. Standing still means going backwards!
!"We act with integrity and treat one another with respect! We keep our word!
!"We strive to ﬁnd the best solution, make considered decisions and act consistently!
!"We are aware of our responsibility and act sustainably!
Rules governing the upstanding behaviour of all employees and managers including the members of the Management
Board and the Supervisory Board are speciﬁed and bindingly formulated in the Code of Conduct of the REWE
GroupCode of Conduct of the REWE Group. The code is also designed to serve as a guide to those who work with
REWE Group.
The basis of sustainable commercial operations at the REWE Group is the Guideline on Sustainable Business
Practices on Sustainable Business Practices. This guideline speciﬁcally describes the fundamental value “We are
aware of our responsibility and act sustainably!” As such, it provides binding orientation to employees, managers,
business partners and suppliers.
GRI 102-16
Principles and Guidelines

In its Declaration of principles on human rights, the REWE Group has pledged to strengthen human rights and prevent
violations of human rights. This commitment applies both to its own business activities and to those of its global
supply and value chains.
Speciﬁc guidelines deﬁne standards
The guidelines of the REWE Group serve as a key instrument that the company uses to make supply chains of critical
raw materials more sustainable. They outline the company’s strategic approach to the issue and act as a binding
framework that governs business relationships with contract partners in the store-brand supply chains of the REWE
Group. They also describe processes and deﬁne requirements, standards, measures and goals that serve as the
foundation of responsible business activities in the company in terms of society and the environment. The REWE
Group had approved the following guidelines through the beginning of 2022:
!"Guideline on Living Wages and Incomes: Focuses on improving the wage and income situation in the supply chain
(download).
!"Guideline on Fairness: Promotes human rights and the improvement of working conditions download (download).
!"Guideline on Women in the Supply Chain: Concentrates on protecting and promoting women in the supply chain
(download).
!"Guideline on the Prevention of Child Labour: Focuses on preventing and eliminating child labour (download).
!"Guideline on Water Protection in the Supply Chain: Addresses the responsible use of water in supply chains
(download).
!"Guideline on Fish and Seafood: Sets standards for wild ﬁsh and aquaculture-raised ﬁsh and deﬁnes demanding
transparency criteria. It also outlines the company’s plans to switch store-brand products to certiﬁed sources
(download).
!"Guideline on Coﬀee: Focuses on the creation of an increasingly sustainable coﬀee sector and describes the
company’s successful switch to certiﬁed sources for its store-brand products (download).
!"Guideline on Cocoa Products: Focuses on the increasingly sustainable procurement of cocoa and describes the
company’s nearly completed transition to certiﬁed sources for its store-brand products (download).
!"Guideline on Juices: Is designed to improve social, environmental and commercial conditions in juice production,
describes the obligations of business partners and outlines plans to switch the company’s store-brand products to
certiﬁed sources (download).
!"Guideline on Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil Products: Addresses the procurement of increasingly sustainable palm
oil products in ways that extend beyond the requirements of established standards and describes the successful
switch that store-brand products have made to “mass-balance” quality (download).
!"Guideline on Organic Products: Outlines the process being used to bolster organic store-brand products by
applying standards that, in many ways, are more demanding than the requirements that govern the EU organic
logo (download).

!"Guideline on Soy in Animal Feed: Requires imported soybean meal to be non-genetically modiﬁed and calls for the
examination of potential replacements with domestic protein sources as a key requirement. The guideline also
describes the transition to certiﬁed products (download).
!"Guideline on Tea Products: Focuses on the creation of increasingly sustainable tea production and describes the
company’s nearly completed transition to certiﬁed sources for its store-brand products (download).
!"Guideline on Animal Welfare: Describes the company’s commitment to keeping animals in a manner appropriate
to their species and the planned transition of the company’s store-brand products to certiﬁed sources (download).
!"Guideline on More Sustainable Textiles: Deﬁnes the social and environmental standards that apply to the
suppliers of textile products and outlines the planned transition of textiles to cotton produced by certiﬁed sources
(download).
!"Guideline on More Sustainable Textiles: Deﬁnes the social and environmental standards that apply to the
suppliers of textile products and outlines the planned transition of textiles to cotton produced by certiﬁed sources
(download).
!"Guideline on Natural Stone Products: Is designed to improve the social and environmental standards that apply to
the production of natural stones and describes the planned transition of the company’s store-brand products to
certiﬁed sources (download).
!"Guideline on More Eco-friendly Packaging: Describes how the REWE Group intends to make the packaging used in
its store brands more environmentally friendly (download).
!"Guideline on Climate Action in the Supply Chain: Explains how the REWE Group actively helps to protect the
climate and intends to continuously reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the supply chain (download).
!"Guideline on Circular Economy: Explains how the use of resources in the value chain can be reduced through the
application of a recycling economy (download).
In August 2021, the REWE Group issued its Code of Conduct, a document that governs commercial due diligence in
the supply chain. The code outlines the minimum standards that suppliers must observe and obey in their
interactions with the REWE Group. The REWE Group’s approach to more responsible supply chains was also released
in 2021. This document expresses the company’s clear strategic commitment to reducing and preventing social and
environmental impacts and describes how the group of companies identiﬁes, evaluates and addresses the impacts
that its store-brand products have on people, animals and the environment. Other guidelines are scheduled to be
released or updated in 2022.
Information on the status and goal achievement for the guidelines is reported in the sections Raw Materials in Focus –
Food and Raw Materials in Focus – Non-food.

To be successful over the long term, a company must comply with laws and prevent violations of laws and regulations.
Individual employees or board members of the REWE Group could be held personally liable for failures to observe
laws, directives or codes (including demands to pay damages or criminal law penalties). Such violations could also
harm the company’s image. A trade and tourism company faces particular compliance risks related to price ﬁxing,
the exercise of market pressure in dealings with suppliers and personal undue advantages.
GRI 205: Anti-corruption
GRI 206: Anti-competitive behaviour
GRI 307: Environmental compliance
GRI 419: Socioeconomic compliance
Management approach
Principles
Integrity and fairness in business transactions as well as in interaction with others are important fundamental
principles in the mission statement of the REWE Group. In the Code of Conduct of the REWE Group , the company has
also deﬁned mandatory standards that apply to the actions of all individuals working on behalf of the REWE Group –
including managers and the company’s top executives. 
Responsibility
In February 2009, the REWE Group named a chief compliance oﬃcer. And, in June 2010, the internal Corporate
Department of Governance & Compliance began to integrate and coordinate the activities of the REWE Group.
Decentralised compliance oﬃcers are available to the department as expert contact partners in the respective
business units and country companies. A number of codes of conduct that apply to managers and employees has
been implemented and an external ombudsman hired as part of the compliance management system (CMS) of the
REWE Group.
GRI 102-17, 205, 206, 307, 419
Compliance

Objective
The aim of the CMS is to deter violations of legal regulations and internal company policies and, thus, prevent damage
to the company and stop company bodies and employees from being held personally liable. The CMS focuses on
around 120 REWE Group companies, which are selected according to certain criteria such as level of revenue and
headcount. This achieves a high level of coverage. Acquisitions are gradually integrated into the CMS. In 2021, for
instance, the integration of the Lekkerland Group as the new business segment Convenience into the compliance
processes of the REWE Group was begun. The integration is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
Implementation
As part of an eﬃcient CMS based on the IDW PS 980 standard, the REWE Group has set up a compliance programme
that comprises a number of preventive steps – including risk assessments, training and consultations. The CMS was
submitted to a readiness check by a highly respected auditing ﬁrm in 2015. As a result, an assessment of the CMS
based on the recognised auditing standard (PS 980) of the Institute of Public Auditors in Germany has been prepared
since 2016. The objective of the audit is to continuously reﬁne the existing system. Processes and work packages
were developed and implemented for this purpose through the end of 2018. As a result of limited resources and the
impact of the coronavirus pandemic, some of the deﬁned work packages could not be implemented throughout the
combine in 2021. This situation has caused a delay in the performance of an appropriateness test as the second
certiﬁcation stage for companies in the compliance scope.
The Corporate Department of Governance & Compliance has been responsible for combine guideline management at
the REWE Group since 2016. A group-wide process has been implemented for this. All group guidelines relevant to
compliance are available to all employees in an interactive IT tool. Employees are also informed about all changes and
additions to relevant combine guidelines in the intranet, among other areas.
GRI 205-1:
Operations assessed for risks related to corruption
With the help of an IT-supported tool, corruption risks are systematically recorded and evaluated for the entire REWE
Group (nationally and internationally). The work focuses on both domestic and international company locations. As a
result, all company locations in the compliance scope are assessed. Appropriate measures are developed on the
basis of the risks recorded and evaluated. “Commercial bribery” was identiﬁed as a key corruption risk.
The conditions, guidelines and processes for combine-wide risk management related to the compliance risks anti-
trust breaches and corruption are developed by the Corporate Department of Governance & Compliance. Since 2011,
annual compliance risk analyses have been conducted and appropriate risk-management measures have been
devised and implemented. As part of the integration project Governance Risk & Compliance (GRC), business
operation risks and compliance risks are jointly compiled, evaluated according to the same criteria and integrated
into a group-wide system solution (for more information about risk management, see the Combined Management
Report for business year 2021, pages 24–30).

GRI 205-2:
Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures
All administrative employees who work in business areas with the learning management system are required to attend
an e-learning course called Compliance Basics. During the course, employees learn how to properly deal with gifts
(anti-corruption). The course is complemented by another e-learning module on the topic of ethics, a course that
primarily introduces students to the fundamental aspects of the REWE Group’s Code of Conduct and ways to handle
whistleblower information. Both courses include a repeat format that employees can use to refresh their compliance
knowledge. The introduction was initiated in 2020 on a step-by-step basis and in a number of diﬀerent languages.
The work was successfully completed at the end of the year. All modules have been available since then throughout
the Group on the appropriate learning management system. At smaller companies that are not part of a learning
management system, the compliance departments responsible for the issue there are required to teach the content
of the e-learning course during in-person classes or in some other appropriate manner.
The training is directed at managers and employees to an equal degree on the basis of a risk-focused approach.
During the ﬁnancial year, the company systematically oﬀered training that was primarily provided as e-learning
courses due to the coronavirus pandemic and workshops in which employees received subject-matter-speciﬁc
information about compliance-appropriate behaviour. This approach will enable virtually all employees to be
systematically trained about the subject over a period of two to three years.
The REWE Group provides information about compliance on its website. This information focuses in particular on tip-
oﬀ management. Users can also download the Code of Conduct there. All employees of the REWE Group can ﬁnd
essential information about compliance in the intranet as well.

Total number of employees who have undergone anti-corruption and anti-corruption procedure training of the
organisation
GRI 102-17:
Mechanisms for advice and concerns about ethics
Decentralised compliance oﬃcers (DCO) and compliance delegates are available to all employees in each business
segment of the REWE Group. This is also the case for the Corporate Department of Governance & Compliance. All
employees of the REWE Group have an opportunity to anonymously speak with these contact partners about
compliance issues at any time. They can contact them in a letter, an e-mail or a phone call to a hotline set up for this
speciﬁc purpose.
Violations of legal regulations or internal rules, particularly regarding corruption, can be reported to a combine-wide
whistleblower system. This facilitates a uniform Group-wide and transparent approach for dealing with whistleblower
information. However, formal complaints can also be addressed to a number of diﬀerent departments at REWE
Group, including Management, Compliance, Quality Management and Purchasing. They can be addressed directly to
2019
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
Non-
management
level,
absolute
Management
level,
absolute
Non-management level,
absolute
Management
level,
absolute
Non-management
level, absolute
Management
level,
absolute
In-person
classes
E- learning
courses*
In-person
classes
E- learning
courses*
Trade
Germany
201
61
170
4,451
74
234
10,482
57
Trade
International
1,605
137
116
6,237
88
195
6,663
8
DIY stores
0
0
0
1,426
0
0
1,441
0
Travel and
tourism
0
0
0
1,093
0
0
549
19
Other
77
32
0
2,122
0
12
5,901
2
Total
1,903
230
286
15,329
162
441
25,036
86
* In 2020 and 2021, training classes were primarily held as e-learning courses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

the stores as well.
Any employee of the REWE Group or a third party – including suppliers and business partners – can report tips to the
compliance oﬃcer responsible for the issue or an external ombudsman. Information is relevant for compliance if there
is a suspicion of a criminal or administrative oﬀence or another breach of the rules (including internal policies). This
particularly includes incidents of corruption or anti-trust breaches.
Contacts and phone numbers can be found at https://www.rewe-group.com/de/unternehmen/compliance.
Once tips have been systematically recorded in the compliance tip-oﬀ tool, an assignment is made to the Corporate
Department of Governance & Compliance or the appropriate DCO. The facts are then clariﬁed, for example by the
Group Audit Department, the Store Audit Department, external lawyers or the internal compliance organisation.
Members of these groups will examine the allegations and report the results and measures to be taken as a result to
the Corporate Department of Governance & Compliance. It is the responsibility of the operative units to implement
these measures, which can involve such matters as labour or criminal issues. After clariﬁcation, the whistleblower will
receive conﬁrmation of completion. If whistleblower information proves to be unfounded, all personal data will be
erased in line with the locally applicable statutory data protection requirements.
A combine-wide, web-based reporting channel is scheduled to be set up in 2022. Employees and third parties will be
able to use this channel to pass on compliance tips. The tips may be submitted anonymously if requested.
Nonetheless, the compliance organisation will be able to use a mailbox function to communicate with the
whistleblower. The introduction of this digital reporting channel is designed in particular to completely implement
requirements expected to be issued in connection with Directive (EU) 2019/1937 dated 23/10/2019 (the
whistleblowing directive). At the time of this report, this directive had not been introduced into German law.

GRI 205-3:
Conﬁrmed incidents of corruption and actions taken
The compliance department received seven tips about corruption in 2021. As a matter of principle, sanctions are
imposed if violations are conﬁrmed. For instance, business relations are terminated if a business partner is found to
have violated anti-corruption regulations. The REWE Group has pledged to protect the identity of whistleblowers and
aﬀected individuals as part of its whistleblower management system. For example, comprehensive information about
those aﬀected or disciplinary actions may not be provided for data protection reasons because it may lead to
inferences regarding personal data.
Together with decentralised compliance oﬃcers, the Corporate Department of Governance & Compliance holds
annual workshops for the purpose of jointly reﬁning the compliance programme and implementing preventive
measures to minimise compliance risks.
GRI 206-1:
Legal actions for anti-competitive behaviour, anti-trust, and monopoly practices
The REWE Group does not report about investigations and their results because this information is covered by special
conﬁdentiality policies.
GRI 307-1:
Non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations
The REWE Group provides no information about the monetary amount of signiﬁcant ﬁnes and the total number of
non-monetary penalties imposed for failures to comply with environmental laws and regulations because of the
inconsistent quality of this information throughout the combine. There are no plans to gather this information in
future as the eﬀort to acquire the data is not proportional to the beneﬁts obtained from gathering it.
GRI 419-1:
Non-Compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area
The REWE Group provides no information about the monetary amount of signiﬁcant ﬁnes and the total number of
non-monetary penalties imposed for failures to comply with laws and regulations because of the inconsistent quality
of this information throughout the combine. There are no plans to gather this information in future as the eﬀort to
acquire the data is not proportional to the beneﬁts obtained from gathering it.
Additional information about compliance risks can be found in the Group Management Report for business year 2021

starting on page 28. Other provisions for court, litigation and legal-consulting costs are reported in note 35 of the
Group Management Report for business year 2021 on page 138.

Sustainability is not a ﬂeeting trend at the REWE Group. Rather, it is a fundamental element of its business strategy.”
With this statement, the Management Board has clearly deﬁned the company’s position in its Guidelines on
Sustainable Business Practises. The REWE Group considers this to mean one thing: It assumes responsibility for its
employees, deals fairly with partners and suppliers, promotes more sustainable product ranges, acts in an
environmentally and climate-friendly manner and serves as an advocate of a sustainable society.
GRI 102-18: Governance structure
GRI 102-19: Delegating authority
GRI 102-20: Executive-level responsibility for economic, environmental, and social topics
GRI 102-21: Consulting stakeholders on economic, environmental, and social topics
The sustainability strategy of the REWE Group
Principles
As a leading international trade and tourism company, the REWE Group is keenly aware of the special role it plays as
an interface among producers, suppliers and consumers. For this reason, the company’s sustainability strategy
encompasses all areas of its business operations for the purpose of integrating more sustainable consumption and
tourism into the general marketplace. The REWE Group draws up clear objectives in this eﬀort and does not shy away
from tackling complex problems. In taking this approach, it has acted as a pacesetter who has developed new
approaches that have become widely employed standards. In implementing its sustainability strategy, the REWE
Group conducts an intense dialogue with its stakeholders and enters into binding, long-term partnerships. After all,
improvements can only be achieved if all stakeholders work towards common goals. In applying this strategy, the
company continuously expands its share of more sustainable products and services and introduces the idea of more
sustainable consumption to larger and larger segments of the population.
GRI 102-18 – 102-21
Sustainability Strategy

SSuussttaaiinnaabbiilliittyy::  aa  kkeeyy  aassppeecctt  ooff  tthhee  mmiissssiioonn  ssttaatteemmeenntt
In 2008, the REWE Group added the words “We are aware of our responsibility and act sustainably” to its
Company Mission Statement and set up a strategic sustainability management system. In 2010, it deﬁned
its Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices and established a binding operational framework that
forms the foundation for the REWE Group’s comprehensive commitment to sustainability. In taking these
steps, the company acted as the trailblazer who lifted the issue of sustainability from its niche existence and
turned it into mainstream matter for society as a whole. Today, the company is working to integrate
sustainability into many other areas.
The REWE Group issued its Declaration of principles on human rights in April 2019. In this document, the
combine commits itself to strengthening human rights and preventing human rights violations. This
commitment applies both to its own business activities and to those of its global supply and value chains.
One of the main motivating factors behind the REWE Group’s commitment to sustainability is its desire to fuel the
achievement of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Eight of these goals are particularly
relevant to the REWE Group and are discussed in the section Sustainable Development Goals in terms of potential
impacts and the value chain.
Implementation
The REWE Group introduced four pillars of sustainability in 2008 for the purpose of implementing its sustainability
strategy:
!"Green Products
!"Energy, Climate and the Environment
!"Employees
!"Social Commitment
Areas of action for each pillar deﬁne the key issues of the company’s sustainability commitment.

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When carrying out the sustainability strategy, the individual sales lines are given a lot of creative freedom to
ensure maximum customisation of their own strategy and individual business model. For all sales lines, the
higher-level topics of REWE Group’s four pillars of sustainability and the Guidelines on Sustainable Business
Practises serve as the joint roadmap and canon of values for the commitment to sustainability. Within this
strategic framework, each sales line focuses on the topics that are important to it. For example, DER
Touristik Group has deﬁned the following ﬁve strategic areas of action for itself: “Environment and Nature",
“Customers and Products”, “Partners and Travel Destinations”, “Employees” and “Society”.
The sustainability strategies of the REWE Group and its sales lines undergo regular reviews that consider all available
information, including surveys of customers, competitor analysis and analysis of political debates. In 2020, the
company conducted in-depth materiality analysis in which consumers, employees and expert stakeholders were
surveyed (for additional information, see the section Materiality Analysis). The results of this analysis were used to
help to prioritise issues for 2022.
For more information about the areas of action and key performance indicators, see the higher-level management
approaches for Green Products, Energy, Climate and the Environment, Employees and Social Commitment.

The pillars of sustainability and areas of action at the REWE Group
Green Products
Areas of action:
1. People
2. Animals
3. Environment
4. Nutrition
Energy, Climate and the
Environment
Areas of action:
1. Energy eﬃciency
2. Climate-relevant emissions
3. Conservation of resources
Employees
Areas of action:
1. Values and culture
2. Training and professional growth
3. Health and safety
4. Work and phases of life
5. Diversity and equal opportunity
Social Commitment
Areas of action:
1. Conscious diets and exercise
2. Opportunities for children and adolescents
3. Vigilant approach to food
4. Biodiversity and environmental protection
Sustainability organisation
Responsibility
At the REWE Group, sustainability is one of the top priorities of the company’s leading managers. Since the
sustainability strategy was introduced in 2008, it has been directed by the CEO. This executive believes that
sustainable business practises are a precondition for the company’s long-term success (see the foreword by Lionel
Souque).
The four pillars of sustainability are overseen by Executive Board members or Managing Directors. This fact
underscores the high priority that the company has given to the pillars and reﬂects the amount of work that goes into
the issue. A discussion about sustainability issues takes place within the pillars of sustainability. Optimal and model
methods, practises and approaches are shared and measures initiated. Project groups work together on the issues in
a process that extends across sale lines and uses agile structures. The sales lines draw on these four pillars to develop

measures that reﬂect their goals and positioning. These measures are then approved as part of the sales lines’ annual
and strategy planning. As a result, responsibility extending all the way to the operation level is integrated into
established decision-making processes.
The Department of Corporate Responsibility is responsible for implementing the sustainability strategy of the entire
REWE Group and acts as a central interface between the sales lines and in dealings with external stakeholders.
As part of a strategic repositioning conducted in 2016, the REWE Group bolstered the sustainability organisation
within the individual sales lines and integrated sustainability even more deeply into the company’s business
processes. The objective of the REWE Group’s work here was to develop sustainability measures that focus more
closely on the company’s business and customers and to accelerate implementation. Twice a year, a Group-wide
sustainability information event is held for the purpose of facilitating the dialogue on the management and Executive
Board level among the individual sales lines (REWE, PENNY, Lekkerland, DER Touristik, toom Baumarkt DIY Stores
and REWE International AG). The event is also used to promote the dialogue with such stakeholders as non-
governmental organisations and share best practices. During the ﬁnancial year, the REWE Group conducted these
meetings as digital events due to the coronavirus pandemic just as it did in 2020.
Responsibility in the individual sales lines
For REWE and PENNY in Germany, the Department of Corporate Responsibility further reﬁned the sustainability
strategy in coordination with and under the supervision of the Executive Board members of the four pillars of
sustainability – together with the particular strategy and specialists departments. The department assigned a key
account employee for REWE and PENNY who will advance the sustainability strategy of the sales lines. The
Department of Sustainability Products is responsible for the pillar Green Products. It reports directly to Purchasing
and helps to design sustainable product ranges there.
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The Sustainability Advisory Board consists of ﬁve independent experts and representatives of non-
governmental organisations. It is involved in the development, assessment and implementation of
sustainability-related measures of the REWE and PENNY sales lines in Germany. This includes both work
within the PRO PLANET process and the continuous ﬁne-tuning of the REWE Group’s sustainability strategy,
e.g. through involvement in the creation and updating of guidelines. For more information, see the section
PRO PLANET and Stakeholder Dialogue.
At toom Baumarkt DIY Stores, the management team of Purchasing and Logistics has had the chief responsibility for
sustainability since 2018. Sustainability management is organised here on the basis of the four pillars of sustainability
just as it is in the entire REWE Group. In addition, a specialist department in Purchasing continuously works on the
issue. This department’s responsibility includes optimising the product range with more sustainable products and

coordination of sustainability issues throughout toom Baumarkt DIY Stores. Decisions about the strategic focus,
measures and projects are taken by a sustainability committee at regular meetings. This committee is composed of
representatives of the management team, managers for the pillars and other nominated employees from relevant
specialist departments.
The central sustainability department helps the International Management Board of the DER Touristik Group to
develop strategy as well as coordinates and manages implementation measures. The Chief Executive Oﬃcer (CEO)
assumes the main responsibility for sustainability at the DER Touristik Group. The sustainability oﬃcers of the
individual country units are represented in an international CR board where they discuss their particular needs.
Strategic focal-point issues of the DER Touristik Group could be jointly deﬁned as a result. The board meets once a
year to conduct a review and do additional planning. It also holds regular discussions about current issues. Local CR
steering committees in the national units coordinate and steer sustainability topics at the local level. A CR steering
committee for Germany, Austria and Switzerland was set up at the end of 2019. It is composed of managers from the
relevant departments and its responsibilities include the development and regional implementation of the group
strategy.
At Lekkerland, the Chief Operating Oﬃcer (COO) oversees the issue of sustainability. Overall management of the
sustainability strategy of the Lekkerland Group is done by the Department of Quality Management and Corporate
Responsibility. In 2021, Lekkerland was integrated into various working groups and projects related to the
sustainability issues of the REWE Group on a step-by-step basis.
The sustainability organisation of REWE Group in Austria is led by the Management Board of REWE International AG,
which is supported by the Sustainability Department. Responsibility in the individual trade companies under the
umbrella of REWE International AG is assigned to the respective board members, management teams and top
executives. Working and project groups involved in each of the four sustainability pillars are responsible for
implementation of measures. As a result of the tight integration of sustainability management into the strategies of
the trade companies under the umbrella of REWE International AG, sustainability is an integral part of its business
activities.
You will ﬁnd more information about the approaches of the pillars of sustainability here in the report:
!"Management approach Green Products
!"Management approach Energy, Climate and the Environment
!"Management approach Employees
!"Management approach Social Commitment

As a trade and tourism company that has millions and millions of contacts with customers every day, the REWE Group
has a tremendous opportunity, as well as a responsibility, to integrate sustainability into its business operations. The
company hears important ideas during the direct, personal dialogue that it conducts with a wide range of
stakeholders in such places as (digital) events, podium discussions and presentations. The REWE Group shares its
experience in sustainability in these settings. The result is a discussion and a discourse that beneﬁt everyone
involved.
GRI 102-21: Consulting stakeholders on economic, environmental and social topics
GRI 102-40: List of stakeholder groups
GRI 102-42: Identifying and selecting stakeholders
GRI 102-43: Approach to stakeholder engagement
GRI 102-44: Key topics and concerns raised
Approach by the REWE Group
Background
The relevant stakeholder groups for the REWE Group were deﬁned for the ﬁrst time as part of the Sustainability
Strategy that the company devised in 2008. This collaborative eﬀort is regularly reﬁned during intensive discussions
conducted during such activities as REWE Group dialogue forums, meetings of the Sustainability Advisory Board and
stakeholder surveys. The key stakeholder groups with which the company conducts its discussions include suppliers,
consumers, business partners, political leaders, government authorities, the scientiﬁc community and non-
governmental organisations (NGOs). This dialogue also extends to the company’s own employees, Works Council,
managers and independent retailers. The REWE Group conducted a stakeholder mapping in 2015 and 2016 to
identify relevant NGOs in the areas of social issues, the environment, consumers, animal welfare, climate protection,
conscious diets and emergency assistance. This mapping remains relevant and is continuously reﬁned – it then ﬂows
into the planning for stakeholder communications.
GRI 102-21, 102-40, 102-42 – 102-44
Stakeholder Dialogue

Stakeholder
Type of Inclusion
Customers
Sustainability campaigns
Point-of-sale activities
Social media
Customer-satisfaction surveys
Market research
Customer service
Online platform utopia.de
Employees
Dialogue forums (digital and in-person)
Works Council
Internal communications
Employee survey
Employee participation campaigns
REWE Employee Advisory Board on Sustainability
Independent Retailers
Dialogue forums (digital and in-person)
Joint projects
Joint committees
Sustainability ambassadors
REWE retailers
Suppliers
Dialogue forums (digital and in-person)
Communication of guidelines
Joint projects
Business Partners
Communication of guidelines
Political Leaders
Dialogue forums (digital and in-person)
Continuous discussions
Memberships of associations
Oﬃces in Berlin and Brussels
NGOs
Dialogue forums (digital and in-person)
Continuous discussions
Sustainability Advisory Board
Strategic partnerships
Joint projects
Responses to inquiries
The Scientiﬁc Community
Dialogue forums (digital and in-person)
Partnerships with universities
Execution of studies
Media
Dialogue forums (digital and in-person)
Responses to journalists’ questions
Inﬂuencer relations (including visits to producers)

Formats used in the stakeholder dialogue
The institutionalised dialogue conducted with stakeholders and communications with the major and trade media is
overseen by the Department of Corporate Responsibility and the sustainability and communications departments of
the sales lines.
The REWE Group has been holding its dialogue forums, a venue for personal, open and candid discussions with its
stakeholder groups, since 2010. As part of this process, the REWE Group uses a number of diﬀerent formats,
extending from large dialogue events with up to 450 participants to smaller, theme-focused dialogues for experts.
In 2021, the company was unable to conduct any in-person events at all or not in their previous form due to contact
and travel restrictions imposed in response to the corona pandemic. The REWE Group initially responded to the
pandemic in 2020 by holding digital stakeholder dialogues and workshops – this process was continued during the
reporting period. The REWE Group held its ﬁrst digital dialogue forum in April: Nearly 450 people from politics, the
scientiﬁc community, NGOs and the REWE Group attended the event. The REWE Group showed videos about its
current projects during the meeting. The dialogue forum also included a round of discussions in which participants
were able to ask questions in a live chat. The discussions centred on the latest developments in sustainability during
the pandemic and on potential sustainability steps that the REWE Group could take as it shapes its sustainability
programmes on the basis of the lessons it learned during the crisis. The dialogue is scheduled to be held in a hybrid
format in 2022. Attendees will be able to join the discussion either in person or online. In June, a digital dialogue for
experts was held on the topics of Nutri-Score and ErnährWert (nourishment level). The dialogue gave the company an
opportunity to discuss the issue of balanced diets with expert stakeholders.
The REWE Group has also been a partner of the German Sustainability Award and Day since 2011. A special award on
packaging was initiated in 2019 as part of this partnership. The event was held for the 14th time in December 2021.
The REWE Group participated in four REWE Talks during the congress programme. The discussions, some of which
used a hybrid format, brought together a range of diﬀerent representatives of the food combine and experts from
various sustainability areas.
The experts of the REWE Group also hold background discussions and conduct institutionalised dialogues with expert
stakeholders in various areas – including as part of roundtable discussions, working groups and forums. They also
speak and attend podium discussions and (digital) dialogue events for the purpose of sharing the experience they
have gained in the implementation of sustainability programmes and exchanging speciality information during a
constructive dialogue.
The REWE Group updated its materiality analysis at the end of 2020. During this work, 6,150 consumers, employees
and other expert stakeholders had a chance to express their expectations to the company. By taking this approach,
the REWE Group can concentrate its activities even more closely on the needs of its stakeholders (for more
information, see the section Materiality Analysis).

An important body of the stakeholder dialogue is the Sustainability Advisory Board. This board provides expert
support to the REWE Group as the company reﬁnes its sustainability strategy and works to make its product range
even more sustainable. The board assists with communications questions as well. The board grew out of the PRO
PLANET Advisory Board whose role was expanded in 2019. As part of its work, the board now works with the REWE
Group on the development and implementation of all sustainability-relevant goals and measures used in the pillar
Green Products for the REWE and PENNY sales lines in Germany. The board confronts the company with the
sustainability-related demands of the scientiﬁc community and NGOs. At the same time, it acts as an idea generator,
co-developer and communications partner of the REWE Group. The advisory board also shares its subject-matter
expertise and draws on its networks. In the process, it serves as a catalyst for internal and, when necessary, external
discussions. Each board member has been assigned a special issue to cover (for more information, see the section
PRO PLANET).
Members of the Sustainability Advisory Board:
!"Abel, Georg (Die VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE e.V.), advisory board expert on consumers
!"Geier, Bernward (COLABORA), advisory board expert on organic products
!"Hütz-Adams, Friedel (SÜDWIND e.V.), advisory board expert for the area of action “people”
!"Klöckner, Kristian (NABU Bundesverband e.V.), advisory board expert for the area of action “the environment”
!"Pöpken, Stefanie (independent expert for animal welfare in farming), advisory board expert for the area of action
“animals”
SSttrraatteeggiicc  ppaarrttnneerrsshhiipp  wwiitthh  NNAABBUU
In 2015, the REWE Group entered into a strategic partnership with the German environmental group NABU
in a step that intensiﬁed the collaborative relationship that the two groups initiated in 2009. As part of this
eﬀort, the joint project work being conducted in the areas of biodiversity and PRO PLANET was expanded
and an agreement was reached to collaborate on such issues as protection of the seas, packaging,
conservation of resources and the fostering of biological diversity. During working groups and strategy
workshops, NABU and the REWE Group drew up roadmaps covering the achievement of the sustainability
goals set by both groups. One key aspect of the partnership is a constructive and candid discussion that is
conducted on both the working level and between the Management Board of the REWE Group and the
President of NABU. NABU serves as both an important generator of ideas that can be used to reﬁne the
company’s sustainability strategy and a years-long project-implementation partner.
As part of this work, the REWE sales line became a partner in the NABU project “Gemeinsam Boden gut
machen” (making up ground together) in 2020. The project provides support to farmers who want to convert
their operations to organic farming or expand their existing organic farms. Starting in 2022, REWE will make
an annual contribution of ﬁve million euros to NABU’s newly established climate fund for a period of ﬁve

years. The money will be used to purchase or lease moors and wet meadows – with a focus on areas in
Germany and EU countries located in the Baltic Sea region – that were dewatered or degraded in the past
for the purpose of agriculture or peat extraction. The objective of the project is to re-irrigate these areas so
that they can perform their original function as carbon sinks and habitats for many varieties of animals. In
addition, farms will be assisted with their conversion from conventional operations to a climate-protecting
wet-meadow management (for more information, see the section Projects and Sponsorships).
Customer and employee communications
The sales lines assume responsibility for communicating with customers about the issue of sustainability. To do so,
they use weekly ﬂiers, travel catalogues, their websites, social media channels, their stores and campaigns, among
other things. This is one approach they can take to increase consumers’ understanding of sustainability as well as of
environmentally friendly and socially responsible products. With this information in hand, consumers can make
informed purchasing decisions (for more information, see the section Promoting Sustainable Consumption”).
At the same time, employees are informed, sensitised and excited about the issue. The reason for this is clear: This
workforce acts as the interface to customers and suppliers. In their role as important contact partners for
sustainability questions, employees are the very people who enable the REWE Group to stand out from its
competitors.
To foster the discussion about sustainability among the workforce, the REWE sales line created the REWE Employee
Advisory Board on Sustainability in 2020. Employees representing the regions, stores and logistics meet twice a year
to fuel various sustainability issues within the company. The board met for the ﬁrst time in March 2021, and it held its
ﬁrst in-person meeting in October.
The active integration of independent REWE retailers also plays a special role: These individuals attend various
coordination meetings. Their ideas and experience ﬂow into the relevant decisions that deﬁne the REWE Group’s
commitment to sustainability. A group of experts comprised of retailers, the so-called sustainability ambassadors,
meets together twice a year to discuss new project ideas and campaigns as well as to foster the dialogue between the
retailers and the sustainability area. The sustainability ambassadors are responsible for promoting sustainability
issues in their region.
All employees in REWE and PENNY stores as well as those in the REWE Group’s headquarters have a chance to
expand their base of knowledge about sustainability by using an e-learning tool. The related e-learning programme at
REWE was revamped in 2018 and won the eLearning Award in the category of Gamiﬁcation in 2019. At toom
Baumarkt DIY stores, the e-learning programme on sustainability also helps employees in stores and the
headquarters gain more information about relevant sustainability issues on the basis of the four sustainability pillars.

GRI 102-45:
Entities included in the consolidated ﬁnancial statements
This report covers the REWE Combine companies for Germany and Austria, including independent retailers in the
partnership model (hereinafter identiﬁed as retailers in the report).
A clear declaration in reporting the data has been made in those places where detection limits deviate. As part of this
practise, REWE Dortmund and locations outside Germany and Austria are included in the energy data of the pillar
Energy, Climate and the Environment.
The key ﬁgures for the pillar Employees also include the approximately 72,000 employees of independent REWE
retailers who operate their stores primarily on the basis of the REWE partnership model. For this purpose, REWE and
the individual retailer jointly establish a general mercantile partnership. The key ﬁgures cover all retailers who can be
recorded via a central accounting system – a ﬁgure that totals about 95 per cent.
The business-related sustainability activities undertaken by the independent retailers are tracked only in individual
cases and reported there due to the large number of activities and the retailers’ commercial independence. This is
also the case for locations outside Germany and Austria.
GRI 102-48:
Restatements of information
The new business segment Convenience was formed as part of the acquisition of the Lekkerland Group eﬀective 1
January 2020. The segment comprises the divisions Convenience Germany, Convenience International and
Convenience Central Businesses. The integration of the Lekkerland Group was not fully completed in ﬁnancial year
2021. This process will continue to take some time due to data integration, process harmonisation and goal setting.
For this reason, the Lekkerland sales line is not generally included in the data and key ﬁgures. A speciﬁc mention is
made if the data and key ﬁgures from Lekkerland are used.
GRI 102-45, 102-48, 102-50 – 102-56
Report Proﬁle

The method for collecting the data for the carbon footprint on the company level was modiﬁed in 2021. Unlike
previous reporting years, the focus of the data collection was expanded from Germany and Austria to all countries and
companies where the REWE Group does business. In addition, 2019 was deﬁned as a new base year and replaced the
former base year of 2006. As a result, the new targets correspond to an emission level that considers the positive
eﬀect created by the use of green power in Germany and Austria. Where necessary, the data in the section climate
protection on the company level as well as Energy for 2019 and 2020 was recalculated on this basis and may no
longer correspond with information contained in the Sustainability Reports for 2019 and 2020.
In the area of Employees, minimum deviations from previous years’ ﬁgures occurred. No special reference is made to
them due to their negligibility. These deviations arose as a result of a switch made in 2021 to a new data model in the
evaluation software. The chapter Economic Performance is aﬀected by this change.
GRI 102-50:
Reporting period
The REWE Group’s Sustainability Report 2021 is based on business year 2021 (1st January 2021 to
31th December 2021). It was released on 27th June 2022. The editorial deadline was 12th June 2022.
GRI 102-51:
Date of most recent report
The REWE Group’s Sustainability Report 2020 was released on 30th June 2021.
GRI 102-52:
Reporting cycle
The REWE Group has been issuing its Sustainability Report annually since 2017. The report was issued biennially
between 2009 and 2016.
GRI 102-53:
Contact point for questions regarding the report
Many specialised employees from a range of units at the REWE Group worked on this sustainability report. They
practise sustainability in various departments, countries and numerous thematic areas. The Corporate Responsibility
Department led by Nicola Tanaskovic is responsible for the preparation of the report and is the contact point for all
questions regarding it:

E-mail: nachhaltigkeit@rewe-group.com
Telephone: +49 221 149-1791
Editorial note: In this report, the REWE Group uses respectful, gender-neutral language.
GRI 102-54:
Claims of reporting in accordance with the GRI standards
This report was prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards: “Core” option.
GRI 102-55:
GRI content index
Like last year’s report, the Sustainability Report 2021 is based on the GRI Standards. In the statement of the
Materiality Disclosures Service, the GRI Services Team conﬁrms that the GRI Content Index is presented
comprehensibly and the references for disclosures 102-40 to 102-49 match the corresponding sections in the report.
Disclosure
Link to website
GRI 101: Foundation 2016
GRI 102: General Disclosures 2016
Organizational Proﬁle
GRI 102-1: Name of the Organization
REWE Group Portrait
GRI 102-2: Activities, Brands, Products, and Services
REWE Group Portrait
GRI 102-3: Location of Headquarters
REWE Group Portrait
GRI 102-4: Location of Operations
REWE Group Portrait

Disclosure
Link to website
GRI 102-5: Ownership and Legal Form
REWE Group Portrait
GRI 102-6: Markets Served
REWE Group Portrait
GRI 102-7: Scale of the Organization
REWE Group Portrait
GRI 102-8: Information on Employees and Other Workers
Employee Structure
GRI 102-9: Supply Chain
Supply Chain
GRI 102-10: Signiﬁcant Changes to the Organization and Its Supply Chain
REWE Group Portrait
GRI 102-11: Precautionary Principle or Approach
Risk Management Product-Related Risk Analyses
GRI 102-12: External Initiatives
Initiatives and Memberships
GRI 102-13: Membership of Associations
Initiatives and Memberships
Strategy
GRI 102-14: Statement from Senior Decision-Maker
Foreword by Lionel Souque
Ethic and Integrity
GRI 102-16: Values, Principles, Standards, and Norms of Behaviour
Principles and Guidelines
GRI 102-17: Mechanisms for Advice and Concerns about Ethics
Compliance
Company Management
GRI 102-18: Governance Structure
Sustainability Strategy
GRI 102-19: Delegating Authority
Sustainability Strategy
GRI 102-20: Executive-Level Responsibility for Economic, Environmental and
Social Topics
Sustainability Strategy
GRI 102-21: Consulting Stakeholders on Economic, Environmental and Social
Topics
Sustainability Strategy
Stakeholder Dialogue
Inclusion of Stakeholders
GRI 102-40: List of Stakeholder Groups
Stakeholder Dialogue
GRI 102-41: Collective Bargaining Agreements
Employee Structure
GRI 102-42: Identifying and Selecting Stakeholders
Stakeholder Dialogue
GRI 102-43: Approach to Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder Dialogue

Disclosure
Link to website
GRI 102-44: Key Topics and Concerns Raised
Stakeholder Dialogue
Reporting Practises
GRI 102-45: Entities Included in the Consolidated Financial Statements
Report Proﬁle
GRI 102-46: Deﬁning Report Content and Topic Boundaries
Materiality Analysis
GRI 102-47: List of Material Topics
Materiality Analysis
GRI 102-48: Restatements of Information
Report Proﬁle
Economic Performance
Work and Phases of Life Employee Structure
Climate Protection on the Company Level
Waste
Energy
PRO PLANET
Regionality
GRI 102-49: Changes in Reporting
Materiality Analysis
GRI 102-50: Reporting Period
Report Proﬁle
GRI 102-51: Date of Most Recent Report
Report Proﬁle
GRI 102-52: Reporting Cycle
Report Proﬁle
GRI 102-53: Contact Point for Questions Regarding the Report
Report Proﬁle
GRI 102-54: Claims of Reporting in Accordance with the GRI Standards
Report Proﬁle
GRI 102-55: GRI Content Index
Report Proﬁle
GRI 102-56: External Assurance
Report Proﬁle
Key Topics
GRI 201: Economic Performance 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Economic Performance
GRI 201-1: Direct Economic Value Generated and Distributed
Economic Performance
GRI 201-3: Deﬁned Beneﬁt Plan Obligations and Other Retirement Plans
Economic Performance

Disclosure
Link to website
GRI 203: Indirect Economic Impacts 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Projects and Sponsorships
GRI 203-1: Infrastructure Investments and Services Supported
Projects and Sponsorships
GRI 203-2: Signiﬁcant Indirect Economic Impacts
Projects and Sponsorships
GRI 204: Procurement Practises 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Regionality
GRI 204-1: Proportion of Spending on Local Suppliers
Regionality
GRI FP1: Percentage of Purchased Volume from Suppliers Compliant with
Company’s Sourcing Policy
Raw Materials in Focus – Food
Raw Materials in Focus – Non-Food
GRI FP2: Percentage of Purchased Volume That is Certiﬁed on the Basis of
Recognised Standards
Organic
PRO PLANET
GRI FP10: Healthy, Aﬀordable Food
Nutrition
GRI 205: Anti-Corruption 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Compliance
GRI 205-1: Operations Assessed for Risks Related to Corruption
Compliance
GRI 205-2: Communication and Training about Anti-Corruption Policies and
Procedures
Compliance
GRI 205-3: Conﬁrmed Incidents of Corruption and Actions Taken
Compliance
GRI 206: Anti-Competitive Behaviour 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Compliance
GRI 206-1: Legal Actions for Anti-Competitive Behavior, Anti-Trust and
Monopoly Practise
Compliance

Disclosure
Link to website
GRI 207: Tax 2019
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Tax
GRI 207-1: Approach to Tax
Tax
GRI 207-2: Tax Governance, Control, and Risk Management
Tax
GRI 207-3: Stakeholder Engagement and Management of Concerns Related to
Tax
Tax
GRI 301: Materials 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Materials
Packaging
Circular Economy
GRI 301-1: Materials Used by Weight or Volume
Materials
GRI 301-2: Recycled Input Materials Used
Materials
GRI 302: Energy 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Energy
GRI 302-1: Energy Consumption Within the Organization
Energy
GRI 302-3: Energy Intensity
Energy
GRI 302-4: Reduction of Energy Consumption
Energy
GRI 303: Water and Eﬄuents 2018
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Operational Water Consumption
Water
GRI 303-3: Water Withdrawal
Operational Water Consumption
Water
GRI 304: Biodiversity 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Biodiversity
GRI 304-2: Signiﬁcant Impacts of Activities, Products, and Services on
Biodiversity
Biodiversity

Disclosure
Link to website
GRI 305: Emissions 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Climate Protection on the Company Level
Climate Protection in the Supply Chain
GRI 305-1: Direct (Scope 1) GHG Emissions
Climate Protection on the Company Level
GRI 305-2: Energy Indirect (Scope 2) GHG Emissions
Climate Protection on the Company Level
GRI 305-3: Other Indirect (Scope 3) GHG Emissions
Climate Protection on the Company Level
GRI 305-4: GHG Emissions Intensity
Climate Protection on the Company Level
GRI 305-5: Reduction of GHG Emissions
Climate Protection on the Company Level
Logistics and Mobility
GRI 305-6: Emissions of Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS)
Climate Protection on the Company Level
GRI 305-7: Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulfur Oxides (SOx), and Other Signiﬁcant
Air Emissions
Climate Protection on the Company Level
Logistics and Mobility
RG1: Green Building
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Green Building
RG1-1: Number of REWE stores that meet the requirements of the German
Sustainable Building Council (Green Building)
Green Building
GRI 306: Waste 2020
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Waste
Circular Economy
GRI 306-1: Waste Generation and Signiﬁcant Waste-Related Impacts
Waste
GRI 306-2: Management of Signiﬁcant Waste-Related Impacts
Waste
GRI 306-3: Waste Generated
Waste
GRI 307: Environmental Compliance 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Compliance
GRI 307-1: Non-Compliance with Environmental Laws and Regulations
Compliance

Disclosure
Link to website
GRI 308: Supplier Environmental Assessment 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Environmental Aspects in the Supply Chain
GRI 308-2: Negative Environmental Impacts in the Supply Chain and Actions
Taken
Environmental Aspects in the Supply Chain
FP 10: Animal Welfare
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
FP 10: Animal Welfare
GRI FP10: Physical alterations of animals
FP 10: Animal Welfare
GRI 401: Employment 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Work and Phases of Life
GRI 401-1: New Employee Hires and Employee Turnover
Work and Phases of Life
GRI 401-3: Parental Leave
Work and Phases of Life
GRI 402: Labour/Management Relations 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Labour/Management Relations
GRI 402-1: Minimum Notice Periods Regarding Operational Changes
Labour/Management Relations
GRI 403: Occupational Health and Safety 2018
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Occupational Health and Safety
GRI 403-1: Occupational Health and Safety Management System
Occupational Health and Safety
GRI 403-2: Hazard Identiﬁcation, Risk Assessment and Incident Investigation
Occupational Health and Safety
GRI 403-3: Occupational Health Services
Occupational Health and Safety
GRI 403-4: Worker Participation, Consultation, and Communication on
Occupational Health and Safety
Occupational Health and Safety
GRI 403-5: Worker Training on Occupational Health and Safety
Occupational Health and Safety
GRI 403-6: Promotion of Worker Health
Occupational Health and Safety
GRI 403-7: Prevention and Mitigation of Occupational Health and Safety
Impacts
Directly Linked by Business Relationships
Occupational Health and Safety
Occupational Health and Safety

Disclosure
Link to website
GRI 403-9: Work-Related Injuries
Occupational Health and Safety
GRI 404: Further Training and Development 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Further Training and Development
GRI 404-2: Programs for Upgrading Employee Skills and Transition Assistance
Programmes
Further Training and Development
GRI 404-3: Percentage of Employees Receiving Regular Performance and
Career Development Reviews
Further Training and Development
GRI 405: Diversity and Equal Opportunity 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
GRI 405-1: Diversity of Governance Bodies and Employees
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
GRI 405-2: Ratio of Basic Salary and Remuneration of Women to Men
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
GRI 406: Non-Discrimination 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Equal Treatment
GRI 406-1: Incidents of Discrimination and Corrective Actions Taken
Equal Treatment
GRI 412: Human Rights Assessment 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Social Aspects in the Supply Chain
GRI 412-2: Employee Training on Human Rights Policies or Procedures
Social Aspects in the Supply Chain
GRI 413: Local Communities 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Child protection
GRI 413-2: Operations with Signiﬁcant Actual and Potential Negative Impacts
on Local Communities
Child protection
GRI 414: Supplier Social Assessment 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Social Aspects in the Supply Chain
Living Wages
Women in the Supply Chain
GRI 414-2: Negative Social Impacts in the Supply Chain and Actions Taken
Social Aspects in the Supply Chain

Disclosure
Link to website
GRI 415: Public Policy 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Collaboration with Political Leaders
GRI 415-1: Political Contributions
Collaboration with Political Leaders
GRI 416: Customer Health and Safety 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Customer Health and Safety
GRI 416-1: Assessment of the Health and Safety Impacts of Product and
Service Categories
Customer Health and Safety
GRI 416-2: Incidents of Non-Compliance Concerning the Health and Safety
Impacts of Products and Services
Customer Health and Safety
GRI 417: Marketing and Labeling 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Promotion of Sustainable Consumption
GRI 417-1: Requirements for Product and Service Information and Labeling
Promotion of Sustainable Consumption
GRI 417-3: Incidents of Non-Compliance Concerning Product and Service
Information and Labeling
Promotion of Sustainable Consumption
GRI 418: Customer Privacy 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Data Protection
GRI 418-1: Substantiated Complaints Concerning Breaches of Customer
Privacy and Losses of Customer Data
Data Protection
GRI 419: Socioeconomic Compliance 2016
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 (including 103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Compliance
GRI 419-1: Non-Compliance with Laws and Regulations in the Social and
Economic Area
Compliance

GRI 102-56:
External assurance
The REWE Group engages KPMG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft AG to conduct a limited assurance review for
select data of this report. The reviewed sections of the report are identiﬁed by this symbol 
. The independent
assurance report includes data about the engagement and the presentation of the review results (see Independent
Assurance Report).
The carbon footprint report is calculated and reviewed by an external service provider: by INFRAS AG for Germany
and by denkstatt GmbH for Austria and CEE.

From food retailing to DIY stores and tourism – the business operations of the REWE Group cover a broad range of
areas. The potential material sustainability topics that could aﬀect the company are just as varied. In addition to such
instruments as Product-related Risk Analyses, materiality analysis is a method that the REWE Group uses to identify
material topics and set priorities in its policy-development work. Two considerations play a major role in these eﬀorts:
the views of internal and external stakeholders and the impact of the company’s business operations on people,
animals and the environment.
GRI 102-46:
Deﬁning report content and topic boundaries
In 2020, the REWE Group revised its materiality analysis to reﬂect new conditions. The results of the analysis
conducted in 2018 served as the basis of this work. The original 18 sustainability issues in the area of corporate
responsibility were reviewed in terms of their currency and relevance. In addition, considerations were given to focal
points that had not yet been addressed. In this work, the list of topics was compared with various frameworks,
including the GRI Standards and the German Sustainability Code. To improve comprehension, the terminology used
to describe selected topics was revised. As a result, the topic “conscious diets” was broken down into two segments:
“promotion of healthy diets” and “expansion of the range of sustainable products” to simplify the issue. The result of
the work was a consolidated list of 19 sustainability topics.
The REWE Group also added ﬁve other topics to these 19 issues. However, these issues were not included in the
analysis because they aﬀect overarching management concepts that are particularly relevant for the business
activities of the REWE Group or because the company would have to disclose information about these topics to meet
the requirements of the GRI standards. The ﬁve topics are:
!"Sustainability in company management
!"Integrity and compliance
!"Fair business relationships
GRI 102-46, 102-47, 102-49
Materiality Analysis

!"Stakeholder dialogue
!"Business performance
In a second step, the REWE Group conducted an online survey of consumers, employees and other expert
stakeholders. A total of 6,150 respondents in Germany and Austria* rated the relevance of the 19 topics. The
respondents considered the following issues to be particularly relevant to the REWE Group:
!"Animal welfare
!"Increased environmentally friendly packaging
!"Climate protection
!"Fair working conditions in the REWE Group’s own companies
!"Environmental aspects in the supply chain
The topic of animal welfare was rated as a higher priority than it was in the last survey conducted in 2018.
In addition to prioritising the 19 topics, the respondents had an opportunity to express their speciﬁc expectations
about their own top issue. In regards to the most highly relevant issue of animal welfare, respondents expressed a
desire in particular for a larger selection of animal-based products created under very good livestock farming
conditions. Another key expectation was the delisting of animal-based products created under poor livestock farming
conditions.
In terms of increased environmentally friendly packaging, a large number of respondents cited the need to avoid
plastic, reduce packaging volume, increase reusable solutions and make environmentally conscious improvements in
packaging.
The respondents viewed the topic of climate protection as a cross-sectoral issue. They expect the REWE Group to
base all decisions on climate protection. Many of the respondents rated short delivery routes resulting from the use of
a larger range of regional products as an important factor.
The respondents were also asked to rate the REWE Group’s performance in terms of their own “top issue”. Overall, at
least half of the respondents gave the REWE Group’s performance regarding each of the 19 topics a grade of C. The
respondents were most satisﬁed with the company’s performance in education and training: 77 per cent gave the
company a grade of C or better in this area. The topics that ranked two and three on the performance list were
expansion of the range of sustainable products and occupational health and safety. The REWE Group’s performance
in the areas of more sustainable logistics, digitalisation and sustainability as well as animal welfare received the
lowest scores.

The results of the materiality analysis were presented to top management in a range of committees and working
groups. They will be used along with other information in the company’s annual review of its sustainability strategy
(for more information, see the segment Sustainability Strategy).
* Number of respondents to the consumer and employee survey by group: 3,848 Germany (external), 655 Germany (internal), 505 Austria (external), 1,144
Austria (internal). The groups were weighted to calculate the overall result.

GRI 102-47:
List of material topics
Topics of the materiality analysis
Corresponding GRI topics
Green products
Expansion of the range of sustainable products:
Including a larger percentage of products with sustainability labels
and certiﬁcations (organic, regionality and Fairtrade, amongst
other things)
Procurement practices (GRI 204)
Percentage of purchased volume that is certiﬁed on the basis of
recognised standards (GRI FP2)
Promotion of healthy diets:
Including reduced-sugar products, nutritional information labelling
and nutrition tips for a broader and healthy diet
Healthy and aﬀordable food (FP)
Environmental aspects in the supply chain:
Including consideration of environmental aspects in the supply
chain / during procurement by the REWE Group (reductions in
pesticides and chemicals to protect biodiversity, protection of
water-stressed areas and deforestation-free land usage, amongst
other things)
Supplier environmental assessment (GRI 308)
Social aspects in the supply chain:
Including consideration of social aspects in the supply chain /
during procurement by the REWE Group (in terms of human rights,
the avoidance of forced and child labour, fair wages, amongst
other things)
Supplier social assessment (GRI 414)
Human rights assessment (GRI 412)
Animal welfare:
Including observance and improvement of animal protection
standards (more space for animals, no castration of pigs without
anaesthesia and no beak trimming, amongst other things) and
protection of animal rights at travel destinations
Animal welfare (FP10)
Transparency and customer sensitisation:
Including the labelling of products and services (clear information
about farming conditions, traceability, sustainability seals and
labels for products and trips, amongst other things)
Marketing and labeling (GRI 417)
Increased environmentally friendly packaging
Including the avoidance, reduction and improvement of packaging
(through non-plastic or unpacked products, reusable packaging
and return systems as well as recycling of packaging, amongst
other things)
Materials (GRI 301)
* The topic “digital responsibility” is not an explicit topic covered by the GRI Standards. For this reason, the abbreviation “RG 2” bears no relation to
the GRI Standards. Rather, it is an indicator created for the REWE Group’s own purposes.

Topics of the materiality analysis
Corresponding GRI topics
* The topic “digital responsibility” is not an explicit topic covered by the GRI Standards. For this reason, the abbreviation “RG 2” bears no relation to
the GRI Standards. Rather, it is an indicator created for the REWE Group’s own purposes.
Energy, climate and the environment
Conserving company resources:
Including energy eﬃciency (LED lighting systems and eﬃcient
refrigerating units in stores, amongst other things), more
sustainable construction practises (stores constructed in
accordance with the standard of the German Sustainable Building
Council, hotels, amongst other things), reduced water
consumption and systematic waste management, amongst other
things)
Materials (GRI 301)
Green building (RG1)
Climate protection:
Including the reduction of CO2 emissions and other greenhouse
gas emissions (through additional climate friendly products,
renewable energies and environmentally conscious refrigeration
agents, amongst other things)
Emissions (GRI 305)
More sustainable logistics:
Including optimised route planning, optimal vehicle usage (vehicle
utilisation) and modernisation of the company’s own vehicle ﬂeet
Energy (GRI 302)
Emissions (GRI 305)
Employees
Occupational health and safety:
Including the avoidance of occupational accidents and illnesses
(through prevention programmes for physically demanding jobs)
and the promotion of good health (including with athletic and
relaxation programmes), amongst other things)
Occupational health and safety (GRI 403)
Education and training programmes:
Including a wide range of job-entry and educational opportunities,
needs-based advanced training programmes (in person and
digital), regular performance reviews and feedback, extensive
professional growth opportunities
Training and education (GRI 404)
Work and phases of life:
Including the provision of a work/life balance / private life (ﬂexible
work schedule models like remote work, part-time jobs, ﬂexitime,
care-giver leave or family caregiver leave and sabbaticals) and
support during reintegration, amongst other things
Employment (GRI 401)
Fair working conditions in the REWE Group’s own companies:
Including the creation and measurement of employee satisfaction,
fair wages and co-determination rights
Employment (GRI 401)
Labor/management relations (GRI 402)
Diversity and equal opportunity:
Including hiring, remuneration and professional growth
opportunities (equal opportunity) for employees irrespective of
their gender, origin, disability, religion or ideology, age or sexual
Diversity and equal opportunity (GRI 405)
Non-discrimination (GRI 406)

GRI 102-49:
Changes in reporting
See deﬁning report content and topic boundaries
Topics of the materiality analysis
Corresponding GRI topics
* The topic “digital responsibility” is not an explicit topic covered by the GRI Standards. For this reason, the abbreviation “RG 2” bears no relation to
the GRI Standards. Rather, it is an indicator created for the REWE Group’s own purposes.
identity, sensitisation of employees about anti-discrimination
Social commitment
Commitment in the area of nutrition education and exercise:
Including support of projects that promote balanced diets and
exercise (at kindergartens, amongst other areas)
Indirect economic impacts (GRI 203)
Commitment to biodiversity and environmental protection:
Including the promotion of environmental protection projects and
the safeguarding of biodiversity
Biodiversity (GRI 304)
Support of underprivileged individuals:
Including support of children, adolescents, refugees, the homeless
and senior citizens
Local communities (GRI 413)
Company
Dialogue
General disclosures (GRI 102)
Digitalisation & sustainability:
Including the responsible use of digital solutions (through the
traceability of products and the creation of additional
transparency in the supply chain, amongst other things) and
conscientious handling of customer data
Customer privacy (GRI 418)
Digital responsibility (RG 2)*
Fair business relationships
Anti-competitive behaviour (GRI 206)
Integrity and compliance
Anti-corruption (GRI 205)
Public policy (GRI 415)
Socioeconomic compliance (GRI 419)
Customer privacy (GRI 418)
Sustainability in company management
General disclosures (GRI 102)
Business performance
Economic performance (GRI 201)

The long-term business success of the REWE Group is based on a cooperative structure that has given life to such
company values as solidarity, unity and sustainability. The cooperative philosophy, the management culture that has
arisen from it and the related long-term, cross-generational direction of the company create security and stability for
all stakeholders, extending from members and employees to customers, suppliers and the entire socio-economic
environment. For this reason, the Supervisory Board, shareholders, retailers and the Management Board of the REWE
Group consider the long-range cooperative structure to be a guarantee of independence and self-determination.
GRI 201: Economic performance
Management approach
Principles
The REWE Group is determined to generate long-term business success and to conduct its business activities in an
environmentally and social conscious manner. This principle is spelled out in the Guidelines on Sustainable Business
Practices that apply to all employees and contract partners of REWE Group. In the guidelines, the company expresses
its determination to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by business processes, use renewable energy
sources and conserve natural resources, among other actions. By developing socially and environmentally acceptable
products and services as well as expanding its more sustainable product range, the company is also helping to
minimise the negative impacts created by its business operations.
GRI 201
Economic Performance

SSuussttaaiinnaabbllee  ﬁﬁnnaannccee
In 2021, the REWE Group obtained its ﬁrst line of credit based on the ESG rating of the ISS ESG rating
agency. It comprises a volume of 750 million euros and has an 18-month term. It may also be extended for
12 months. By arranging for this line of credit, the REWE Group has expanded its sustainability strategy to
the ﬁnancial sector – because the line of credit is tied to such sustainability factors as labour standards,
climate protection and environmental and socially beneﬁcial products. The REWE Group has received a
grade of “C+” from ISS ESG. This corresponds to the prime level. The company’s transparency level has
been rated very high. The ESG rating will be reviewed annually throughout the life of the line of credit.
As a way of underscoring its commitment to sustainability in the ﬁnance sector, the REWE Group was
represented by its Head of Finance on the German government’s Sustainable Finance Board of Advisers
during the 19th legislative period. This board is made up of representatives from ﬁnance and business, civil
society and the scientiﬁc community. It advises the German government regarding the development and
implementation of its sustainable ﬁnance strategy.
GRI 201-1:
Direct economic value venerated and distributed
In 2021, REWE Group’s total external revenue increased to 76.5 billion euros. REWE Group’s revenue – excluding
independent retailers and companies accounted for at equity – grew by 2.5 per cent from 67.7 billion euros to 69.4
billion euros adjusted for exchange rate eﬀects (for more information, see the Combined Management Report for
business year 2019 starting on page 15).
The easing of coronavirus-related travel restrictions triggered a market recovery in the Travel and Tourism business
segment. As a result, revenue rose sharply, climbing from 1.3 billion euros in 2020 to 2.0 billion euros in 2021.
By contrast, the DIY Store business segment experienced an 11.5 per cent drop in revenue. As a result, it was unable
to maintain the revenue level it reached during the previous year (increase in revenue in 2020: 19.9 per cent). The
decrease was chieﬂy fuelled by the signiﬁcant rise in demand for DIY and garden products as a result of coronavirus
restrictions. The coronavirus-related “lockdown” had a negative impact on revenue because DIY stores were closed
for a period of time at the beginning of 2021 and were subject to tremendous restrictions on operations.

Revenue performance
Key earnings ﬁgures
in million €
2021
2020
Change absolute
Change in per
cent
Trade Germany
35,030.2
34,737.5
292.7
0.8
Trade International
15,653.0
15,299.1
353.9
2.3
Convenience
13,659.9
13,083.8
576.1
4.4
DIY Stores
2,352.2
2,656.3
-304.1
-11.5
Travel and Tourism
2,041.8
1,296.2
745.6
57.5
Other
618.8
578.4
40.4
7.0
Total
69,355.9
67,651.3
1,704.6
2.5
in million €
2021
2020
Change absolute
Change in per
cent
Revenue
69,355.9
68,229.3
1,704.6
2.5
Cost of materials including changes in inventory
-54,083.2
-52,850.6
-1,650.5
3.1
Gross proﬁt
15,272.7
15,378.7
54.1
0.4
Gross proﬁt ratio
22.0 %
22.5 %
EBITDA
4,388.1
4,368.2
79.7
1.8
Depreciation/amortisation and impairments
(excluding goodwill)
-2,899.6
-3,145.7
184.3
6.0
EBITA
1,488.5
1,222.5
264.0
21.6
For information only: internal EBITA
1,052.3
1,012.7
39.6
3.9
Goodwill impairments
0.0
-2.6
2.6
100.0
EBIT
1,488.5
1,219.9
266.6
21.8
Financial result
-385.3
-493.1
101.9
20.9
EBT
1,103.2
726.8
368.5
50.2
Taxes on income
-310.6
-281.3
-30.4
-10.8
Results from continuing operations
792.6
445.5
338.1
74.4

GRI 201-3:
Deﬁned beneﬁt plan obligations and other retirement plans
REWE Group pension fund
As a result of demographic change, retirement planning is becoming increasingly important. The REWE Group
understands this need. Through its REWE Group Pension Fund, it provides employees with a company pension
scheme that is designed especially with the needs of retail workers in mind.
In addition to providing funds to pensioners, the REWE Group Pension Fund pays beneﬁts in cases of invalidity and
death. Membership in the fund may be continued if an employee leaves the company. The REWE Group assumes
liability for the funds paid into the system and supports employees by making a ﬁxed payment of up to 300 euros
each year into the fund for them. The company provides a supplement of up to 15 per cent to employees’ own
contributions. REWE International AG oﬀers a similar programme in Austria.
REWE Group voluntary pension beneﬁts
The beneﬁts of the German government’s basic pension scheme are limited to the so-called pension contribution
assessment ceiling. The need to have a supplementary retirement plan is particularly high for employees with
incomes that exceed this ceiling because the diﬀerence between their ﬁnal salary and the highest basic pension
entitlement can be very high. To address the needs of this target group, the REWE Group oﬀers its own retirement
plan model called REWE Group Voluntary Pension Beneﬁts. The key beneﬁt is the option that enables employees to
make tax-free contributions through deferred payments. Starting on 01/01/2022, employees who earn an income
below the pension contribution assessment ceiling are eligible to participate in the REWE Group Voluntary Pension
Beneﬁts. The requirement for participation is that an employee has already made the maximum tax-free and social-
insurance-free contribution to the REWE Group Pension Fund and wants to make even more tax-free and social-
insurance-free contributions into the company pension scheme. Some retirement schemes are also oﬀered outside
Germany because national social-insurance and tax laws set the conditions for company pension plans.
Historic retirement planning models
In addition to the retirement planning models described above, the contribution- and beneﬁt-oriented commitments
of employees from companies acquired in the past are being continued. They are also included in pension liabilities in
the Annual Report.
In 2021, the fair value of the deﬁned beneﬁt obligation (DBO) totalled 1,240.2 million euros (in addition to 235.6
million euros for pension-like obligations; 2020: 1,270.5 million euros and 261.5 million euros). More information can
Results from discontinued operations
-37.0
-30.2
2.2
5.6
EAT/net income
755.6
415.3
340.3
81.9

be found in the Group Management Report for business year 2021 starting on page 136.
Other beneﬁts
Other employee beneﬁts involve voluntary special payments that exceed requirements of collective bargaining
agreements and voluntary social beneﬁts like survivor beneﬁts and retirement allowances. The volume of these
beneﬁts is found in pension-like obligations.
Voluntary special payments that exceed requirements of collective bargaining agreements by sales line, in euros
Sales line
Year
Euro
Trade Germany
2019
62,693,400
2020
65,196,148
2021
73,636,246
Trade International (Austria)1
2019
-
2020
-
2021
-
Convenience
2019
106,477
2020
214,620
2021
705,038
Travel and Tourism
2019
234,000
2020
212,000
2021
198,000
DIY Stores
2019
2,758,171
2020
2,758,635
2021
2,895,940
Other
2019
7,781,263
2020
8,245,782
2021
8,644,030
Total (scope of the Sustainability Report)
2019
73,573,310
2020
76,627,185
2021
86,079,254
1 Holiday pay and the Christmas bonus (known as remuneration for the 13th and 14th months of the year) are covered by collective bargaining
agreements in Austria. They do not constitute add-ons as a result.

Company retirement scheme by sales line, in euros
Sales line
Year
Share of participants in the company
retirement scheme (of all eligible
employees) in %
Contributions to the company retirement
scheme (employee + employer) in euros
Trade Germany
2019
18.5
44,178,609
2020
17.2
42,298,170
2021
17.2
46,711,792
Trade International (Austria)1
2019
5.3
661,800
2020
5.2
655,800
2021
5.5
677,100
Convenience
2019
9.5
137,747
2020
35.8
1,885,645
2021
35.2
2,553,569
Travel and Tourism
2019
58.2
5,182,000
2020
63.7
4,615,000
2021
66.7
4,364,000
DIY Stores
2019
23.9
4,250,087
2020
20.6
4,262,740
2021
20.6
4,898,343
Other
2019
38.5
7,184,973
2020
36.0
6,671,908
2021
40.8
7,433,568
Total (scope of the
Sustainability Report)
2019
17.6
61,595,216
2020
16.7
60,389,263
2021
16.8
66,638,371
1 Austria has had a company retirement scheme for employees since September 2010. The company pension for managers in Austria is not included
in the table.
GRI 102-48: Since ﬁnancial year 2020, other investment forms of company retirement planning (direct insurance and support fund) have been
considered in addition to the pension fund and voluntary pension beneﬁts. Data has been adjusted retroactively and no longer agrees with the data
used in the Sustainability Report 2019 as a result.

As an international combine, the REWE Group assumes a special responsibility for its business operations. The
company believes that compliance with tax laws is a fundamental characteristic of the common good, free societies
and free markets.
GRI 207-1: Approach to tax
GRI 207-2: Tax governance, control, and risk management
GRI 207-3: Stakeholder engagement and management of concerns related to tax
Management approach
Responsibility
The responsibility for the management and control of tax positions as well as for group-wide compliance with legal
regulations and internal policies is largely assigned to the Management Board of the REWE Group. The Board has
contracted the tax-consulting ﬁrm Pro-Data GmbH Steuerberatungsgesellschaft to ensure that the REWE Group
complies with all tax-related requirements. The Head of combine Taxes regularly informs the Chief Financial Oﬃcer
(CFO) of the REWE Group about all key tax issues and their impact on the combine’s ﬁnancial ﬁgures.
Principles
The CFO of the REWE Group and Pro-Data GmbH Steuerberatungsgesellschaft have issued the Guideline on Tax
Compliance, a document that categorically applies to all German companies in the REWE Group. A second guideline
containing similar requirements applies fundamentally to all companies based outside Germany.
Drawing on the conservative tax strategy that the Management Board of REWE-ZENTRALFINANZ eG developed
together with the management team of Pro-Data GmbH Steuerberatungsgesellschaft, the REWE Group is working to
develop a simple, tax-eﬃcient structure that will facilitate business operations in all countries. The company employs
a strategy under which it is committed to completely fulﬁlling its tax obligations, operating within the legal framework
and refraining from the use of aggressive tax models. In particular, the REWE Group has set the goal of paying taxes
on its proﬁts in those countries where these particular business operations are conducted and observes local tax laws
in the process. The REWE Group rejects the practise of artiﬁcially transferring proﬁts to tax havens or other low-tax
GRI 207
Tax

countries – through the use of such dodges as transfer-pricing models.
Objective
The aim of the REWE Group is to keep the amount of value added tax neutral and to reduce the tax that applies to the
company’s proﬁts to the legal minimum. The REWE Group is also committed to submitting a ﬂawless tax return by the
required deadline. The group of companies strives to work with tax authorities in a constructive and trusting manner
and communicate openly and transparently with them.
Implementation
To ensure compliance with legal requirements and to minimise the risk of tax law violations or to recognise them at an
early stage, the REWE Group has implemented a system that is designed to facilitate regulation conformity of the tax
compliance management system (TCMS). The TCMS is reviewed by an external auditor. The auditor has conﬁrmed
the adequacy and eﬀectiveness of the TCMS.
The Tax Compliance Oﬃcer (TCO) oversees the implementation, monitoring and reﬁnement of the TCMS. The
monitoring system includes audits by auditing ﬁrms and Internal Auditing, the audit by tax authorities and the reports
of the tax oﬃcers and other employees of the REWE Group. The TCO analyses the reports and implements
appropriate measures when required – with the aim of eliminating the sources of errors in future or correcting errors.
The TCO can also ask that those in charge of the work monitor implementation.

As part of its commitment to future-focused economic, nutrition and environmental policies, the REWE Group
conducts a multilevel dialogue with political leaders and fosters open discourse. At the same time, the company with
a workforce of 384,000 people assumes a major responsibility that arises from its role as a food supplier of the
general population. The REWE Group exercises this responsibility through this dialogue.
GRI 415: Public policy
Management approach
Implementation
The REWE Group maintains oﬃces in Berlin and Brussels that act as platforms for dialogue and debate with
stakeholder groups that are relevant to trade, tourism and the REWE Group. The company draws anyone who shares
its values and principles into this dialogue. The combine’s headquarters in Cologne and Wiener Neudorf are actively
engaged in these discussions with political stakeholders in the large number of countries where the REWE Group does
business.
GRI 415
Collaboration with Political Leaders

The title of the agreement that Germany’s new three-party coalition government signed at the end of 2021
sums up the political leaders’ aims: “Dare More Progress – Alliance for Freedom, Justice and
Sustainability”. The coalition agreement contains farsighted proposals that impact all business areas and
activities of the REWE Group – from the dramatic acceleration of eﬀorts to expand the use of renewable
energies to the transition to species-appropriate animal-husbandry practises and the aim of increasing the
share of land used for organic farming to 30 percent by 2030. The REWE Group has been intensively
focusing on these issues for years now, and the company shares its practical experience with political
stakeholders during these discussions. The company takes the same approach to the wide range of areas
addressed in the EU Green Deal, a plan that is designed to make the EU’s economy more sustainable and
turn climate and environmental issues into opportunities. The REWE Group welcomes the EU Commission’s
push to create a coherent framework that will guide eﬀorts in the next few years to achieve climate neutrality
across Europe and to uncouple economic growth from use of resources.
During the reporting period, a number of background meetings and events were held. Invitations to these meetings
were extended to many policy makers from a range of parties. Many of these meetings were held digitally as a result
of the coronavirus pandemic. The issues discussed here included regional value chains, the future of agriculture and
living incomes in the cocoa sector. Representatives of the REWE Group also conducted direct conversations with
political leaders and representatives of government authorities for the purpose of sensitising them about relevant
issues and outlining the company’s interests. Furthermore, representatives of the REWE Group served as speakers,
guests or discussion partners at events hosted by government authorities, political parties and trade associations.
These events focused on political and social issues that are relevant to the company. The trade and tourism company
has clear reasons for doing such public-aﬀairs work: The REWE Group would be aﬀected by legislation covering the
introduction of a due diligence law or a ban on the culling of male chicks. During the reporting period, the public-
aﬀairs work focused on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the REWE Group’s business units.
Donations made to political parties or political organisations, oﬃce holders, government authorities, churches and
other religious groups must be approved by the Management Board member responsible for the respective area and
the Chief Compliance Oﬃcer of the REWE Group. Every donation must comply with legal regulations and regulatory
guidelines at the REWE Group, including the Code of Conduct.
Since 2014, the REWE Group has reported on its activities and annual spending on political dialogue at European
level in the European Union’s Transparency Register.

GRI 415-1:
Political contributions
The REWE Group conducted no political party sponsoring during the reporting period. No information about retailers
was available. In 2016, the REWE Group became a member of the business-focused organisations of the Social
Democrats and Christian Democrats in Germany: the Wirtschaftsforum der SPD e. V. and the Wirtschaftsrat der CDU
e. V. It is also a member of similar group organised by Alliance 90/The Greens: Grünen Wirtschaftsdialog e. V. The
three memberships cost the company a total of about 56,000 euros annually. The REWE Group has also been a
member of the Business Advisory Board of the Greens’ parliamentary group in Berlin since 2018.

Technological developments are creating more and more data collection and data processing possibilities. This
development increases the importance of and the requirements for reliable data protection. The EU General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR) that took eﬀect in 2018 created a new framework governing the processing of personal
data. As an international company, the REWE Group processes personal data as part of its daily operations.
Protecting this data is the company’s highest priority.
GRI 418: Customer privacy
Management approach
Principles
The companies of the REWE Group conﬁdentially handle personal data as a matter of course. The REWE Group
protects this data in accordance with legal requirements. The company has made this practice a high priority –
particularly in light of the growing online business being that is being conducted by its sales brands.
Implementation
Every data protection question sent to the companies of the REWE Group by customers or supervisory authorities is
documented, reviewed and processed by the data protection organisation. Internal and external data protection
oﬃcers ensure that the handling of personal data and the processing programmes used in this work comply with laws.
They also assist work to reﬁne company-speciﬁc data protection and data storage measures and advise
organisational units and specialist departments. Data protection coordinators throughout the combine assist and
support them. The data protection oﬃcers report directly to the top management level of the companies or to the
REWE Group’s central data protection management team. In turn, these managers report to the Management Board
and Supervisory Board of the REWE Group. The REWE Group had 25 data protection oﬃcers in 2021.
The central data protection management organisation assumes responsibility for combine-wide governance on data
protection, the leadership of the REWE Group Data Protection Board and the consolidation of reporting and controls.
In addition, it is responsible for promoting synergies between the activities of the data protection coordinators and
data protection oﬃcers and for providing information campaigns and training programmes for the REWE Group.
GRI 418
Data Protection

The REWE Group’s Data Protection Board ensures that the implementation requirements for court rulings on data
protection during the year that are relevant to the Group are clariﬁed and provided to controllers via the data-
protection organisation.
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The Group Management Board of the REWE Group made the following commitment to data protection in
2018: “The objective of the REWE Group as a group of trade and tourism companies is to provide a
comprehensive range of products and exceptional services to its customers. In this process, the extensive
amount of data available to the company must be viewed as an opportunity and be used in a way that
designs the range of services to meet customer needs and that makes processes more eﬃcient as part of
digitalisation. In using this customer data as well as the data of employees and business partners, the REWE
Group understands the imperative need to observe legal regulations governing the processing of personal
data. The company must take this approach to safeguard and bolster existing trust and thus secure the
long-term success of the REWE Group.”
During the reporting period, the reporting system for audit plans and reports was optimised along with the existing
combine-wide reporting system on data protection. The activity reports of the data protection oﬃcers were improved
as well. The improvements helped to increase the transparency about relevant areas of action for all key participants.
In addition, the experience gained in the implementation of the EU GDPR and court rulings on various data protection
issues during the year were evaluated. The results ﬂowed into the optimisation of data-protection-relevant
documentations and processes. Target-group-focused training courses oﬀered as in-person classes or digital
programmes – due to the Covid-19 pandemic – were expanded further.
During the ﬁnancial year, new legal questions related to data protection arising from the coronavirus pandemic were
addressed. Necessary measures were then developed and implemented. The data protection oﬃcers advised the
respective specialist departments at the REWE Group and reviewed the permissibility or the impermissibility of
measures – for instance, regarding the legally mandated recording of veriﬁcation of compliance with a German
pandemic-related regulation. Under this requirement, an individual had to have been vaccinated, recovered from a
Covid-19 infection or tested for the coronavirus before he or she would be admitted to closed areas like shops. The
basis of the decisions included guidelines issued by data protection supervisory authorities regarding the handling of
personal data, including employee health data by employers. The REWE Group also provided its employees with in-
depth information about the Covid-19 pandemic and data protection on a portal.

GRI 418-1:
Substantiated complaints concerning breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data
In 2021, the rights of data subjects for the customers of the REWE Group were successfully clariﬁed and completed
on time.
All complaints and reports about potential data protection infringements or violations (2021: 277 incidents; 2020:
189 incidents) were reviewed, processed and documented. Data protection supervisory authorities were involved in
28 cases. These cases addressed either internally determined and reportable data protection violations or issues that
supervisory authorities reported to the REWE Group. The underlying facts were analysed, technical or organisational
measures were changed where necessary and the complaining party – either a data subject or supervisory authority
– was notiﬁed about the ﬁndings and potential measures to be taken as a result.

Digitalisation is a driving force behind fundamental changes in politics, science, business and society. The
transformation being fuelled by modern information technology and digital solutions is also sweeping through the
trade and travel industries: Food is increasingly ordered via digital channels, and trips are being booked online. As a
pioneer in the digital trade of food and nutritional, kitchen and household products, the REWE Group is well aware of
the responsibility it has assumed for its customers, employees and suppliers. It fully comprehends the tremendous
opportunities oﬀered by digitalisation, but also understands that the potential risks associated with it must be
considered as well.
Background
The REWE Group can optimise its business operations and make well-grounded decisions by using data-based
information. Such data can be responsibly used to develop needs-based oﬀers to customers and eﬃciently structure
processes. In terms of sustainability, the responsible provision of digital products and services can also provide added
value. For instance, the use of data-based analytical tools conserves resources by facilitating needs-driven planning
of inventories and their delivery. Technologies can also be used to make supply chains more transparent.
By intensely reﬂecting on its digital responsibility, the REWE Group will be better equipped to counteract the impact
of digitalisation in such areas as the loss of privacy or possible discrimination by algorithms.
Approach
Principles
The REWE Group assumes responsibility for its customers, employees and suppliers. In today’s era of digital change,
it simply makes sense for the trade company to assume this responsibility in digital space as well.
The REWE Group views corporate digital responsibility (CDR) as an obligation to support digitalisation and foster
digital skills. In addition, data traﬃc should be open – in compliance with relevant laws and the data ethics that apply
to all combine activities. The REWE Group always places human beings at the heart of digitalisation. For this reason,
the group of companies views the conscientious handling of data as an indispensable part of its work. It focuses in
RG 2
Digital Responsibility

particular on the ethical use of data and data protection. The REWE Group also views CDR as the interaction of the
responsible use of various technologies.
Implementation
The REWE Group believes that it is obligated to responsibly help to shape digitalisation. This is why employees from
various parts of the company conduct a regular and intense dialogue about the issue. The REWE Group encourages
this dialogue throughout the combine. The REWE Group also works actively in company-wide committees and trade
associations to integrate digital responsibility into the company and encourage discussions about best practises that
extend beyond the horizons of the company and sector. In addition, the REWE Group conducts a dialogue about
digital responsibility with political leaders as part of its public aﬀairs activities.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a large number of the REWE Group’s employees have been working remotely
since March 2020. During this period, the REWE Group has increasingly given thought to ways that remote working
could be even more widely used and integrated into the company’s administrative locations. The project REWE DNA
– Deine neue Arbeitswelt (REWE DNA – Your New Work World” was created for this purpose. The company’s reasons
for launching this project were quite clear: Remote working can be used outside the context of the pandemic to
create better work/life balances for employees. This form of work also facilitates collaboration among diﬀerent
company locations. Key issues addressed here include data protection and the teaching of digital skills.
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The development of products and services based on artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) has tremendous potential and
oﬀers added value to the customers and business partners of the REWE Group – including in terms of trade
and tourism. As a framework, it needs to be covered by future-focused and reliable guidelines and criteria –
starting at the time of development and programming of AI-based systems. The REWE Group is increasingly
engaged with AI-supported applications and processes. With such work in mind, the company issued its AI
Manifesto in 2020. The manifesto contains clear and speciﬁc recommendations that must be considered in
the development of AI applications. The manifesto creates an awareness for potential risks and dangers
related to the use of AI technologies. In this regard, it is designed to help to facilitate the development of
sustainable and responsible systems.
Checkout-free shopping at REWE Pick&Go
One example of the way that the new technologies are being responsibly used in terms of CDR at the REWE Group is
the REWE Pick&Go store that opened in Cologne in October 2021. REWE is the ﬁrst company in the German food
retail sector to make use of hybrid shopping: Customers may pay, as they always have, at the till or use a digital
system – that is they bypass the cash register and the wait that is frequently associated with it. At Pick&Go,
purchases are registered in a secure, data-restrictive manner with the help of camera and sensor technology. They
are billed after they leave the store. To take advantage of the services, customers must use the Pick&Go app.

Customers store their money here and scan the associated QR code at the entrance to the market. The app uses
computer vision technology that is fed data from cameras installed in the ceiling and weight sensors on the shelves.
Data protection was and is a key consideration used in the development and operation of the system: The images
recorded of customers are processed in a data-restrictive manner and are used exclusively to facilitate checkout-free
purchases. No facial recognition system is used, and the system cannot identify customers after they leave the store.
All of these questions were addressed during the conception phase of the system in a reﬂection of the digital
responsibility assumed by the REWE Group and its technology partners. Data protection authorities were also
consulted at an early stage – beyond legal notiﬁcation requirements.
To create additional supply-chain transparency, SELEGGT GmbH, a joint venture of the REWE Group, the HatchTech
Group and the University of Leipzig, are using a blockchain-based process to monitor the supply chain for eggs.
Customers can also use a QR code to track the supply chain all the back way to the farm for REWE’s store-brand
bananas and REWE Beste Wahl (Best Choice) pineapples as well as PENNY’s Fairtrade-Biohelden (Organic Heroes)
bananas and pineapples (for more information, see the section Raw Materials – Food). To help consumers to make
conscious food choices ,the REWE Group requires REWE and PENNY to use the nutritional information label Nutri-
Score on their store brands. Because the transition has not been completed yet for all products, customers can use
the REWE app to scan the products and receive the same nutritional information (for more information, see the
section Nutrition).

The concept of sustainability has ﬁltered into mainstream society. It is reﬂected in both dietary and consumption
behaviour as well as in the selection of holiday destinations: Recent surveys show that almost one in four buys organic
products frequently or exclusively (German Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Environmental Barometer 2020), whilst
one in three today already takes sustainability aspects into consideration when travelling (Bavarian Centre for Tourism
- BZT, Travel Analysis 2021). In other words, an increasing number of people are interested in the social and
environmental impact of their actions. However, the following still applies: Sustainability is never the only decision
criterion. Quality and price are just as important. At the same time, consumers associate various facets with the term
sustainability. For some people it is about protecting the climate or resources, whilst others attach importance to
social conditions or animal welfare.
The REWE Group wants to take these needs into account and also get more and more people enthusiastic about more
sustainable products and services. While doing so, the REWE Group seeks to make sustainability part of its business
strategy, contributing to economic success and forming an important driver of growth.
Background
The sales lines of the REWE Group distribute both private label products and products of third-party brands. The
commercial company holds regular discussions with brand producers and promotes exchanges with experts about
sustainability, within the framework of industry initiatives, for example, or in joint projects. This dialogue and
cooperation are important to promote the subject of sustainability. But the REWE Group has a lot of inﬂuence with its
private label products and, consequently, a particular responsibility. This is why this aspect is the focus of its
sustainability commitment.
Strategic Approach Green Products

Strategic approach
Principles
As a leading international trade and tourism company, the REWE Group is keenly aware of the special role it plays as
an interface among producers, suppliers and consumers. The production of REWE Group private label products has
impacts on humans, animals and the environment. Customers of the REWE Group assume – and should be able to
trust – that the commercial company is aware of its responsibility in the supply chains of its private labels and will
deal with the impacts.
The Group is working on oﬀering a larger number of more sustainable product ranges. In the area of food, this
includes organic and regional private label products and products for which the REWE Group has achieved
improvements in the supply chain. Since 2010, REWE, PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores have been identifying
products that are socially and environmentally sustainable and/or that fulﬁl high animal welfare standards with the
PRO PLANET label. The REWE Group wants to encourage sustainable consumption among a broad group of
consumers. The 10-year anniversary in 2020 was taken as an occasion to redesign the PRO PLANET label and the
awarding process (for more information, see PRO PLANET). In tourism too, an increasing number of more sustainable
oﬀers are now available. In 2021, for example, DER Touristik published its ﬁrst catalogue in magazine form called
“Bewusst Reisen” (“Conscious Travel”). It reveals which hotels have sustainability certiﬁcation and provides
information about the travel destinations and the sustainability commitment of hotels (for more information, see
Promoting Sustainable Consumption).
In order to meet the complex needs of consumers and permanently integrate sustainability into procurement
processes, the REWE Group developed the Green Products Strategy 2030 in 2017, which is based on the core
elements of the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains. It covers the supply chains of its
private labels which are sold at REWE, PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores in Germany. The strategy deﬁnes the
framework to identify and assess the impact of private label products on people, animals and the environment and to
take eﬀective measures. The strategy is embedded in the overarching sustainability strategy of the REWE Group and
summarises the strategic focus and the operational implementation of sustainability into the pillar Green Products. Its
mission – “We act responsibly towards people, animals and the environment” – forms the umbrella of the strategy, on
which speciﬁc measures are based.
Responsibility
In the 2021 reporting period, the pillar Green Products for the food retail sector in Germany was overseen by Marcel
Weber (private label products – national and international). The Sustainable Products area managed by Dirk Heim
together with Purchasing and Category Management are responsible for implementing the measures and achieving
the goals set in the Green Products 2030 strategy.
Together with Purchasing and Category Management, the identiﬁed aspects and focus issues in each area of action
are prioritised for each product area within the clearly deﬁned strategy and budget process and backed up with
speciﬁc measures. Clear goals and responsibilities are also coordinated here. Through the annual strategy and
budget process, a regular review of the strategy and measures developed is ﬁrmly established. This enables the REWE
Group to ensure that any current issues arising from changed general conditions are addressed.

Strategy process
The basis for strategy development was a comprehensive analysis of the sustainability risks and impacts of the REWE
Group in the supply chains of private label products. Further important components were the surveying of
stakeholders and customers (see Materiality Analysis) as well as political and scientiﬁc analyses and objectives (see
Sustainable Development Goals). With the aid of a risk and opportunity analysis, environmental, social and business
data is evaluated to assess the social and environmental impact of the products and to identify the greatest impacts
on sustainability (for more information, see Product-Related Risk Analyses). Building upon this, the impacts that
private label products have on humans, animals and the environment were shown quantiﬁed in monetary terms.
Amongst other things, the analysis showed that raw material production and the processing of products, in particular,
are highly relevant with regard to sustainability criteria. A holistic view of the supply chain is an important element of
the sustainability strategy. It is increasingly becoming an integral part of purchasing processes and requires a close
exchange with direct and indirect suppliers. The analysis resulted in 25 aspects which the REWE Group has
summarised for the operationalisation of the strategy in the following areas of action:
!"People
!"Animals
!"Environment
Furthermore, the REWE Group – with its REWE and PENNY sales lines as competent and reliable partners for a
balanced diet – has deﬁned a fourth area of action in the pillar Green Products. This is addressed within a number of
diﬀerent projects:
!"Nutrition
Implementation
The strategy is implemented by means of a comprehensive management approach that deﬁnes the principles and
tools required to carry out the measures:

1. Risk analyses:
The REWE Group continuously evaluates opportunities and risks in the area of sustainability. On the one hand, these
analyses are based on external analyses of product areas, speciﬁc products and raw material supply chains. On the
other hand, assessments and the experience of external NGO expert committees for sustainability and other
stakeholders, such as producers, suppliers and employees are included.
2. Derivation of focal points and goals:
Based on the risk analyses, focus raw materials, focus issues, goals and measures were deﬁned, which are adapted
and scrutinised when new results or ﬁndings are available.

3. Deﬁnition and implementation of measures:
Measures to reach goals and process the focus raw materials and focus issues were implemented on three diﬀerent
levels of cooperation:
3.1 Internal cooperation
Through internal training courses and awareness-raising measures, continuous analysis of opportunities and risks
and by formulating strategies and goals, the REWE Group integrates sustainable procurement in the purchasing
process. The aim is to consider sustainability aspects in supplier and/or product decisions.
3.2 Cooperation within the supply chain
In its cooperation with the companies involved in the supply chain the REWE Group takes a three-step approach,
which includes formulating requirements, monitoring and developing the companies. Business partners in the
private label supply chains of the REWE Group are obliged to name the production sites in which products for the
REWE Group are produced. By raising awareness and obligating the business partners it is possible to create
speciﬁc rules to implement sustainability in the entire supply chain.
Training helps suppliers and producers implement the requirements of the REWE Group and ensures continuous
improvement. In various projects the REWE Group works directly with raw material producers to overcome the
challenges. Eﬀorts are also made to integrate transparency and sustainability into the supplier evaluation process.
Another important element in the supply chain work is developing eﬀective complaint mechanisms.
3.3 Cooperation with stakeholders
Sustainability in the supply chain can work in the long term only through collaboration with all relevant
stakeholders. The REWE Group encourages continuous dialogue with a large number of stakeholders and is
involved in various national and international initiatives, alliances and forums.
Important elements include participation in external events, industry initiatives, partnerships, a commitment to
continue developing sustainability standards and monitoring relevant developments on political and regulatory
levels.
4. Monitoring and reporting:
The activities are reviewed and evaluated. The results of this monitoring work are then incorporated into reﬁning the
measures.
Focus issues, goals and KPIs
The following focus issues were identiﬁed within the four areas of action (people, animals, the environment and
nutrition), for which speciﬁc measures are being taken. They show which aspects within the areas of action have
especially high risks and opportunities for the REWE Group and must therefore be handed speciﬁcally. For this
purpose, goals and KPIs have also been deﬁned and approved for the private labels within the areas of action. The

status of goal achievement is checked using the deﬁned KPIs and published in the sustainability report.
People: Living wages and income, forced labour and child labour as well as women in the supply chain
In a globalised world with complex trade relations and a large economic gap between developing and industrialised
nations, there is an unequal balance of power. This can lead to societal ills such as forced labour, child labour and
poverty-level incomes. Discrimination against women also poses a challenge in global supply chains. The REWE
Group is focused on fair working conditions and the protection of human rights in the supply chain.
REWE Group activities relating to ethical business practices are aimed at furthering human rights and improving
working conditions in supply chains.
Animals: Husbandry conditions
Conventional intensive animal husbandry in Germany often focuses on the maximum output of the animals. The
promotion of rapid growth and weight gain as well as the maximisation of animal density in stall spaces can lead to,
amongst other things, stress and altered social behaviour with increased aggressiveness. The animals are also prone
to more diseases. For the REWE Group, the respectful treatment of animals in the production of goods of animal origin
is fundamental. The company wants to implement greater animal welfare in the supply chains of private labels of
animal origin. In this way, a lack of usability or long transport routes should be eliminated and husbandry conditions
should be adapted to the needs of the animals – through more space and run-out areas, more activities or through
fewer interventions on the animal.
With its measures in the area of animals, the REWE Group is pursuing its ambition of implementing animal welfare in
the supply chains of private labels of animal origin.
GGooaall
SSttaattuuss
MMeeaassuurreess
Integration of greater animal welfare in animal supply chains by 2030
See Animal Welfare
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Goal not attained
GGooaall
SSttaattuuss
MMeeaassuurreess
Complete integration into a training programme (capacity building) for strategically relevant
production sites in the case of the private labels of REWE and PENNY Germany as well as toom by
the end of 2030
See Social Aspects in
the Supply Chain
Improvement of access to complaint mechanisms in relevant supply chains in the case of the
private labels of REWE and PENNY in Germany as well as toom by the end of 2025
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Goal not attained

Environment: Circular economy, climate and biodiversity
The use of natural resources and the competition for scarce resources such as fresh water, land and raw materials are
increasing worldwide. At the same time, this is exacerbating global environmental problems such as climate change,
soil degradation and loss of biodiversity. The supply chain of the REWE Group causes environmental eﬀects during
the production of products. The commercial company assumes its responsibility and uses various measures to
promote the careful use of natural resources along its supply chain. Through these actions, the aim is to sustainably
reduce the impact on biodiversity, climate, air, water and soil as well as the impacts of plastic and packaging.
The REWE Group implements measures for the conservation of resources in its supply chains in an eﬀort to protect
natural resources and preserve biodiversity.
Nutrition: Varied and healthy diet
The REWE Group is focused on promoting a varied, balanced diet. In addition to its educational campaign on healthy
nutrition and exercise, the adaptation of the product range as well as transparent information about the nutritional
values of products play signiﬁcant roles. Following the publication of the strategy paper Sugar, Salt, REWE and
PENNY checked and optimised the entire private label range with regard to sugar and salt content between 2018 and
2020. The content was gradually reduced so that customers could slowly get used to the new taste. Alternative
sweeteners were not used as a replacement. The plan is to continue optimising private label recipes in the future with
regard to their sugar and/or salt content. Since 2020, this has been taking place as part of the introduction of the
Nutri-Score – the additional nutritional information labelling. This is designed to help consumers make conscious
food choices. For information about the Nutri-Score, see Nutrition.
With the “ErnährWert” value, REWE is oﬀering consumers additional guidance for a balance diet. This is shown in
many of the online recipes in REWE Deine Küche (REWE Your Kitchen) and provides information about the nutrients
contained and the balance of the dish. In addition, the nutrition encyclopaedia in REWE Deine Küche oﬀers
information about ingredients and additives, fats and oils, seasonal and conscious nutrition, food intolerances and the
Nutri-Score.
GGooaall
SSttaattuuss
MMeeaassuurreess
Complete integration of relevant food and non-food producers into an environmental
programme in the case of the private labels of REWE and PENNY in Germany as well as toom
by the end of 2030
See Environmental Aspects
in the Supply Chain
100% more environmentally friendly private label packaging by the end of 20301
See Packaging
Reduction of absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 15% in the supply chains of private label
products at REWE and PENNY in Germany by the end of 2030 (compared with 2019)
See Climate Protection in
the Supply Chain
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Goal not attained
1 This goal applies to the REWE Group in Germany (REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY stores) and, since 2019, also for the international sales lines
(BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY and ADEG).

With its measures in the area of nutrition, the REWE Group encourages people to have a varied and balanced diet.
Reporting
The following sections of the GRI Report contain all measures, data and topics related to the pillar Green Products:
!"Biodiversity
!"Organic
!"Living Wages and Income
!"Raw Materials in Focus – Food
!"Raw Materials in Focus – Non-food
!"Women in the Supply Chain
!"Nutrition
!"Child Labour and Forced Labour
!"Climate Protection in the Supply Chain
!"Customer Health and Product Safety
!"Promoting Sustainable Consumption
!"Environmental Aspects in the Supply Chain
!"PRO PLANET
!"Product-related Risk Analyses
!"Regionality
!"Social Aspects in the Supply Chain
GGooaall
SSttaattuuss
MMeeaassuurreess
Increase in Nutri-Score labelling for relevant* private label products at REWE and PENNY in Germany to 80%
by mid-2022 and 100% by mid-2023
See
Nutrition
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Goal not attained
* Not relevant are mono-products, such as rice, potatoes and ﬂour and products that do not have added sugar or salt, such as mineral water, cooking
oil or vinegar.

!"Animal Welfare
!"Packaging
!"Circular Economy
!"Water

The REWE Group strives to reduce the environmental and social impacts of its business operations wherever possible.
In order to implement this, the REWE Group conducts analyses to assess social and environmental risks: at the
product group or raw material level in order to formulate strategies and at the level of individual products, topics or
countries in order to specify measures. Within this framework, the REWE Group continuously checks its own
performance and progress with a view to minimising risks. When diﬀerent goals come into conﬂict with one another,
the company calls on experts from its own ranks and from external stakeholder groups.
GRI 102-11: Precautionary principle or approach
Analysis of the social and environmental risks in the supply chains
The risk analyses of the REWE Group are used to identify and assess the impacts of its business activities on people,
animals and the environment. The aim is to identify the signiﬁcant negative environmental and social impacts of
private label products and clarify where these occur. The analysis is used to help decide which measures should be
taken and with which priority – with the aim of minimising any risks identiﬁed and using opportunities. Therefore, it
forms the basis for strategic focus in the area of more sustainable product ranges and for developing the strategy
Green Products 2030 in which topics, key performance indicators (KPIs), goals and measures are deﬁned.
Product-related risk analyses: trade
The REWE Group in Germany has conducted a formalised risk analysis for food and non-food products for the supply
chains of private label products sold at REWE and PENNY in Germany. For this purpose, the product range of food
and non-food products was divided into a total of 37 product clusters. The approach thus takes the total product
range into consideration.
The procedure is divided into two strands: a qualitative analysis and a quantitative analysis. As part of the qualitative
investigation, studies and reports were evaluated and interviews conducted with purchasers and NGOs in order to
identify signiﬁcant sustainability issues along the value chains. In addition to the environmental impacts, risks in the
GRI 102-11
Product-related Risk Analyses

area of working conditions and human rights were also particularly identiﬁed as part of this process.
The quantitative input-output analysis is based on an economic model. For this purpose, the environmental impacts
in the supply chain, such as greenhouse gas emissions, for example, were determined and converted into monetary
amounts. The social impacts were assessed by identifying how many people per product cluster are active in the total
supply chain. This data was linked to the purchasing volume of the company as well as to information about the
countries of production or origin in order to assess environmental and social risks speciﬁcally from a monetary
standpoint. This made it possible to quantify the external costs of the company’s economic activity for the individual
product clusters. This also enabled the environmental and social hot spots to be identiﬁed along the entire value
chain based on facts and particularly high-risk product groups and focus raw materials to be determined.
The analysis made it possible to determine that the main impacts are in the supply chain links of raw materials
production and processing. Therefore, these areas are the focus of REWE Group activities.

Impacts along the value chain
In addition, the following critical raw materials were identiﬁed:
!"fruit and vegetables in general, bananas and pineapples in particular,
!"meat and dairy products, including animal feed,
!"coﬀee, cocoa, tea, palm oil, ﬁsh, orange juice, as well as
!"cotton, textiles and natural stones (for more information, see Raw Materials in Focus – Food and Raw Materials in
Focus – Non-Food).
Cultivation/Breeding
Processing
Logistics
REWE Group
Consumers
Disposal
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high
Impact
low

Scorecards summarise the results of the analysis for each individual product cluster. They provide an overview of the
social and environmental costs of the respective products along the value chain. The allocation to the ﬁve links of the
value chain enables a more detailed examination of the focus issues.
Example: impacts on fruit and vegetables
For the “fruit and vegetables” product cluster, air emissions and energy, biodiversity, soil, water, working conditions
and human rights were identiﬁed as focus issues along the supply chain. In addition to these topics from the value
chain stages of raw material extraction and processing, the following were also identiﬁed as sustainability issues:
transparency and business practices, environmental pollution and carbon dioxide emissions caused by transport as
well as packaging and food waste.
Fruit and vegetables scorecard – overview of environmental and social impacts
Results in the “fruit and vegetables” product cluster
Raw Material Production
Processing
Transport
Consumption
Packaging / End of Life
Air emissions /
energy
Human rights & working
conditions
Environmental pollution
Packaging
Biodiversity
Water
Carbon dioxide
emissions
Food waste
Soil
Transparency &
business practices
Water
Working conditions,
human rights
Focus issues
Air emissions & energy
!"Carbon dioxide emissions from using fertiliser and energy
consumption during farming
!"Carbon dioxide emissions from logging to gain farming land
!"Emissions from transport

The scorecards show the focus issues as well as their relevance and present the individual ﬁndings in detail. A
comparison of the results with the sustainability activities of the REWE Group in Germany results in necessary
measures to be taken.
In order to substantiate the results, the REWE Group conducts additional investigations for individual product areas,
focus issues or vulnerable groups of people.
In 2019, for example, an assessment of the carbon footprint for the supply chains was prepared (for more
information, see Climate Protection in the Supply Chain). In addition, a risk analysis was conducted in the area of
forced labour (for more information, see Child Labour and Forced Labour) and, in 2020, in the area of women (for
more information, see Women in the Supply Chain). An external risk analysis was conducted for fruit and vegetables
Focus issues
Biodiversity
!"Threat to biodiversity due to pesticides, use of chemicals, etc.
!"Threat to biodiversity due to logging to create farming land and
thus associated soil leaching and erosion
Soil
!"Leaching of soils from farming
!"Soil erosion
Water
!"Water pollution from fertilisers
!"Fresh water wastage during farming and production/processing
Working conditions
!"Occupational safety (handling of chemicals, pesticides,
hazardous substances, etc.)
!"Remuneration (e.g. of ﬁeld workers, but also in further
processing)
!"Limited access of small farmers to information, technology and
resources
Human rights
!"Risk of child labour and forced labour

in the ﬁnancial year in order to analyse the supply chains using external data. The results serve as the basis for the
strategic focus of the fruit and vegetables product range with regards to sustainability.
For more information, see Risk Management.
Human rights risk analysis: DER Touristik Group
To get a comprehensive overview of the human rights risks in its value chain and in destinations, DER Touristik Group
conducts a human rights risk analysis at regular intervals and derives measures and objectives from it.
The relevant human rights risks and aspects in tourism include:
!"Children’s rights
!"Workers’ rights
!"Modern slavery
!"Equality
!"Local residents’ access to land, water and food
!"Rule of law with a focus on personal rights
!"Standard of living
!"Corruption
!"Political participation
!"Rule of law with a focus on political rights
The human rights risk analysis could not be conducted in 2020 and 2021 due to the corona pandemic. However, it is
planned for 2022 for the entire DER Touristik Group (previously only Germany) in preparation for the German Supply
Chain Due Diligence Act.
In the last human rights risk analysis conducted in 2018, the violation of workers’ and children’s rights was identiﬁed
as a particularly signiﬁcant risk for DER Touristik Germany, with Thailand, South Africa and Egypt being rated as
particularly risky countries. In 2019, the analysis was followed by a social impact assessment with the Round Table for
Human Rights in order to identify speciﬁc challenges in Thailand and develop solutions. This covered topics such as
women’s rights and child protection. Broad challenges such as modern slavery, sexual exploitation and land theft
were also addressed as part of industry initiatives.

Looking at the origin of products has become a matter of course for many consumers. In particular, the regional origin
of products is important to many customers. A regional product range strengthens farmers and businesses from the
surrounding area – and consequently also the immediate environment of consumers. At the same time, short
transport routes and seasonality can ensure a smaller environmental footprint. The current materiality analysis of the
REWE Group has shown that the relevance of these topics increased again in 2020, which was impacted by the
corona pandemic (for more information, see Materiality Analysis).
GRI 204: Procurement practices
Management approach
Background
Due to its origin as a cooperative, the REWE Group is deeply rooted in all regions in which the company operates
through its stores. As a reliable partner, the company maintains relationships with local farmers that are on equal
terms. The focus here is particularly on the protection, preservation and support of local structures.
Principles
With the REWE Local Partnership code of conduct, the REWE Group is declaring its commitment to its local
responsibility and creating the conditions to promote local business. In this codex, REWE has worked with local
suppliers and producers to deﬁne common values and principles in order to strengthen sustainable and fair
cooperation and create added value in a sustainable manner, whether this be through short delivery routes, value
creation in rural areas, or greater protection for animals or the environment. The code of conduct is binding and
includes an independent ombudsman for the direct contractual relationships between REWE independent retailers
and agricultural producers in Germany (see For a Balanced Cooperation with Local Suppliers at REWE).
GRI 204
Regionality

GGooaallss
The REWE Group wants to promote fair dealings with partners and suppliers as well as more sustainable
product ranges through the expansion of regional products. In addition, the aim is to strengthen local value
creation.
Implementation
The REWE Group is implementing its commitment to regionality through a continuous expansion of regional product
ranges and clear labelling for regional products. Since 2010, the company has been using “locality oﬃcers” in the
regions to create a structure for this in order to help smaller suppliers with certiﬁcation processes and facilitate listing
at REWE stores (see Locality). In addition, the company holds regular discussions with representatives of agriculture.
Supporting local farmers
The REWE Group is aware of its special responsibility towards agriculture in Germany and makes allowances for it
with a series of long-term measures. The company is in close communication with farmers and works with them to
develop ideas and measures to support agricultural structures, preserve biodiversity or bring agricultural products to
market. In addition, the REWE Group is in constant exchange with various agriculture interest groups, from individual
farmers to organised associations and alliances. It is important to the company to support local agriculture,
strengthen it over the long term, and oﬀer reliable, safe prospects.
““55DD””  CCoommmmiittmmeenntt
The collapse of the export market to Asia as a result of African swine fever and closed sales channels due to
the measures taken to combat the corona pandemic have led to low producer prices in the German pigmeat
sector. For this reason, the REWE Group pledged a guaranteed minimum price (pre-crisis level) to pig
farmers at the end of 2020. In addition, the REWE and PENNY sales lines in Germany are ensuring that
around 95 per cent of their conventional fresh pork product range is of German origin until summer 2022.
By doing so, the REWE Group is giving pig farmers planning security and, with its commitment to the “5D”
rule for pork (birth, rearing, fattening, slaughtering and disassembly/processing in Germany), it is sending an
important signal of its support for local agriculture.

GRI 204-1
Proportion of spending on local suppliers
For the REWE Group, regional suppliers are those who produce an end product locally using raw materials from a
speciﬁcally deﬁned region and only sell it there. The regional product ranges have a high proportion of fresh fruit and
vegetable products, which are oﬀered in the stores depending on the season. To consumers, they represent
freshness, short transport routes, trustworthy production and support of local economies.
The REWE Group has expanded its regional product ranges signiﬁcantly in recent years. The basis for this is long-term
relationships with suppliers in the region as well as transparent and attention-grabbing communication of the special
advantages of these products to consumers – via the REWE regionality campaign, for example.
Introduced in 2012, the Germany-wide brand REWE Regional for regional products ensures quick recognition. The
region of origin is printed on the package – as a politically demarcated area (e.g. German state), cultural area (e.g.
Franconia) or traditional growing area (e.g. “Altes Land”). Examples include sausage and eggs from North Rhine-
Westphalia, apples from “Altes Land” or cucumbers from the Spreewald. The regional product range has developed
positively during the reporting period.
REWE Regional (Germany)1
Labelling regional products
As another way of promoting regional products, the REWE Group became a charter member of the supporting
association Regionalfenster e.V. (Regional Window) in 2012 and has been implementing the group’s regional window
concept for selected products in PENNY and REWE stores since 2014. The label provides consumers with veriﬁed
information about the origin of ingredients and the preparation location. In this manner, the regional window creates
transparency for customers that complements private-label-speciﬁc information. These products include regional
plants such as herbaceous perennials or Nordmann ﬁrs as well as apples, carrots, asparagus or tomatoes, which often
2019
2020
2021
REWE stores that sell REWE Regional products3
3,729
3,845
3,880
Customer contacts2
128,825,717
158,780,375
159,819,620
Number of products3
747
804
842
1 The values deviate from those in the 2019 sustainability report because scanner data for REWE Dortmund has been taken into consideration since
the 2020 ﬁnancial year.
2 Customer contacts are based on scan totals for individual products.
3 Applies only to products of which more than 200 items were sold.

come from one or more suppliers per region.
REWE labels products with the regional window if they are only oﬀered in the stores of the region from which they also
originate. It is used for REWE Regional products to verify the regional origin in a neutral manner and to show this
transparently.
PENNY labels products with the regional window if these are available seasonably from Germany. At PENNY, as an
additional indication of origin, regional fruit and vegetables are identiﬁed by the German state or the agricultural or
“pleasure region” such as, for example, “from the German region of Lake Constance”. This transparency regarding
the indications of origin is part of the regional commitment with which PENNY also commits to freshness through
short transport routes and to promoting local producers.
Number of regional window products and product groups registered at REWE and PENNY (Germany)1
2019
2020
2021
REWE
721
802
879
PENNY
364
577
650
1 GRI 102-48: In this section, the number of products was standardised both at REWE and PENNY and recorded according to registered products, no
longer according to products subject to license fees. The previous year’s ﬁgures have been adjusted accordingly.
A further regional concept has been implemented since 2014 at the REWE Group in Austria at the stores of BILLA,
BILLA PLUS and Sutterlüty, under the name “Da komm’ ich her” (“I come from here”). The private label product
range comprises seasonal and regional fresh fruit and vegetables as well as eggs and now includes 200 products.
Regional concept “Da komm’ ich her”1 (Austria)
Under the PENNY private label “Ich bin Österreich” (“I am Austria”), products that are made according to typical
Austrian recipes and only with Austrian ingredients are sold. At the end of 2021, the product range included some
200 products. In total, “Ich bin Österreich” products generated over 107 million customer contacts in 2021.
2019
2020
2021
Customer contacts2
84,261,000
93,803,000
94,880,000
Number of products
261
226
200
1 BILLA, BILLA PLUS and Sutterlüty in Austria.
2 Customer contacts are based on scan totals for individual products.

Locality
When talking about locality, the products originate from suppliers who are usually small or direct sellers of agricultural
products who supply a regionally limited number of stores directly. Local products are usually marketed in REWE
stores under the umbrella brand “Aus deiner Region” (“From Your Region”) and are placed in stores and labelled
accordingly. To further boost the number of products produced locally, REWE has appointed “locality oﬃcers” and
thus created a structure which only deals with the local needs of customers and suppliers. These oﬃcers establish
contacts between REWE stores and local producers and suppliers and accompany the products of local farmers along
the entire journey, from the ﬁeld to the supermarket shelf. For example, they organise locality conferences where
suppliers can present their products. There were a total of 25 locality oﬃcers in the six REWE regions during the
reporting period. One successful example of the promotion of local suppliers is the REWE “Landmarkt” (country
store) concept in the Region “Mitte”. Farmers in the organisation Vereinigung der Hessischen Direktvermarkter e.V.
(VHD) sell their products under this name throughout the state. At the end of 2021, 324 stores were selling the more
than 2,900 Landmarkt products.
Landmarkt, Hesse (Germany)
REWE independent retailers also maintain some very long-term partnerships with local suppliers and farmers. In
addition, some retailers have created their own regional product ranges. In the REWE Richrath stores in the Cologne
area, consumers ﬁnd a large number of products that bear the label “Wir aus der Region” (“We from the Region”).
2019
2020
2021
Stores which sell Landmarkt products
310
312
324
Customer contacts1
9,960,520
9,990,460
11,154,860
Number of products2
over 3,200
over 3,200
over 2,900
1 Customer contacts are based on scan totals for individual products.
2 Products on sale on the basis of product number (NAN), starting in market entry year.

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To strengthen sustainable and fair cooperation with local farmers in the long term, the REWE sales line has
deﬁned shared values and principles with several thousand local suppliers and producers and anchored
these in the “REWE Local Partnership”. With its REWE local partnerships, the REWE Group is supporting and
promoting the protection and preservation of regional and local producers, particularly in the areas of fruit
and vegetables, dairy, meat and sausage. The document presents four subject areas which the sales line
uses as a basis for cooperation with local suppliers:
!"Reliable contract partner
!"Good money for good work
!"Use of shared networks
!"Shared innovations – to protect animals and the environment
With this document, REWE is declaring its commitment to its local responsibility and oﬀering reliable
guidance for cooperation with small and medium-sized farmers and producers in the direct environment of
the stores. REWE local partnerships with small and medium-sized local producers and farmers are
continuously being expanded. In terms of the practical implementation, REWE relies on the cooperation
between “locality oﬃcers” and the retailers and store managers see (Locality). Together, they provide their
local suppliers with a wide range of tools and support in order to use synergies and grow together in close,
trusting cooperation.

The supply chain links of raw materials production and processing involve particular environmental challenges and a
heightened risk of non-observance of labour and social standards. Therefore, these areas are the focus of REWE
Group activities. Within the scope of its Product-related Risk Analysis, the Group has identiﬁed the following raw
materials in the food area as critical: fruit and vegetables including at-risk crops such as bananas, meat and dairy
products including animal feed, as well as coﬀee, cocoa, juices (formerly orange juice), tea, palm oil and ﬁsh.
These critical raw materials in the food area are assigned to the three areas of action – people, animals and the
environment – within the Green Products Strategy 2030. Within the framework of these areas of action, the REWE
Group develops eﬀective measures to reduce the environmental and social impacts and create positive eﬀects –
activities related to the focus raw materials in the food area play a special role here.
GRI FP1:
Percentage of purchased volume from suppliers compliant with the company’s sourcing policy
The REWE Group works continuously to ensure that social and environmental factors as well as animal welfare
aspects are taken into consideration in its supply chains. The REWE Group observes internationally recognised
certiﬁcation standards, cooperates in industry initiatives, launches its own projects and formulates requirements
within the framework of guidelines and the PRO PLANET process. The approaches for individual critical raw materials
are outlined below.
Fruit and vegetables
Since 2013, the REWE Group, in its framework agreement, has required suppliers of primary agricultural products in
the area of fruit and vegetables to agree to comply with the core labour standards of the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), within the respective framework of applicable national laws. This also includes the proper legal
payment of at least the statutory, negotiated or contractually set wage. Suppliers must be able to provide proof that
both requirements are met. They are also required to ensure that their own suppliers also meet these requirements.
GRI FP1
Raw Materials in Focus – Food

All producers of fruit and vegetable products must demonstrate that they meet the requirements cited above by
undergoing external audits (such as GLOBALG.A.P Risk Assessment on Social Practice, (GRASP), SA8000, Rainforest
Alliance or amfori BSCI). This is checked on a risk basis as part of social compliance monitoring.
In addition to social aspects in fruit and vegetable production, the REWE Group is also committed to reducing
environmental impacts. This includes promoting biodiversity through speciﬁc projects, for example concerning fruit
and vegetable farming in Germany, requirements for the use of pesticides and close cooperation with standards such
as GLOBALG.A.P., Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade.
BBaannaannaass  aanndd  ppiinneeaapppplleess::  PPrroojjeeccttss  iinn  CCeennttrraall  AAmmeerriiccaa
The cultivation of bananas and pineapples may result in negative social and environmental impacts in the
production countries. These include poor working conditions at fruit plantations, the widespread use of
pesticides and damage to ecosystems.
This is why, since 2008, the REWE Group has been committed to improving the environmental and social
conditions for the cultivation of bananas and pineapples in Central America. Through the REWE Group
Central America Fund – also previously called the Banana Fund – over 5 million euros in funding was
provided for this purpose between 2013 and 2021. The fund is aimed at local organisations which can apply
for funding by submitting their project ideas for evaluation. It serves to improve the living conditions of
workers and their families as well as the environmental situation at banana and pineapple plantations. At the
same time, local organisations and communities are to be strengthened in the planning and implementation
of projects. The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) is responsible for coordinating project
applications and controls the implementation of projects on site. Grants are approved by an approval
committee made up of representatives for suppliers and the REWE Group.
Within the framework of a working group under the umbrella of the Initiative for Sustainable Agricultural
Supply Chains, the REWE Group also advocates for a living wage and income in the banana sector. For more
information, see Living Wages and Income.
This commitment is complemented by strict requirements for cultivation. For example, all producers of
bananas and pineapples oﬀered in the sales lines of the REWE Group in Germany must meet organic
standards or have Rainforest Alliance certiﬁcation. In addition, bananas and pineapples sold under the
private label REWE Beste Wahl, pineapples at PENNY and Chiquita bananas bear the PRO PLANET label of
the REWE Group. PENNY also sells Fairtrade organic bananas.
Using a QR code, customers can trace REWE Beste Wahl bananas and pineapples and Fairtrade Biohelden
bananas as well as pineapples from PENNY back to the producer (for more information, see Promoting
Sustainable Consumption).

Percentage of conventional bananas and pineapples from Rainforest Alliance-certiﬁed cultivation
2019
2020
2021
Status
Bananas at REWE and PENNY in Germany
100%
100%
100%
Pineapples at REWE and PENNY in Germany
100%
100%
100%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
Palm oil
The increased cultivation of palm oil is leading to the loss of peat forests and rainforests. In many cases, this is
destroying the livelihoods of local populations, and the habitats of valuable animal and plant species are being lost.
The clearing of rainforests is also releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide.
Against this backdrop in July 2021, the REWE Group, with its new Guideline on Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil
Products, formulated the goal to exclusively use sustainably produced palm oil for all private labels containing palm
(kernel) oil which are sold in Germany and Austria. To ensure this, the company relies primarily on the certiﬁcation
standard of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), of which it has been a member since 2011. REWE and
PENNY in Germany have already been using 100 per cent certiﬁed palm oil since 2013. The Lekkerland sales line has
also exclusively been using certiﬁed palm oil in its private labels at least since its merger with the REWE Group in
2020. In Austria, the REWE Group has also only been purchasing certiﬁed palm oil since 2013, and its brand Ja!
Natürlich has been completely palm oil-free since 2018.
Percentage of private label products using certiﬁed palm (kernel) oil products
2019
2020
2021
Status
RSPO-certiﬁed palm (kernel) oil in private label products at REWE
and PENNY in Germany
100%
100%
100%
RSPO-certiﬁed palm (kernel) oil in private label products (Austria)
100%
100%
100%
RSPO-certiﬁed palm (kernel) oil in private label products
(Lekkerland)
- 1
100%
100%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 There is no data for 2019.

The goals of the REWE Group guideline are also part of a company pledge which the REWE Group signed in 2015 as a
member of the Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil (FONAP). Members of the FONAP have committed themselves to
using only sustainably certiﬁed palm oil, palm kernel oil and their derivatives and fractions in their products. The
traceability of palm oil used is to be ensured over the long term through the ambitious goals set as part of the
company pledge as well as adherence to additional deﬁned criteria. This also involves purchasing palm oil through
the demanding trade model of segregation. In this process, RSPO-certiﬁed product is continuously separated from
non-certiﬁed product along the entire supply chain. In consideration of the individual goals for each palm (kernel) oil
product, REWE and PENNY in Germany attained a total achievement level of 99 per cent with all private label
products in 2021. The two sales lines are working together with their suppliers to achieve the last per cent to
complete the ambitious goals set as part of the company pledge. The requirements pose a special challenge to small
suppliers with complex supply chain structures. For instance, some suppliers could only make the switch to the
segregation trade model gradually because the setting up of separate product streams is very expensive. This is
particularly the case when a supplier switches only a small amount of its total production. At the REWE Group in
Austria too, any palm oil and palm kernel oil used in private label products is RSPO-certiﬁed and, apart from a few
exceptions, is purchased via the segregation trade model.
From 2018 to 2021, the REWE Group supported a cooperation project between the FONAP and the Malaysian non-
government organisation Wild Asia in order to increase transparency in the palm oil supply chain. In the ﬁrst project
phase, selected small farmers in the Perak/West Malaysia region tested the applicability of additional FONAP criteria.
These included, for example, stopping usage of highly dangerous pesticides or implementing strict reduction targets
for greenhouse gases. This enabled them to develop a better understanding of the importance of biodiversity and
demonstrate that organic production without the use of pesticides is possible – and can even bring higher yields. As
part of the second project phase, from the end of 2019 until March 2021, the small farmers were given support to
trace their products. An app records the transactions of certiﬁed small producers and palm oil traders. This enables
the traceability of certiﬁed palm oil to be displayed seamlessly. This is intended to give the small farmers better
access to the market, since transparency in the supply chain is an increasingly important requirement for the sale of
raw materials.
Cocoa
A large share of global raw cocoa production originates from West Africa and primarily takes place in small family
farms. The cocoa farmers there have to contend with diﬃcult economic conditions and often live with their families
under the poverty line. Consequently, there is lack of necessary investment funds and poor working conditions are
common. In turn this leads to exploitative forms of child labour (for more information, see Child Labour and Forced
Labour).
In its Guideline on Cocoa Products, the REWE Group formulated the goal of sourcing all raw cocoa supplies for its
private labels from more sustainable farming structures by the end of 2015 – ensured by using the standards of
Fairtrade, the Fairtrade Sourcing Program and the Rainforest Alliance. By the end of the 2021 ﬁnancial year, 99 per

cent of the raw cocoa being used for the private labels of REWE and PENNY was certiﬁed. The missing per cent is
largely down to suppliers who process small quantities of cocoa as they often have diﬃculties in sourcing certiﬁed
cocoa. Due to this, the REWE Group has so far been unable to achieve its additional goal of reaching 100 per cent by
the end of 2020 for REWE and PENNY private labels in Germany. The REWE Group is continuing to work on this. At
the REWE Group in Austria, all raw cocoa supplies for private labels were certiﬁed in 2021. In order to make a
permanent contribution to improving local living conditions in the cocoa sector, the REWE Group set itself a further
goal in 2018: the complete switchover of chocolate products, instant cocoa, nut/nougat spreads and sweet baked
goods of private labels as well as all organic private labels which contain cocoa ingredients at REWE and PENNY in
Germany to Fairtrade or the Fairtrade cocoa programme by the end of 2020. This goal has been achieved.
Percentage of certiﬁed cocoa in private label products
In cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development as well as Fairtrade, the
REWE Group launched a project for a living income in the cocoa sector: the Fairtrade chocolate bars from this project
were sold at REWE and PENNY from mid-2021. The cocoa beans used for the cocoa mass from which these
chocolates are produced can be completely physically traced (for more information, see Living Wages and Income).
2019
2020
2021
Status
Cocoa-containing private label products at REWE and PENNY in
Germany certiﬁed for Fairtrade, the Fairtrade Sourcing Program and
the Rainforest Alliance
99%
98%
99%
Cocoa-containing private label products in Austria certiﬁed for
Fairtrade, the Fairtrade Sourcing Program and the Rainforest Alliance
100%
100%
100%
Fairtrade-certiﬁed chocolate products and sweet baked goods1 of
private labels at REWE and PENNY in Germany
65%
100%
100%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 These products include the following product groups: chocolate bars, pralines, confectionery for Easter and Christmas. The ﬁgures for nut/nougat
spreads and instant cocoa cannot be ascertained automatically as part of this data collection. Therefore, these products do not fall within the scope
of reporting.

IImmpprroovviinngg  ccoonnddiittiioonnss::  GGeerrmmaann  iinniittiiaattiivvee  oonn  ssuussttaaiinnaabbllee  ccooccooaa
As a founding member of the multi-stakeholder German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa, the REWE Group
has been supporting the PRO-PLANTEURS project along with other companies since 2012. The cocoa
project in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, carried out in cooperation with the German Society for International
Cooperation (GIZ), is aimed at professionalising cocoa-producing family farms and their cooperatives. In
particular, women are to be given the opportunity to optimise their own income and create an improved
basis for feeding their families. Additionally, cocoa cultivation is to be made more attractive again for young
cocoa farmers. The living conditions of local families are to be improved through increased income and a
more balanced diet. In the ﬁrst phase of the project from 2015 to 2020, for example, 76 farming advisors
were trained and 18,000 cocoa farmers received training on good agricultural practice. Following the
successful conclusion of the ﬁrst phase, PRO-PLANTEURS moved into a ﬁve-year follow-up phase in 2020.
The aim is to improve the living conditions of 30,000 cocoa-farming families over the entire duration of the
project.
Juices (formerly orange juice)
Many of the fruits processed into juices and juice products come from tropical and subtropical regions. There, but
also in Europe, cultivation in monocultures, clearing for the plantations as well as a high use of energy, pesticides and
fertilisers are having a negative impact on the environment and biodiversity. Particularly in tropical and subtropical
countries, the living and working conditions of small farming families or pickers are often precarious or even
dangerous. This leads to human rights violations – including child labour and forced labour, poverty-level incomes or
lack of occupational health and safety. Such violations can also take place in Europe.
In its Guideline on Juices, revised in 2022, the REWE Group has formulated the goal of certifying 50 per cent of all
private label juices, nectars and fruit juice drinks at REWE and PENNY in Germany (not including promotional,
seasonal and regional products) for the Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, Naturland, the organic logo/label, SAI FSA
bronze/silver/gold or GLOBALG.A.P. by the end of 2025. In 2020, the REWE Group had already achieved the goal of
switching orange juice (both from concentrate and not from concentrate) to Rainforest Alliance or organic
certiﬁcation by 2025. Since the end of 2018, pineapple juice has also only been available from REWE and PENNY if it
is certiﬁed.
Through cooperation with standards organisations and certiﬁcation systems, the REWE Group is ensuring that
resources are cultivated more sustainably in the deﬁned risk countries. With projects such as the one being carried
out in the largest European apple-growing region in Poland, it is ensuring greater biodiversity; see Biodiversity. In
other projects, the REWE Group is championing, amongst other things, farmers in the Brazilian citrus belt. Through
four Fairtrade small farmer organisations, 260 farmers, workers and technical advisors are receiving on-site training
on more sustainable cultivation practices, the improvement of health and safety conditions and the strengthening of

organisation structures for greater self-determination. Other parts of the project include integrated pest control, tree
disease management and soil protection. As part of the project, products for the private labels Paradiso and REWE
Beste Wahl were developed in the REWE and PENNY sales lines, through which this commitment can be traced from
the origin to the shelf.
Since 2016, the REWE Group, as a member of Europe's Sustainable Juice Platform, has also been campaigning for
social and environmental improvements in the supply chains of the fruit juice industry. Together with the Sustainable
Juice Platform, the REWE Group has supported the creation of the Living Wage Report of the Global Living Wage
Coalition on living wages in orange cultivation in Brazil. The company is actively working to improve the local wage
situation.
PPaarrttnneerrsshhiipp  ffoorr  ssuussttaaiinnaabbllee  oorraannggee  jjuuiiccee
In 2020, the REWE Group teamed up with other companies and organisations such as the German Federal
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Christian Initiative Romero (CIR), TransFair
e. V. and ver.di (United Services Trade Union) to found the Partnership for Sustainable Orange Juice
(PANAO). As a member of the steering committee and the project development working group, the REWE
Group is committed to actively promoting social justice, labour rights and environmental protection in the
orange juice supply chain.
Coﬀee
The cultivation of coﬀee, as a globally traded commodity, is an important industry in many countries in Latin America,
Asia and Africa. However, the yields of the mostly small farms are often too low to ensure a suﬃcient income for
coﬀee farmers and their families. Added to this are health and environmental risks through the improper use of
pesticides. In order to improve the situation of coﬀee farmers, REWE and PENNY in Germany set the goal of switching
their private labels to coﬀee which is 100 per cent certiﬁed for the Rainforest Alliance, the organic logo/label or
Fairtrade by the end of 2020. This goal was already achieved in 2019.
Percentage of certiﬁed private label coﬀee
2019
2020
2021
Status
Private label coﬀee products at REWE and PENNY in Germany
certiﬁed for the Rainforest Alliance, the organic logo/label or
Fairtrade
100%
100%
100%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained

With its coﬀee private label, Lekkerland is also contributing to sustainable cultivation: The coﬀee beans of the Coﬀee
Bean Company are Rainforest Alliance-certiﬁed and therefore stand for environmentally conscious land use and
socially responsible business practices.
CCooooppeerraattiivvee::  SSuuppppoorrttiinngg  ccooﬀﬀeeee  ffaarrmmeerrss  iinn  tthheeiirr  llooccaall  aarreeaass
Since 2009, the REWE Group has maintained a special partnership with the people of the Fairtrade coﬀee
cooperative Valle de Incahuasi in Peru, in which it guarantees to purchase their coﬀee. The cooperative
produces REWE Feine Welt coﬀee, which is certiﬁed for Fairtrade and the organic logo/label. The plants are
grown under controlled organic farming conditions which put less strain on the sensitive ecosystem. After
harvesting, the beans are tasted in the cooperative before undergoing relevant quality controls and then
being transported to the nearest larger city of Andahuaylas in small vans. From there they are transported
on to Lima, where they are shipped to be ultimately roasted in Germany’s Ruhr Valley area.
Together with this cooperative, the REWE Group has been implementing a project to counteract climate
change and increase farmers’ incomes since 2018. It was successfully completed in 2021, but the
cooperation continues. The cooperative will also beneﬁt from the measures and activities of this project in
the coming years, such as, for example, improved fertiliser management, shade trees and cultivation of a
fungus for biological pest control.
This commitment in Peru has also been expanding since the start of 2021 to include the Valle de Ubiriki
cooperative. Through its “Café Mujer” women's coﬀee, REWE wants to ensure that female coﬀee farmers
have greater economic participation and independence: with its REWE Bio caﬀè crema pads, this is the ﬁrst
time that REWE has oﬀered coﬀee grown exclusively by women. The Arabica beans, which are Fairtrade-
certiﬁed and organically grown, come from the Chanchamayo region in the heart of Peru, from coﬀee
gardens which are farmed exclusively by women and also belong to them. The entire green coﬀee
production is organised by the women farmers themselves. REWE guarantees the 120 women of the “Valle
de Ubiriki” cooperative that it will purchase their entire annual production at the Fairtrade minimum price.
The other project launched, “Café Mujer”, is intended to provide the women with comprehensive support.
As part of this initiative, installations are being built for the production of organic fertilisers and native trees
are being planted in the farmers' coﬀee gardens. The latter has signiﬁcant beneﬁts: the shadow eﬀect
inhibits weed growth, increases soil fertility and preserves biological diversity on the land, whilst the yields
from the trees create additional sources of income. In addition, a wide range of workshops are organised.
These include topics such as the post-harvest treatment of coﬀee beans and other operational practices as
well as ones geared to the promotion of women farmers through qualiﬁcations such as team leadership, self-
conﬁdence and communication.

Tea
Conventional tea plant cultivation often takes place in monocultures with heavy use of pesticides. This endangers
biodiversity and the drinking water supply for people who live in the cultivation areas. Local workers also face a
number of challenges, including low wages and inadequate occupational health and safety practices. Against this
backdrop, the REWE Group promotes more sustainable agriculture in tea production and purchases certiﬁed
products which bear the Rainforest Alliance seal in particular, but also the Fairtrade mark or the EU organic logo.
The REWE Group set itself the goal of ensuring that 100 per cent of the raw material contained in all black and green
tea products is certiﬁed. This goal was achieved by the end of 2018. In addition, all herbal and fruit tea products
(including rooibos tea) are to be certiﬁed by the end of 2025 and at least 30 per cent of the raw material contained
therein is to be certiﬁed. The aim is to continuously increase the percentage of certiﬁed raw material in each product.
The REWE Group summarised these goals along with the challenges and actions in its Guideline on Tea Products.
Percentage of certiﬁed tea products/raw material at REWE and PENNY
Fish
Global ﬁsh consumption is constantly rising and is currently around 20 kilograms per capita per year. Fisheries and
aquaculture provide some 60 million people with a livelihood. The ﬂip side is that ﬁsh stocks are suﬀering from
overﬁshing, with some species even being threatened with extinction. Undesired bycatch can lead to the loss of
biodiversity and an alteration of the composition of marine ecosystems. Aquaculture also has to contend with
environmental issues.
The REWE Group wants to actively contribute to reducing and eliminating environmental, social and economic
impacts in the supply chain of ﬁsh and seafood. For this purpose, the company has formulated the following goals for
the private label products of REWE and PENNY in its Guideline on Fish and Seafood, which was updated in 2022: the
certiﬁcation of all private label ﬁsh products in the areas of deep frozen, convenience, fresh and tinned in Germany
2019
2020
2021
Status
Black and green tea products in REWE and PENNY private labels in
Germany certiﬁed for the Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade or the organic
logo/label
100%
100%
100%
Herbal and fruit tea products at REWE and PENNY in Germany
certiﬁed for the Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade or the organic
logo/label
57%
93%
93%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained

for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), GLOBALG.A.P., the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) or organic
certiﬁcation, if available. When it comes to purchasing certiﬁed products, the REWE Group is dependent on the
agreements of neighbouring countries regarding ﬁshing quotas. Situations can arise which lead to the withdrawal of
certiﬁcations such as the MSC for individual ﬁsh species. The REWE Group therefore advocates for political
agreements. Also, in the long term, the packaging of all ﬁsh mono-products will be marked with a tracking code
providing customers with detailed information on where the ﬁsh was sourced and how it was processed.
Percentage of more sustainable private label ﬁsh products at the REWE Group in Germany
The product range (private labels and industry brands) of the REWE Group in Austria comprises around 400 MSC-
certiﬁed ﬁsh products.
Meat
Meat is an integral part of eating habits today. Consequently, the production of animal products is a signiﬁcant
branch of agricultural output. The REWE Group advocates for animal-appropriate husbandry here. For this purpose,
the company works together with business partners and suppliers to implement binding standards and promotes
dialogue between all partners to counteract negative impacts in terms of animal welfare. As an additional approach,
the Group also oﬀers, for example, vegan private labels to accompany the dynamic trend towards a vegan diet. In the
Guideline on Animal Welfare which was updated in 2022, the company deﬁnes speciﬁc measures and goals. For more
information about this, comprehensive insights into the strategic approach as well as the speciﬁc goals and
measures, see Animal Welfare.
2019
2020
2021
Status
Private label ﬁsh products of REWE and PENNY in Germany with
certiﬁcation for MSC, GLOBALG.A.P., ASC or organic certiﬁcation
-
70%
88%
Private label ﬁsh products of REWE and PENNY in Germany with
certiﬁcation for MSC, GLOBALG.A.P., ASC or organic certiﬁcation and
private label tuna from selected suppliers1
96%
-
-
Percentage of private label ﬁsh products at REWE and PENNY in
Germany with a tracking code
78%
63%2
84%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 If not MSC-certiﬁed, tuna is sourced from a supplier who is a member of the International Sustainable Seafood Foundation (ISSF), from a ﬁshing
boat which is entered in the ProActive Vessel Register (PVR), or from a ﬁshery improvement project (FIP).
2 The decline is the result of an error which meant that the tracking code for 2020 was not displayed on all of the products for which it was intended.

Soy in animal feed
In conventional animal husbandry, soybean meal imported from overseas is frequently used to ensure the animals
have a suﬃcient supply of protein. Since the land-intensive cultivation of soybeans is having drastic consequences for
the environment, especially in South America, the REWE Group is continuously analysing all supply chains which use
large amounts of soy with regard to the ecological balance. The goal is to gradually reduce the amount of soybean
meal imported from overseas and – where it cannot be substituted – to switch to certiﬁed deforestation-free soy. The
REWE Group deﬁned this back in 2013 in its Guideline on Soy in Animal Feed .
Since the end of 2019, the entire Germany-wide private label product range at REWE and PENNY for fresh eggs, milk
and poultry has been certiﬁed as deforestation-free. Since the end of 2021, this is also true of the private label
product range for pork and beef. The company has also set a new goal during the ﬁnancial year: 100 per cent
deforestation-free feed for dairy products and processed meat products with a meat content of over 50 per cent by
the end of 2025. Here, the REWE Group relies on recognised standards such as ProTerra, ISCC+, Donau Soja / Europe
Soya and RTRS. Contractual agreements with suppliers are documented through appropriate evidence.
The commercial company also carries out speciﬁc projects in the countries of origin. As a founding member of the
Donau Soja association, the REWE Group, in cooperation with more than 250  armers, has supported the cultivation
of over 79,000 tonnes of certiﬁed deforestation-free soy in Croatia and Serbia since 2015.
The soybean meal imported from overseas often comes from genetically modiﬁed varieties. The REWE Group has
therefore deﬁned soy that is free of genetically modiﬁed substances as a requirement for the producers of private
label products in its Guideline on Soy in Animal Feed. This requirement is implemented individually for each species
of farm animal.
As proof that particular feed has not been genetically modiﬁed, the REWE Group in Germany uses, amongst other
things, the seal of the Verband Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik e. V. (VLOG) (German Association of Non-Genetically
Modiﬁed Foods). The VLOG standard is proven by the relevant certiﬁcates of suppliers. In addition, no genetically
modiﬁed feed is used for organic products of animal origin.
As was already the case in 2019 and 2020, the percentage of private label products at REWE and PENNY in Germany
bearing the VLOG seal for fresh poultry, the fresh egg product range as well as fresh milk and UHT milk was 100 per
cent in 2021. Also, the feeding of animals with non-genetically modiﬁed feed is assured for all meat products
originating from husbandry levels 3 and 4. For the REWE sales line there is also three regional and national pork
programmes at husbandry level 2 which guarantee that feed is free of genetically modiﬁed substances. At the REWE
Group in Austria, the entire fresh eggs and milk product range uses non-genetically modiﬁed feed.

Percentage of products bearing the seal of the Verband Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik e. V. (VLOG)
2019
2020
2021
Fresh milk and UHT milk
100%
100%
100%
Fresh eggs product range
100%
100%
100%
Fresh poultry
100%
100%
100%
For more information about the REWE Group’s involvement in organisations and initiatives, see Initiatives and
Memberships.

The supply chain links of raw materials production and processing involve particular environmental challenges and a
heightened risk of non-observance of labour and social standards. Therefore, these areas are the focus of REWE
Group activities. As part of a product-related risk analysis, the commercial company identiﬁed the following raw
materials in the non-food area as critical: cotton and textiles as well as natural stone (for more information on the
supply chains of individual raw materials, see Supply Chain).
The critical raw materials in the non-food area are assigned to the three areas of action – people, animals and the
environment – within the Green Products Strategy 2030. Within the framework of these areas of action, the REWE
Group develops eﬀective measures to reduce the environmental and social impacts and create positive eﬀects –
activities related to the focus raw materials of cotton, textiles and natural stone in the non-food area play a special
role here.
GRI FP1
Percentage of purchased volume from suppliers compliant with the company’s sourcing policy
The REWE Group works continuously to make its supply chains more socially and environmentally responsible. The
company observes internationally recognised certiﬁcation standards, cooperates in industry initiatives, launches its
own projects and formulates requirements within the framework of guidelines and the PRO PLANET process. The
approaches for individual raw materials are outlined below.
Cotton and textiles
Cotton is one of the most important raw materials in the textile industry and is primarily grown in India, China and the
USA. Conventional cotton cultivation is water-intensive and requires large amounts of pesticides and fertilisers. In
order to increase the proportion of textile products made from more sustainable cotton, the REWE Group in Germany
relies on Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and textiles made from recycled
ﬁbres. In addition, the commercial company also supports Germany's Green Button textile seal.
GRI FP1
Raw Materials in Focus – Non-food

The REWE Group aims to raise the proportion of textiles made from more sustainable cotton at REWE, PENNY and
toom Baumarkt DIY stores in Germany to 100 per cent by 2025. In 2021, this ﬁgure was 98 per cent.
Percentage of more sustainable textiles made from cotton (REWE, PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores in
Germany)
2019
2020
2021
Status
Percentage of CmiA- or GOTS-certiﬁed textiles
88%
91%
98%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
The REWE Group began to support CmiA in 2008. The initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation is committed to
improving the living conditions of small farmers in Africa and their families by helping people to help themselves.
Agricultural training sessions teach them about eﬃcient farming methods that increase cotton yields and quality
while protecting their health and reducing the environmental impact. They are also receiving support through various
cooperation projects, for example in the areas of education and the promotion of women.
TThhee  ggrreeeenn  bbuuttttoonn
In order to give its consumers guidance for the purchase of more sustainable textiles, the REWE Group has
been supporting the Green Button since its introduction in 2019. The government-run seal for sustainable
textiles is intended to ensure environmental and social standards in the textile supply chain. In total, 46
social and environmental criteria place binding requirements on the product and its manufacturing process
– from eﬄuents limits to the ban on forced labour. The seal is applied directly to the product and is easy for
customers to see when shopping. REWE and PENNY in Germany are already labelling various products with
the Green Button. These include, for example, the cotton shopping bag, the reusable net for fresh food at
PENNY as well as clothing and home textiles at REWE and PENNY stores.
In addition to focusing on the raw material cotton, the REWE Group is committed to a more sustainable textile sector
through a variety of measures. In order to reduce the environmental impacts in the textile supply chain, the REWE
Group joined the Detox campaign by Greenpeace in 2014 and set up a corresponding programme for products
distributed by the REWE Group in the product groups of clothing, shoes and home textiles. The goal is to ensure safe
textile production with no dangerous chemicals. To achieve this, the REWE Group works together with its suppliers to
systematically eliminate hazardous chemicals from textile production. The Greenpeace Detox campaign oﬃcially
came to an end in 2020. Regardless of this, the REWE Group remains committed to eliminating dangerous chemicals
from textile production. The REWE Group realises this through capacity building training for strategic suppliers which
includes advanced chemical management training (for more information, see Environmental Aspects in the Supply

Chain).
With the aim of ensuring reliable safety in the textile industry in Bangladesh, the REWE Group signed the Bangladesh
Accord on Fire and Building Safety in 2013 and the follow-up agreement, the “2018 Transition Accord”, in 2017.
Since its expiration, the REWE Group has been supporting the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), which was founded
in 2020 and has oﬃcially taken over the tasks of the agreement in Bangladesh. In May 2021, the REWE Group signed
the three-month extension of the “2018 Transition Accord”. The company also plans to sign the new International
Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, as soon as the new draft is available and checked.
This would be valid until October 2023 (for more information, see Social Aspects in the Supply Chain). Furthermore,
the REWE Group is a member of the international Fur Free Retailer Program. The use of real fur in private label
product ranges has already been banned for some years now. In the Guideline on More Sustainable Textiles, the
REWE Group describes its management approach and its activities.
Wood and paper
The REWE Group is committed to protecting forests and the species of animals and plants that live there. For this
reason, it supports environmentally and socially responsible forest management by increasingly procuring wood and
paper for its products and packaging from sustainably operated sources. The REWE Group uses the seals of the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certiﬁcation Schemes (PEFC™
as well as the environmental seal Blauer Engel (Blue Angel). A variety of products from the REWE Group have already
been awarded these seals.
In 2020, for the REWE and PENNY sales lines in Germany, the REWE Group set the goal in the area of non-food of
certifying all wood and paper products (with a wood or paper content of at least 90 per cent) through one of the
following standards by the end of 2025: Blauer Engel, FSC Recycled, PEFC Recycled, FSC 100%, PEFC™ or FSC Mix.
This goal was already achieved in the area of near-food (including sanitary paper products) in 2020 and has been a
requirement ever since.
Percentage of more sustainable wood and paper (REWE and PENNY in Germany)
20191
2020
2021
Status
Percentage of wood and paper products certiﬁed for Blauer Engel, FSC Recycled, PEFC Recycled,
FSC 100%, PEFC™ or FSC Mix in the area of near-food (including sanitary paper products) at REWE
and PENNY in Germany
-
100%
100%
Percentage of wood and paper products certiﬁed for Blauer Engel, FSC Recycled, PEFC Recycled,
FSC 100%, PEFC™ or FSC Mix in the area of non-food at REWE and PENNY in Germany
-
99%
99%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 There is no data for 2019 as the goals associated with the disclosures were only adopted in 2020.

toom Baumarkt DIY stores also oﬀer a constantly growing range of certiﬁed products from numerous product
categories and the sales line has been a member of FSC® and PEFC™ since 2018. It therefore supports the high
standards of these two systems for transparency and control in terms of sustainable forest management. In addition,
the sales lines REWE, PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores in Germany have been marketing only FSC®- or PEFC™-
certiﬁed charcoal during the ﬁnancial year.
Peat-free soil
toom Baumarkt DIY stores have set themselves the goal of discontinuing the sale of peaty soils by 2025. This applies
to both private labels and brand products. During this transition, the proportion of peat will be steadily reduced across
the entire product range and replaced with renewable raw materials. In addition, the oﬀering of peat-free soil
products will increase each year. In 2021, the private label product range of peat-free soils comprised a total of 19
products, including seven Naturtalent by toom® potting soils, eleven products from toom's quality brand, plus one
additional product. Through this strategy, all of toom's private label soils are now at least peat-reduced. The REWE
and PENNY sales lines have also supplemented their seasonal soil product range with peat-free and peat-reduced
alternatives. In the long term, the plan is to also replace peat with alternative materials for ornamental plants (for
more information, see Biodiversity).
Natural stone
toom Baumarkt DIY stores want to ensure that social standards and environmental requirements are adhered to
during mining and the production of natural stone products. To achieve this, toom has been working for some years
with independent experts at the NGO XertiﬁX in order to seamlessly trace the supply chain of natural stones all the
way back to the quarry and independently check compliance with social and environmental criteria. toom Baumarkt
DIY stores also actively collaborate as trade representatives on revising this standard, which is valid until 2023.
Certiﬁed natural stone products bearing the XertiﬁX PLUS and PRO PLANET labels have been available at toom
Baumarkt DIY stores since 2016. Their share in sales of natural stones is 82 per cent. Furthermore, all natural stone
products available in toom Baumarkt DIY stores from China bear the XertiﬁX PLUS label.
Nordmann ﬁr
80 per cent of the seeds of all Nordmann ﬁrs originate from the economically underdeveloped region of Racha in
Georgia. Together with the Danish foundation Fair Trees, toom Baumarkt DIY stores are committed to fair working
conditions and greater safety for cone harvesting in Georgia. Before each harvest season, the cone pickers complete
a ﬁve-day climbing training course to German climbing standards. They also receive professional climbing equipment
which includes a dual safety system. In addition, fair wages are paid and accident insurance is provided during the
harvest season.

Since 2018, toom Baumarkt DIY stores have switched their Nordmann ﬁr product range completely to Fair Trees. For
each tree sold, a new tree from fair harvesting is planted. In addition to the Fair Trees logo, the trees bear the PRO
PLANET label. Each ﬁr sold allows toom Baumarkt DIY stores to support the foundation Fair Trees in its work to
implement numerous social projects in the harvest region in Georgia. Despite a crop failure due to climatic conditions
across the entire region, projects in 2021 still included, for example, the awarding of higher education scholarships to
students, the supporting of remote learning through materials and the enablement of teachers, as well as the
provision of support for a girls football club.
Since 2021, the REWE sales line has also been oﬀering Fair Trees Nordmann ﬁrs.
More sustainable travel: Futouris e. V. and Magalogue
In 2015, DER Touristik joined the sustainability initiative of the German travel industry Futouris – with the goal of
helping tourist destinations by providing support for projects in the ﬁelds of ecology, species diversity and
responsibility toward society and culture in the long term. As part of this, for example, a project for the prevention of
food waste in hotels was carried out and guidelines for analysing the human rights impacts of business activities in
large tourism companies were created. The ﬁnished projected, Green Travel Transformation, resulted in a uniform
logo for sustainable travel oﬀerings which is recognised throughout the industry: since winter 2019, sustainably
certiﬁed hotels have been identiﬁed with a green leaf. In 2021, DER Touristik and Futouris e. V. also prepared a
feasibility study on the creation of an industry-wide CO2 accounting system for travel. DER Touristik wants to use the
study to inform its guests about the climate impacts of diﬀerent travel oﬀerings in a transparent manner and, at the
same time, to speciﬁcally promote climate-friendly travel alternatives.
The member companies of Futouris e. V. are also working together to reduce the amount of tourism-related plastic
waste in the Balearics. The project “Plastic Free Balearics” was paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the corona
pandemic. Despite this pause, the guidelines “Plastic-free holidays on Balearic Islands” were published during the
ﬁnancial year. They help hotels and tourism businesses to ﬁnd more sustainable alternatives to frequently used
single-use plastic products.
In addition to the projects with Futouris, DER Touristik published its ﬁrst two catalogues in magazine form (the
“magalogue”) in 2021. Under the title “Bewusst Reisen” (“Conscious Travel”), the goal of these magalogues is to
bring together sustainable and responsible travel oﬀerings and make them transparent. They contain hotels which
have sustainability certiﬁcation in Europe as well as medium- and long-distance travel destinations.
To raise employees' awareness of these issues, DER Touristik conducts regular training sessions on human rights and
tourism. For more information about the projects of DER Touristik, see Promoting Sustainable Consumption.

Organic products have a positive eﬀect on people, animals and the environment as they are less contaminated with
hazardous substances. For example, no artiﬁcial colours and ﬂavourings and no chemical pesticides are used.
Moreover, highly soluble mineral fertilisers are used. This also protects soils and waterways. In addition, animals
raised in an organic production environment have larger stalls and more time outside. Consequently, organic
products have become a signiﬁcant and growing consumer segment: in 2021, customers across Germany spent
almost six per cent more on organic food and drinks than in the previous year, with demand for organic meat rising by
20 per cent. The REWE Group is pursuing the strategic goal of expanding its more sustainable product range –
organic products make an important contribution to this.
GRI FP2: Percentage of purchased volume which is veriﬁed as being in accordance with credible, internationally
recognised responsible production standards.
Management approach
Implementation
The REWE Group is continuously working to expand the organic product ranges in its sales lines. In the Guideline on
Organic Products adopted in 2014, the REWE Group formulated comprehensive requirements for its organic private
labels for suppliers and farms which, in many cases, exceed the legal standard of the EU eco regulations. All organic
products of the REWE Group are certiﬁed by the ecological inspection board ABCert AG, which is shown by the
inspection board code DE-ÖKO-006.
Furthermore, the REWE Group joined the project “Gemeinsam Boden gut machen” (improving soil health together) as
a partner in 2021. It supports farmers who want to convert their farm to organic operations or expand existing ones.
Therefore, the REWE Group is helping to improve waterways and soils and protect biodiversity. This also increases the
oﬀering of organic food produced in Germany. This is important as the production of organic food in Germany does
not currently meet the high demand.
GRI FP2
Organic

Locality oﬃcers were introduced to the regions during the ﬁnancial year speciﬁcally for the REWE sales line. Their role
is to increase the proportion of local organic producers in the markets and serve the organic farmers and producers in
the region as contact partners.
The various organic product ranges in the sales lines of the REWE Group have developed positively during the
reporting period. This can also be observed for organic farming throughout Germany: for example, sales from organic
food in this country rose by around nine per cent in 2021 alone.
Organic brands at the REWE Group
In order to place organic products on the market and steadily expand the product range, the REWE Group oﬀers
organic private labels in its individual sales lines:
REWE private labels with organic quality
The quality standards of many products from REWE Bio, the REWE private label for organic products, go beyond the
legal EU requirements. For example, the signiﬁcantly stricter criteria of the organic farming association Naturland are
already applied to 337organic products in the REWE sales line and these products therefore bear the Naturland seal.
In addition, the entire REWE organic product range has been continuously expanded since 2013. During the reporting
period there were over 750 REWE organic products in the product range (average over the course of the year). This
gives a share of REWE organic products in the sales value of REWE private labels of around 19 per cent in the
ﬁnancial year. 2021 also saw the arrival of the private label REWE Bio + vegan with around 30 vegan organic
alternative products so far. The products are vegan, organic-certiﬁed and bear the PRO PLANET label “Für mehr
Klimaschutz” (For more climate protection).
In order to increase sales value further and make its customers more aware of organic products, REWE launched the
campaign “Mehr Bio für dich, besser für alle” (More organic food for you is better for everyone) in 2020. Through
speciﬁc REWE organic products which bear the Naturland seal and have the associated added value – from the
avoidance of artiﬁcial ﬂavours and better husbandry conditions for greater animal welfare through to social standards
– the sales line is demonstrating why organic products are better for consumers, animals, the environment and
people in this regard. When it comes to organic fruit and vegetables, REWE is also trying to reduce packaging. Since
2020, it has been oﬀering more and more products either without packaging, without plastic as far as possible or with
improved packaging (also see Packaging).

AA  ssttrroonngg  ppaarrttnneerr  ffoorr  oovveerr  aa  ddeeccaaddee::  NNaattuurrllaanndd
Since 2009, the REWE sales line has maintained a close partnership with Naturland, one of the largest
international organic associations, to increase organic farming and make organic products accessible to a
wider market. With some 140,000 farmers, beekeepers and ﬁsh producers in 60 countries, Naturland is
pursuing the goal of making sustainability in farming and the food industry a reality as producers of genuine
organic products of quality. Naturland rules go beyond the legal requirements of the EU organic farming
regulation in that they cover many more areas and therefore contribute, amongst other things, to the
protection of resources, biodiversity and greater animal welfare. Naturland also checks products against
social criteria and campaigns for better working conditions in risk countries – especially when it comes to
import products such as coconut milk, sugar, cocoa, tea, coﬀee, spices and honey. In 2021, the number of
Naturland goods in the REWE product range increased to 337 products – from trend and vegan products
such as pasta made from peas, various coconut products and soy drinks through to a selection of dairy
products. Together with Naturland, REWE Bio can oﬀer an ever-expanding product range – with a clear
focus on regional and also international variety.
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In order to promote organic farming throughout Germany and support agricultural structures in the region,
the REWE sales line joined the organic association Demeter in September 2020. Demeter producers and
manufacturers operate according to the biodynamic method and in compliance with guidelines which go far
beyond the requirements of the EU eco regulation. Across Germany, REWE is oﬀering more and more
products in its stores which have been awarded the organic seal of Demeter and therefore meet the
association's strict quality criteria – there are currently 1,772 diﬀerent products.
Naturgut: Organic products at PENNY
PENNY has been oﬀering the brand Naturgut since 2014. Since 2019, Naturgut has been focused exclusively on
organic products. Depending on the promotional period, PENNY had over 200 Naturgut products in its product range
in 2021. The share of Naturgut products in the sales value of private labels is seven per cent, which represents a
slight increase. In 2020, PENNY relaunched the Naturgut packaging in order to further increase the signal eﬀect of
organic products. Green price labels are also being introduced to stores in order to make organic products visible at
ﬁrst sight. Naturgut is also the ﬁrst brand at PENNY to show the Nutri-Score on the respective products. The score
indicates the nutritional quality of a product on a ﬁve-level scale (for more information, see Nutrition).

In addition, the brand Naturgut Bio-Helden stands for organic fruit and vegetables that have minor ﬂaws in their
shape or skin. Such problems are more common with organic products but they do not reduce the quality of the
products in any way. Through this brand, PENNY has been campaigning against food wastage in the upstream
product stage since 2016. Depending on the season, PENNY has 20-25 organic fruit and vegetable products in the
product range on average.
IInncceennttiivvee  ffoorr  oorrggaanniicc  ffaarrmmiinngg
In order to be able to meet the rising demand for organic products, more producers in organic farming are
required. This is why PENNY launched the Naturgut Junior-Helden (Junior Heroes) in 2018. These are “in-
conversion products” from producers who, due to the statutory transition period of one to three years
(depending on the fruit or vegetable crop), do not yet have oﬃcial organic certiﬁcation, but already produce
organically with the associated higher costs. With Naturgut Junior-Helden, PENNY is providing these
producers with a new marketing opportunity: they receive more revenue than for conventional products, but
slightly less than the organic price. This discount is passed on fully to the customers, and is communicated
on the label. This gives farmers a greater incentive to switch to organic farming. In this way, PENNY is
securing organic fruit and vegetables from Germany and Europe over the long term, because the products
receive the German organic farming label after the transition period. PENNY is also actively campaigning for
the introduction of a transition seal at European level.
Development of organic products in Germany (shares in per cent)
2019
2020
2021
Organic products*
(percentage of net sales value of organic private labels and manufacturer brands in the
net sales value of private labels and manufacturer brands at REWE and PENNY in
Germany)
6%
7%
8%
Organic private labels*
(percentage of net sales value of organic private labels at REWE and PENNY in Germany
in the net sales value of private labels)
13%
14%
16%
REWE Bio*
(percentage of net sales value of “REWE Bio” in the net sales value of private labels at
REWE)
15%
17%
19%
PENNY Naturgut*
(percentage of net sales value of “Naturgut” in the net sales value of private labels at
PENNY)
5%
6%
7%
* Percentages exclude near-food and non-food, tobacco and alcoholic beverages.

toom Baumarkt DIY stores: Organic products for the kitchen garden
toom Baumarkt DIY stores have been selling organic-certiﬁed private label products for kitchen gardens since 2014.
These products include peat-free soils certiﬁed by the Bio-Grünstempel® (Organic Green Seal), organic fertiliser,
organic herbs and organic vegetables. toom also started oﬀering local fruit shrubs and fruit trees exclusively in
organic quality in 2018. In 2021, this oﬀering included over 628 plant products.
Organic in Austria
With the creation of Ja! Natürlich in 1994, BILLA was a pioneer of organic farming in Austria. The product range now
includes 1,100 diﬀerent organic products which are oﬀered on the shelves of BILLA, BILLA PLUS, ADEG and
Sutterlüty. PENNY Austria sells its organic products under the private label Echt B!O.
Development of organic products in Austria (shares in per cent)
2019
2020
2021
Ja! Natürlich1
(in gross sales value of full product range2 in Austria)
6.8%
7.1%
7.4%
Echt B!O1
(in gross sales value of PENNY Austria)
2.0%
2.4%
2.8%
1 Excluding near-food and non-food, tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
2 Full product range is deﬁned as BILLA and BILLA PLUS.
Further sales lines with organic product ranges
Organic product ranges are also found in the sales lines of the convenience sector such as Lekkerland or REWE To Go
– in this case, for example, only organic coﬀee is served. The FÜR SIE trade group, the online wine distributor
Weinkeller and the online shop for pet food and supplies ZooRoyal also include organic product ranges. The
combine's production operation Glocken Bäckerei also oﬀers an organic product range.

As a trade and tourism group, the REWE Group sees its key task as providing its customers with high-quality products
and services. As part of this, it is important to the company that private label products are produced in a socially and
environmentally more sustainable manner or meet higher animal welfare standards. Against this backdrop, the REWE
Group developed the PRO PLANET label. PRO PLANET represents one major goal of the REWE Group: to make
products more sustainable and to encourage sustainable consumption among a broad group of consumers. REWE,
PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores use the PRO PLANET label to identify private label products which take social
and environmental aspects as well as animal welfare into consideration. The PRO PLANET label thus provides a
reliable and comprehensible orientation for shoppers.
GRI FP2: Percentage of purchased volume which is veriﬁed as being in accordance with credible, internationally
recognised responsible production standards
The PRO PLANET label
Principles
The PRO PLANET label was developed in 2010 and can be used, in principle, for all private label products of the
REWE Group. The REWE Group saw the 10-year anniversary in 2020 as an occasion to redesign the label and further
develop the awarding process. The Sustainability Advisory Board plays a central role here. It is involved in all PRO
PLANET processes as well as the continuous development of the REWE Group's sustainability strategy.
The PRO PLANET involvement essentially pursues a holistic approach to improve sustainability in the supply chain of
REWE Group private label products. In order to implement sustainability in a targeted manner, the REWE Group
operates in Germany using a due diligence approach. This management approach is based on a guideline of the
OECD which was developed to help companies build responsible agricultural supply chains.
Strategy process
The process includes ﬁve levels: management system, risk analysis, strategy, review and reporting. This process is
used to derive the strategy of the REWE Group in terms of how private label products can be produced in a socially
and environmentally more sustainable manner or meet higher animal welfare standards. Measures taken for this
purpose include integrating sustainability aspects into purchasing processes, systematically cooperating with
GRI FP2
PRO PLANET

suppliers, and maintaining a continuous dialogue with relevant stakeholders. This multifaceted and strategic
sustainability commitment of the REWE Group forms the basis for PRO PLANET and its cooperation with the
Sustainability Advisory Board.
The sustainability advisory board
The entire PRO PLANET process is supported by an independent stakeholder committee: the Sustainability Advisory
Board consists of independent experts and representatives of non-governmental organisations who contribute their
knowledge and approve the issuance of the PRO PLANET label. Its members meet up to four times a year for one or
two days. During the awarding process, the REWE Group also involves external partners who have the expertise
required for each speciﬁc project. In addition, the Advisory Board works with the REWE Group to develop, assess and
implement numerous sustainability-relevant measures for the REWE and PENNY sales lines in Germany. This
includes both additional work within the PRO PLANET process and the continuous development of the REWE Group’s
sustainability strategy, e.g. through involvement in the creation and updating of guidelines. Furthermore, each
Advisory Board member has been given responsibility for a speciﬁc topic.
Members of the sustainability advisory board:
!"Georg Abel (Die VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE e. V.), Advisory Board expert for the topic “consumers”
!"Bernward Geier (COLABORA), Advisory Board expert for the topic “organic products”
!"Friedel Hütz-Adams (SÜDWIND e. V.), Advisory Board expert for the area of action “people”
!"Kristian Klöckner (NABU Bundesverband e. V.), Advisory Board expert for the area of action “the environment”
!"Stefanie Pöpken (expert for animal welfare in farming), Advisory Board expert for the area of action “animals”
The PRO PLANET awarding process
The label awarding process comprises the following steps:
1. Analysis and strategy check:
Sustainability oﬃcers at the REWE Group and the Sustainability Advisory Board research and analyse challenges and
measures in diﬀerent product groups and their supply chains. The analyses are then summarised and processed
together. The REWE Group discusses the results in an internal workshop and derives measures therefrom. These are
presented to the Advisory Board and a shortlist of measures is agreed jointly.
2. Deﬁnition of measures and PRO PLANET requirements:
The measures worked out in the ﬁrst step are deﬁned by the Sustainability Advisory Board, the sustainability oﬃcers
of the respective product ranges and the REWE Group's purchasing department. These can comprise various
activities depending on the challenge in the supply chain – from the purchase of certiﬁed raw materials, the creation
of (raw material) guidelines and the deﬁnition of goals through to the implementation of own projects (e.g. a
biodiversity project for local fruit and vegetable farming or training programmes for small farmer cooperatives in
Brazil). When it comes to purchasing certiﬁed raw materials, the Sustainability Advisory Board checks thoroughly

whether the criteria of the respective standard (e.g. Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, Naturland or EU organic logo/label)
address the signiﬁcant environmental and social problems. In addition, a proposal for measures or goals for
implementation by the REWE Group is developed so that product groups or individual products can be awarded the
PRO PLANET label. The results are presented to the entire Sustainability Advisory Board in order to subsequently
adopt the measures or goals in a strategy and budget process for the REWE Group.
3. Implementation of measures and approval by the Sustainability Advisory Board:
The sustainability oﬃcers at the REWE Group create a binding project plan for the agreed measures and
requirements, including milestones and objectives. On this basis, the Sustainability Advisory Board makes a ﬁnal
decision as to whether the agreed measures and requirements are suﬃcient for product groups or individual products
to receive a PRO PLANET label. If product groups or individual products meet the ﬁnally agreed requirements, they
are permitted to bear the PRO PLANET label for a limited period.
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The PRO PLANET label, which was redesigned in 2020, places the earth at the centre. The measures taken
by the REWE Group often deal with challenges from several subject areas – depending on which problems
arise for people, animals and the environment during the manufacture of private label products. The
contribution to sustainability underneath the globe always only describes the most important contribution of
the REWE Group for the respective individual product or product group. Additional information can be
obtained on the website pro-planet.info.
There are currently both products with the old label and those with the new label in circulation. The REWE
Group informed consumers of this during the ﬁnancial year.

Development of PRO PLANET products
GGooaall
The REWE Group has formulated the following goal as part of the realignment of PRO PLANET: the aim is for
25 per cent of private labels at REWE and PENNY in Germany to bear the PRO PLANET label by the end of
2025.
In 2021, the label was applied to many additional products. These include, for example, products in the new vegan,
climate neutral private label product ranges launched during the ﬁnancial year – REWE Bio + vegan and Food for
Future at PENNY. Overall, PRO PLANET products have developed positively in the individual product groups and
there has been an increase in the total number of PRO PLANET products in Germany. Since, however, the total
purchasing volume of all product groups also increased in 2021 due to the corona pandemic, the percentage of PRO
PLANET products in the purchasing volume of private label products at REWE and PENNY in Germany for the
ﬁnancial year is at the same level as the previous year at nine per cent. At toom Baumarkt DIY stores, both the
number and the percentage of PRO PLANET products in the purchasing volume of private label products remained at
a constant level.
PRO PLANET products in Germany
2019
2020
2021
Number of PRO PLANET products at REWE and PENNY in Germany
933
1,266
1,373
Percentage of PRO PLANET products in the purchasing volume of private label
products at REWE and PENNY in Germany1
10%
9%
9%
Number of PRO PLANET products at toom Baumarkt DIY stores in Germany2
699
844
884
Percentage of PRO PLANET products in the purchasing volume of private label
products at toom Baumarkt DIY stores in Germany1; 2
4%
5%
6%
1 The purchasing volume is the number of sales units of purchased private label products.
2 102-48: There are deviations in the key ﬁgures for 2019 and 2020 compared to the previous year's reports due to a retrospectively adjusted
collection method.

The keeping and use of animals play an important role in both the food retail sector and in travel and tourism. Animal
products such as meat or eggs are an integral part of eating habits today – consequently, animal husbandry is a
signiﬁcant branch of agricultural production. In many holiday destinations, interaction with animals is also part of the
local entertainment oﬀering. In both industries, however, the animals often suﬀer from poor living conditions or
handling which is inappropriate for the species. Current conversations in society about animal welfare show that
species-appropriate keeping of animals is becoming increasingly important to consumers and holidaymakers. The
stakeholders of the REWE Group also see the topic as very important for the company. The focus for them is a larger
selection of animal products with excellent animal husbandry (for more information, see Materiality Analysis).
In view of the area of action of animals within the Green Products Strategy 2030, the REWE Group is aiming to ﬁrmly
establish animal welfare in its supply chains and promote it at the holiday destinations of DER Touristik.
Background
For the REWE Group, the respectful treatment of animals in the production of goods of animal origin is fundamental.
The commercial company takes guidance here from the widespread concept of “Five Provisions and Welfare Aims”:
!"positive mental experiences
!"good environmental conditions
!"good health
!"good diet
!"species-appropriate behaviour
This concept, derived from the “Five Freedoms” of the British Farm Animal Welfare Council, corresponds to the
current state of science and provides for extensions in the event of new ﬁndings.
GRI FP10
Animal Welfare

GRI FP10: Physical alterations of animals
Management approach
Principles
In its Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices, the REWE Group has committed itself to complying with and
improving animal welfare standards and to expanding animal welfare in animal husbandry. In order to fulﬁl this
obligation, the REWE Group published its updated Guideline on Animal Welfare. in 2022. They supersede the Mission
Statement on Animal Husbandry of the Future from 2015 and the previous guidelines from 2019. They document
husbandry at the REWE Group with regards to animal welfare for the private labels sold at REWE and PENNY in
Germany. The guideline deﬁnes an overall strategy and its implementation through goals, measures and
requirements. The REWE Group is aware that the production of goods of animal origin also has eﬀects on people and
the environment. In its guideline, the Group places the focus on animal welfare – and highlights the various
challenges in this regard which need to be reconciled in animal husbandry, from rearing through to the consumers.
The Guideline on Animal Welfare deﬁnes a binding operational framework for the REWE Group and its business
relationships with contract partners. In 2016, the REWE Group in Austria published its own Guideline on Animal
Welfare, which presents the main measures and areas of action for Austria.
Implementation
In 2020, the REWE Group realigned its animal welfare strategy. The three principles of “Eliminate”, “Adapt” and
“Expand” form the framework of the animal welfare strategy. For example, a lack of usability or long transport routes
should be eliminated in the supply chains and husbandry conditions should be adapted to the needs of the animals –
through more space and run-out areas, more activities or through fewer interventions on the animal. Also, for
instance, regional production should be expanded.
GGooaallss
The REWE Group has set itself a strategic objective in relation to animal welfare: By 2030, the company
wants to establish greater animal welfare in those supply chains which include products of animal origin for
the private labels at PENNY and REWE. In addition, the REWE Group has formulated subgoals for the private
label product range (see Step 2 in the strategy process below).
Strategy process
Similar to the approach for more responsible supply chains, the REWE Group pursues a four-stage process in its
animal welfare strategy, in close coordination with suppliers: Risk and Hot Spot Analysis, Derivation of Focal Points
and Goals, Implementation through Measures and Requirements, Monitoring and Reporting.
Step 1: As part of an extensive risk and hot spot analysis, both external and internal factors were taken into
consideration, and the hot spots – that is, the main social and environmental challenges – were investigated. These
were supplemented by stakeholder surveys and trend evaluations such as, for example, consideration of the current

political situation. In addition, experts were brought in and analyses performed on the product range and private
labels.
Step 2: Through the analysis, six focus animal species (chicken, turkey, pig, cattle, dairy cow and laying hen) and
eight focus product groups (poultry, pork, beef, sausage, cheese, milk, dairy products and eggs) were identiﬁed as
being signiﬁcant. These are where the REWE Group can achieve the biggest possible impact in the area of animal
welfare. In order to achieve the strategic goal regarding animal welfare, speciﬁc focus subject areas were also
deﬁned, including animal-appropriate husbandry, origin and appreciation for life. Subgoals were subsequently
formulated for the private label product range. With these goals, the company is focusing on issues such as the
improvement of husbandry conditions, as it will be repeatedly moving to higher husbandry levels in the years to come
(see Speciﬁc measures and projects and husbandry conditions). The data for some of these subgoals was collected
quantitatively for the ﬁrst time in 2021. Collection of data is not possible for some of these.
KPI
2019
2020
2021
Status
100% of eggs to be produced without chick culling for the private labels of REWE in Germany by the
end of 2021
-
-
100%
100% of organic fresh eggs to be from the brand “Spitz & Bube” at REWE in Germany by the end of
2020
63%
100%
100%
100% of processed meat products1 to be produced at least with husbandry level 2 in the case of the
private labels of REWE and PENNY in Germany by the end of 2025
-
-
-
100% of fresh meat2 (beef, pork and poultry) to be produced at least with husbandry level 2 in the
case of the private labels of REWE and PENNY in Germany by the end of 2025
-
-
63%
100% of fresh meat2 (beef, pork and poultry) to be produced at least with husbandry levels 3 and 4
in the case of the private labels of REWE and PENNY in Germany by the end of 2030
-
-
8,5%
100% of milk to be produced at least with husbandry level 2 in the case of the private labels of REWE
and PENNY in Germany by the end of 2025
-
-
-
-
100% of milk to be produced at least with husbandry levels 3 and 4 in the case of the private labels of
REWE and PENNY in Germany by the end of 2030
-
-
-
-
100% of fresh milk to be sourced from Austria and Germany in the case of the private labels of REWE
and PENNY in Germany by the end of 2021
-
-
100%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 Sausage, including tinned, deep frozen and convenience
2 Self-serve and service counters
The data for some subgoals was collected quantitatively for the ﬁrst time in 2021. In the case of the goals for processed meat products and milk, it will
be possible to collect data as of the next ﬁnancial year.

Step 3: The strategic approach for greater animal welfare is implemented on three levels:
!"Clear minimum requirements are deﬁned for suppliers at grassroots level. These usually go beyond the level
required by law. The list of these requirements is constantly being reassessed, adapted and expanded.
!"Furthermore, the REWE Group promotes animal welfare among the general public through cooperation with
standards and in industry initiatives.
!"In order to drive the transformation of the industry forward, the REWE Group is also constantly looking for
innovative solutions which are piloted in lighthouse projects. Ideally, these projects are so successful that they can
be developed among the general public in the long term. An example is “Spitz & Bube free-range eggs”, which
REWE launched in 2016. The beaks of the laying hens are left in their natural form and their male counterparts are
raised until they are ready for slaughter. This project marked the beginning of the development of today's “chick-
culling-free” standard (for more information, see Chick-culling-free supply chains).
Step 4: The activities that we conduct are monitored and evaluated. The results of this monitoring work are then
incorporated into reﬁning the measures.
Animal welfare at DER Touristik
In order to meet the demand for animal-friendly oﬀerings, a binding animal welfare guideline applies to the entire DER
Touristik Group. It contains a comprehensive group strategy as well as an action plan with measures. By the end of
2023, the aim is to adapt the combine's entire product portfolio to established animal welfare standards – a year later
than planned due to the corona pandemic and the associated travel restrictions. DER Touristik aims to protect
animals from exploitation and neglect. Together with experts and industry participants, DER Touristik is working to
improve animal welfare standards in tourism, make local suppliers aware of the topic, and help them to design more
animal-friendly facilities. The focus is on animal species which are particularly aﬀected by tourism activities. In order
to check whether requirements are being adhered to, selected attractions are subject to external audits where certain
criteria are checked based on the Global Welfare Guidance for Animals in Tourism of the British travel association
ABTA. For example, elephant rides and shows have already been completely removed from the programmes of DER
Touristik tour operators. In order to help suppliers improve standards for animals, DER Touristik employees, especially
those of global destination agencies, also receive training on this topic.
Speciﬁc measures and projects to improve animal welfare
As described in the approach, the measures for implementation are taken on three levels and are grouped as follows:
!"clear minimum requirements for suppliers
!"cooperation with standards and in industry initiatives to promote animal welfare among the general public
!"transformation of the industry through innovative solutions

Clear minimum requirements for suppliers:
Chick-culling-free supply chains
In 2016, the REWE Group started working to create chick-culling-free supply chains for fresh eggs in private labels,
long before this practice was prohibited by law on 1st January 2022. To this end, for the past ﬁve years, REWE and
PENNY have turned to the “Bruderhahn” (brother cockerel) project “Spitz & Bube” and “Herzbube” respectively,
where the male chicks are reared. In 2017, the respeggt free-range eggs were introduced, where in-egg chick sexing
takes place to avoid chick culling (see In-egg chick sexing). Since February 2021, these two methods have also been
used for fresh eggs of the budget private label “ja!” to gradually transition to chick-culling-free eggs. Lekkerland also
only sells chick-culling-free eggs through its private label “mybasics”. Therefore, the REWE Group has achieved its
goal of chick-culling-free supply chains for fresh eggs in the private labels of REWE and PENNY early. Consequently,
this is a clear requirement for the company's suppliers with immediate eﬀect.
Consumers can identify chick-culling-free supply chains by the label: The entire shell egg product range of private
labels, across all forms of husbandry (organic, free range and barn), bears the label “ohne Kükentöten” (chick-
culling-free), whilst eggs in the budget private label “ja!” are labelled “Nein! zum Kükentöten” (no to chick culling).
The company has already produced one billion chick-culling-free eggs. In addition, the REWE Group has expanded its
campaign against chick culling to include the production of products that contain egg. These include, for example,
the egg salad and, since February 2022, many pasta products of the private label REWE Beste Wahl. The REWE
Group is also engaged in the topic of dual-purpose breeds. Here the animals are not only bred for one trait, but rather
are used, for example, for both egg and meat production.
Elimination of eggs from caged hens
The husbandry conditions of caged laying hens are not acceptable to the REWE Group. In 2010, the REWE Group in
Germany started to sell only barn and free-range private label eggs which meet the requirements of the Verein für
kontrollierte alternative Tierhaltungsformen e. V. (KAT) (association for controlled alternative types of animal
husbandry). This was followed in 2012 by the decision to also avoid the use of eggs from caged hens or small group
husbandry for processed products in Germany. By 2025 at the latest, the aim is to also stop selling eggs from caged
hens in all foreign retail companies.
Husbandry requirements implemented for buﬀaloes
In order to produce mozzarella from buﬀalo milk, a cow needs to bring one calf into the world every year. Around half
of these calves are male. Since they do not produce any milk and their meat is not popular amongst consumers, there
is little interest in raising them and the animals are not given suﬃcient food and space. Animal welfare organisations
are increasingly drawing attention to the resulting problems and animal welfare violations. In order to counter this, the
REWE Group has contractually obliged its suppliers to comply with the minimum requirements for buﬀalo husbandry
according to the standards of the animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS. These go beyond legal requirements in
that, for example, access to mud baths or water spray systems is stipulated.
No use of monkeys for coconut harvest
The general quality guidelines of Quality Assurance at the REWE Group state that no animals may be used for the
harvest of coconuts for private label food products – this applies both to coconut milk private labels of the REWE

Group as well as to private labels which use coconut constituents in further processing. The general quality guidelines
form the basis for all supplier agreements of the REWE Group and are binding.
Cooperation with standards and in industry initiatives to promote animal welfare among the general public:
Improvement of industry-wide animal welfare standards: Initiative Tierwohl
As a founding member of the Initiative Tierwohl (ITW), the REWE Group is committed to improving industry-wide
animal welfare standards. Through this alliance launched in 2015, partners from agriculture, the meat industry, food
retail and catering acknowledge their joint responsibility when it comes to animal husbandry, animal health and
animal welfare in livestock farming. The ITW helps farmers to implement measures for the welfare of their livestock
which go beyond legal standards. Through the participation of more than 10,200 farms, 647 million pigs, chickens
and turkeys beneﬁt from improved husbandry conditions each year. All farms in the Initiative Tierwohl are inspected
annually through a regular audit and an unannounced audit. Any farms which violate the requirements of the ITW are
rigorously sanctioned. With the 2021-2023 programme, the ITW is already in the third phase of the programme. Since
its launch, participating food retailers have jointly invested over 645 million euros in the welfare of pigs, chickens and
turkeys. At the start of 2021, massive additional investments were also agreed for pig farmers: In order to enable all
interested farmers to participate in the ITW, participating companies in the food retail sector are now providing
around 135 million euros for piglet producers in a fund for 2021 to 2023 rather than around 75 million euros as
planned. In addition to the market price, the piglet farmers also receive an animal welfare premium from this fund for
each piglet. In 2022, the ITW will expand to cattle.
Since 2019, as part of the initiative, the REWE Group has also been promoting animal welfare among the general
public through the four-level industry labelling for husbandry levels 1 to 4. The system also provides transparency
about added animal welfare value and helps consumers to make conscious purchasing decisions. The labelling is
currently available the following animal species: chicken, turkey, pig, cattle, dairy cow, duck and rabbit. Since the
start of 2022, the REWE Group has been gradually introducing the husbandry levels to milk and dairy products (see
“Strategy Development, Step 2”).
The husbandry levels
!"Level 1: Indoor Housing
This type of husbandry corresponds to the legal requirements, the QS standard or a comparable one.
!"Level 2: Indoor Housing Plus
The animals are kept with higher animal welfare standards such as, for example, at least 10 per cent more living
space and additional items to keep them stimulated. The criteria for Level 2 correspond to the requirements of the
Initiative Tierwohl.
!"Level 3: Outdoor Climate
This type of husbandry oﬀers the animals beneﬁts such as even more space and contact with fresh air.

!"Level 4: Premium
The animals have even more space and must have run-out areas. Meat is classiﬁed as being organic at this level.
In March 2022, the REWE Group and the Albert Schweitzer Foundation for Our Contemporaries concluded their
negotiations on the European Chicken Commitment. The common goal is to establish higher minimum standards in
the European poultry market. The REWE Group has committed itself to a speciﬁc action plan without even joining the
initiative. Thus, from 2030, husbandry level 3 is to be the minimum standard in the entire fresh meat product range of
the REWE Group for chickens, pigs, turkeys and cattle alike. The REWE Group is also committed to implementing the
requirements of the European Chicken Commitment into the Initiative Tierwohl. The REWE Group wants to use its
inﬂuence here and actively promote this within the industry. Furthermore, the REWE Group is committed to a long-
term and sustainable strengthening of agriculture in Germany.
Regional programmes
With the help of various regional programmes throughout Germany, the REWE Group wants to promote and maintain
regional structures as well as ensure better animal welfare through short transport routes and improved husbandry
systems. Central to this are fair, cooperative partnerships and close communication with farmers. Against this
background, the REWE Group is currently implementing 19 regional programmes with added animal welfare value for
pigs, cattle and chickens. For example, under the brand “Strohwohl”, the REWE sales line oﬀers meat from pigs in
North Rhine-Westphalia, which were mostly kept on straw. Rearing and fattening take place in modern family-run
farms according to the latest standards. The animals have double the amount of space as required by law and are
given non-genetically modiﬁed feed. In addition, no reserve antibiotics are used. And, under the brand “FairMast”,
meat from German chickens is oﬀered which are kept in animal-appropriate living spaces with more room than in
other forms of husbandry. They are kept in accordance with the standards of the European Chicken Commitment and
meat products bear the label “Für Mehr Tierschutz” (For more animal welfare) from the German Animal Welfare
Federation.
Consumer milk: “Du bist hier der Chef” (You are the boss here)
In 2020, the consumer initiative “Du bist hier der Chef” (You are the Boss Here) conducted a survey to ﬁnd out which
characteristics are particularly important for the product milk. The resulting Consumer Milk is available in the around
250 REWE stores in the Region “Mitte”. It oﬀers fair compensation for the farmers, has packaging made from
renewable raw materials, and is produced by organic farms. The cows are given regionally produced feed and spend
at least four months of the year on grazing land.
Species-appropriate keeping of quails: “free to ﬂy”
In Germany, there are no minimum requirements for the husbandry conditions of quails for egg production. For their
private labels, the REWE and PENNY sales lines only use quail eggs from the “free to ﬂy” type of husbandry. With this,
the quails enjoy a run modelled on their natural habitat, where they can peck, scratch, sandbathe and ﬂy freely. The
feed is free of genetically modiﬁed substances. In addition, this standard bans beak treatments and unnecessary live
animal transport over more than 50 kilometres, and stipulates that day-old male chicks should be reared.

Better standards with “Fair zum Tier” (Fair to the animal)
Under the label “Fair zum Tier” (Fair to the Animal), the REWE Group in Austria oﬀers meat and dairy products as well
as eggs, which come from conventional animal husbandry. The higher animal welfare standards concern husbandry,
transport and slaughter, and are well above the legal requirements. In the area of pig breeding, for example,
converted or newly built stalls are being used since the guidelines prescribe a ban on fully-slatted ﬂoors, more space,
and access to the outside. In addition, interventions on piglets such as castration may not be performed without prior
pain elimination, anaesthesia and pain aftercare. The docking of tails is banned. All animals under “Fair zum Tier” are
fed with genetically unmodiﬁed feed which is sourced primarily from Austria. Compliance with standards is checked
annually.
Transformation of the industry through innovative solutions:
Rearing male chicks
Free-range eggs have been sold under the exclusive brand “Spitz & Bube” in all participating REWE stores across
Germany since July 2017, while fresh barn eggs have been sold since 2018. With this brand, the beaks of the laying
hens are left in their natural form and their male counterparts are raised. Since the end of 2020, all organic eggs sold
by the REWE sales line have been produced from operations where the “brother cockerels” are raised. This ensures
that male chicks are no longer culled for REWE organic eggs. Furthermore, the REWE Beste Wahl product range
includes chicken fricassee meat from the project “Spitz & Bube”. At the start of 2017, with the brand HERZBUBE,
PENNY was the ﬁrst discounter in Germany to introduce fresh barn eggs across the country, where non-debeaked
laying hens are kept and the male chicks are reared.
In-egg chick sexing
Using the SELEGGT process, it is possible to eliminate the culling of male chicks of laying hen breeds. The use of new
technology enables the sex of the chick to be determined in the hatching egg: In the SELEGGT process, a laser is used
to burn a hole of no more than 0.3 millimetre into the shell of a hatching egg in order to withdraw a drop of allantoic
ﬂuid to determine the sex. The inner portion of the hatching egg remains undisturbed. The ﬂuid is then analysed and
the hatching eggs can be sorted by sex. Only the female hatching eggs are incubated further. Once they have
hatched, these laying hens lay the so-called respeggt “chick-culling-free” eggs. The male hatching eggs are turned
into a high-quality feed.
The basic research for the SELEGGT process was developed by the University of Leipzig. In order to create a practical
set-up, the REWE Group teamed up with a Dutch technology company to form the joint adventure respeggt. In
addition to sexing, it also conducts supply chain certiﬁcation, thereby guaranteeing the added “chick-culling-free”
value for customers.
Since the start of 2020, customers have been able to buy respeggt free-range eggs at all of the approximately 5,900
REWE and PENNY stores in Germany. In addition, since October 2021, the REWE Beste Wahl potato salad with egg
and gherkin has been available with respeggt eggs at all REWE stores. The plan is to expand this to additional
products in 2022.

Promotion of an alternative breed of turkey
Poultry fattening in line with environmental guidelines brings particular challenges. For example, traditional breeds of
turkey are only suitable for environmentally-friendly poultry fattening to a limited extent since their rapid growth can
lead to health problems, and turkeys are not suitable for breeding their own oﬀspring. Consequently, REWE Bio is
supporting Bioﬁno GmbH with a pioneering breeding project: By crossbreeding English free-range Auburn turkeys
and a conventional hybrid breed, a new breed was bred which is characterised by its particular robustness and vitality
and is highly suited to free-range rearing and feeding with organic feed. During rearing, each animal has around
twelve square metres of space to move in the coop, on the open-air ground, and in the covered outdoor area. A longer
period of growth is deliberately accepted. In 2021, 50 per cent of organic fresh turkey meat in the private labels of
REWE and PENNY came from Bioﬁno GmbH and thus from these turkeys. The REWE Group is aiming to switch the
organic fresh turkey meat of the private label REWE Bio completely over to the new breed of turkey.
Vegan and hybrid product ranges
Since 2021, the REWE Group has been oﬀering hybrid meat products which are made from 50% vegetables under the
brand “Better half”. These address those consumers who want to reduce their meat consumption without losing the
classic taste. In addition, the company is supporting the dynamically growing trend of a vegan diet and has launched
vegan private labels across its product groups. PENNY was the ﬁrst discounter in Germany to do this, launching
“Food for Future” in 2020. In 2021, the brand “REWE Bio + vegan” was introduced at REWE, where all products are
also organic certiﬁed.
With its vegan private labels, the REWE Group won two prizes at the third PETA Vegan Food Awards in June 2021. The
REWE sales line was selected as the “Most vegan-friendly supermarket” due to its extensive product range of vegan
alternative products. The cross-product-group vegan private label at PENNY, “Food for Future”, was the winner in the
category “Best private label”.

Life circumstances and eating habits have changed continuously over the past decades. The traditional order of
meals in the family home environment is losing importance: people are eating out more and more; food is available
almost all the time and everywhere in this country. At the same time, digitalisation is changing the working
environment – an increasing number of people are working at a desk and physical activity is decreasing. As a result,
people today require less energy than previous generations. Since eating habits have mostly not been adapted, this
has lead to imbalanced diets. As one of the leading food retailers in Europe, the REWE Group has around 73 million
customers contacts a week in its supermarkets and discount stores – and thus a large lever to fulﬁl its social
responsibility in terms of a balanced food oﬀering.
In addition to people, animals and the environment, nutrition is an area of action within the Green Products Strategy
2030. The REWE Group's activities for this area of action aim to promote a diverse and healthy diet – by adapting
products and raising awareness amongst consumers.
GRI Food Processing (FP): Healthy, aﬀordable food
Management approach
Principles
With consideration of nutrition, transparent information about the nutritional values of the products and adapting the
product range play signiﬁcant roles. With its private label products, the REWE Group has the opportunity to contribute
to a diverse and balanced diet by adapting recipes in terms of nutrients such as sugar, salt, fat or saturated fatty
acids.
Implementation
All private label recipes were reviewed between 2018 and 2020. On the basis of this, more than 550 private label
products have now been improved with regard to sugar and/or salt content. Therefore, the REWE Group has achieved
its goal set for the end of 2020 of improving half of the recipes of relevant products. No alternative sweeteners or salt
substitutes were used. The sugar or salt content of the products has been reduced gradually so that customers slowly
get used to the new taste – less sweet and less salty. It should be noted that the private label product range of the
GRI FP10
Nutrition

REWE Group is constantly being revised: new products are added, others are discontinued. In light of this, the
number of products in the range and its composition are not static. One of the ﬁrst products was the REWE Beste
Wahl chocolate pudding, where consumers were involved in deciding the reduced sugar content at the start of 2018.
As a result, the pudding with 30 per cent less sugar than in the standard recipe was added to the product range. At
the beginning of 2019, REWE customers were also involved in agreeing the sugar content of the product REWE Deine
Wahl Triple Choc Granola and chose between three levels. With 61 per cent of the votes, it was also the product with
30 per cent less sugar which was chosen here and then put into stores. In the future too, the REWE Group plans to
use the Nutri-Score to further improve private label recipes in terms of their sugar and/or salt content.
CClleeaarr  llaabbeelllliinngg  wwiitthh  tthhee  NNuuttrrii--SSccoorree
The Nutri-Score is nutritional information labelling which assesses ingredients such as calories, protein and
fat as well as the share of fruit and vegetables in a food product and determines a value on the basis of these
properties. The scale ranges from A (green) to E (red). A representative survey of the Federal Ministry of
Food and Agriculture conducted in 2019 revealed that the majority of consumers are in favour of labelling
food with this Nutri-Score – because it is the most helpful and the easiest to understand. In order to help its
customers make conscious food choices, the REWE Group began to introduce the Nutri-Score labelling for
the ﬁrst private label products in 2020. It started in June 2020 with over 50 permanently listed products in
PENNY's organic private label Naturgut. In 2021, REWE also introduced the Nutri-Score to private label
processed foods. In total, 1,641 REWE and 1,302 PENNY products had already started the labelling process
by the end of 2021. It is gradually being expended to all private labels. See Goals. From 2021, the
introduction of Nutri-Score labelling at REWE was accompanied by the dietary campaign “Leichter besser
essen” (Eat better more easily) which shows that it is neither complex nor expensive to consciously opt for a
better diet. For more information, visit the Nutri-Score website.

GGooaallss
In 2021, the REWE Group set the goal of applying Nutri-Score labelling to all private label products of REWE
and PENNY in Germany by mid-2023 in order to make progress in the area of action of nutrition visible. An
intermediate goal is to reach 80 per cent by mid-2022. The goal is to continue with the improvement of
sugar and salt content already achieved in private label recipes.
KPI
Status
Increase in Nutri-Score labelling for relevant* private label products at REWE and PENNY in
Germany to 80% by mid-2022 and 100% by mid-2023
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
* Not relevant are mono-products, such as rice, potatoes and ﬂour and products that do not have added sugar or salt, such as mineral
water, cooking oil or vinegar.
Measures and projects to promote a balanced diet
Through a variety of projects, the REWE Group is working to promote a balanced diet. In addition to adapting the
product range, raising awareness amongst consumers and providing them with information for a healthy and
balanced diet are also the focus of activities by the REWE Group.
Commitment to educational campaign on healthy nutrition and exercise
As a charter member and former member of the Management Board of the group “5 am Tag” (5 a Day), the REWE
Group encourages eﬀorts to boost consumption of fruit and vegetables to ﬁve portions a day and to promote healthy
diets for children. Together with other sponsors, including the German Nutrition Society (DGE), the company has
been involved in encouraging people to eat more fruit and vegetables since 2000.
PPrroommoottiinngg  aa  hheeaalltthhyy  ddiieett  ffoorr  cchhiillddrreenn
In some regions of Germany, the REWE sales line is supporting nutrition workshops carried out by the
provider expika. The workshops are designed to motivate children in day-care centres and to help them to
playfully learn about healthy diets. For this purpose, digital media is also used during the daily training
course. Nutrition workshops supported by the REWE Group are already in their twelfth year. Due to the
corona pandemic, only 432 workshops took place during the ﬁnancial year for approximately 8,600
children.

The Power Kiste (Power Box) for a healthy start to the day
With the food bank group Tafel Deutschland e. V. and other partners, REWE provides participating schools with Power
Boxes that contain an alternating range of foods selected by dietary experts to be used in preparing breakfast in the
classroom. This enables children to get their day oﬀ to a healthy start. In 2021, 23 schools and over 1,400 children
were receiving the boxes from Monday to Friday. In this way, more than 122,000 meals were provided in the 2020/21
school year. Due to school closures caused by the pandemic, the project had to be temporarily suspended.
11 additional schools are taking part in the “Power Kiste Light” (Power Box Light) project, in which they receive
breakfast items oﬀered by the REWE delivery service. Almost 15,000 children have received over 1.8 million
breakfasts since the start of the project in 2009. The project is supported with donations from brands such as
Chiquita, Danone, Ehrmann, FrieslandCampina, Mondelez, Nestlé, Unilever, Zentis, Henkel, Rügenwalder Mühle and
Eurogroup (part of the REWE Group).
Targeted promotion of conscious diets amongst customers
In order to achieve long-term success, it is essential to increase consumers' knowledge of how to maintain a healthy
and balanced diet. The REWE Group uses its websites for this purpose. Here the company oﬀers practical information
about its private label products, their recipes, and the requirements for a balanced diet.
In order to provide its consumers with comprehensive information, the REWE sales line developed the campaign
“Schon bewusst?” (Already conscious?) at the start of 2020, which was also continued in 2021. In addition to topics
such as animal welfare and carbon dioxide emissions, focus was also placed on the importance of a healthy and
varied diet. The campaign included presenting alternatives to products containing meat or sugar, providing tips on
how to lead a healthy lifestyle, and explaining nutrients and ingredients.
In addition, the sales line oﬀers a wide range of recipes for a balanced diet in the online recipe database REWE Deine
Küche (REWE Your Kitchen). In addition to reduced-sugar, vegetarian and vegan cooking inspirations, consumers can
learn about seasonal and conscious nutrition, food intolerances and the Nutri-Score. Many recipes also contain the
ErnährWert value, which enables consumers to see at a glance how well the recipe meets the current
recommendations of the German Nutrition Society. The calculation of the ErnährWert value takes the nutrients of a
dish into consideration. These include all ingredients as well as diﬀerences resulting from the respective methods of
preparation. Using a scale from one to ten, consumers are able to see how balanced a recipe is. The nutrition
encyclopaedia also gives answers to questions about ingredients and additives as well as information on fats and oils.
For further information, see Projects and Funding.

Packaging is part of our everyday life. It fulﬁls many important functions: to keep food fresh, protect it and enable its
transportation. It also provides space for important information. However, many negative environmental eﬀects arise
along the packaging value chain. For example, the production of packaging requires the use of natural resources,
consumes energy and creates emissions. If packaging waste is incorrectly disposed of and does not reach the
recycling plant, it ends up in an incinerator. If it is not properly disposed of, it ends up in nature. The stakeholders of
the REWE Group see packaging as a very important issue for the company (for more information, see Materiality
Analysis).
The area of packaging plays a special role in the focus issue of the Circular Economy which, in addition to Climate and
Biodiversity is anchored in the area of action of the environment within the Green Products Strategy 2030.
GRI 301: Materials
Management approach
Principles
In its Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices, the REWE Group has committed itself to the eﬃcient use of the
natural resources soil, air and water as well as of raw materials and fuels. As part of this eﬀort, the REWE Group
optimises the use of relevant resources in its business processes and takes product- and raw-material-related
measures aimed at both the upstream and downstream links in the value chain.
The REWE Group is aware that resources are used and waste package is produced due to the packaging of its private
label products. Consequently, the company takes numerous measures to reduce the impacts of its business model
and promote the circular economy (some of these are described in Measures for more environmentally friendly
packaging). During this process, the REWE Group focuses on the sales and service packaging of its private labels.
Within this area of application, it has deﬁned goals which vary depending on the sales line.
GRI 301
Packaging

BBiinnddiinngg  ooppeerraattiioonnaall  ffrraammeewwoorrkk
In order to make sales and service packaging more environmentally friendly, the REWE Group has created a
Guideline on More Environmentally Friendly Packaging. It deﬁnes a binding operational framework for the
REWE Group and its contract partners and describes which factors have fundamentally positive (dos) and
negative (don’ts) eﬀects on the environmental friendliness of a particular packaging. 
In addition to this, the REWE Group published the Guideline on Circular Economy in 2021. It provides the basis for
gradually anchoring the circular economy in the value chain of products. For the REWE Group, the circular economy is
a meaningful approach towards conserving resources, protecting the environment and combating climate change.
For further information, also see Circular Economy. 
Strategy process
Since packaging consumes considerable amounts of resources, the trade group has developed a comprehensive
approach to ensuring more environmentally friendly packaging. To achieve this, the REWE Group worked closely with
key stakeholders – from purchasing departments and selected NGOs through to experts in packaging design.
Data analysis was carried out ﬁrst in order to develop the approach. Signiﬁcant impacts and determining factors were
then identiﬁed on the basis of this. The approach was then deﬁned through goals and measures. The eﬀectiveness of
the management approach is put to the test, assessed and, if necessary, further developed each year as part of a
stakeholder review process and the sustainability strategy day. There were no changes to the principles of the
management approach in the reporting period. However, subgoals, for example in the area of recycled material, have
been added. In addition, an overall strategy for the topic of circular economy was adopted (see Circular Economy). 
Responsibility
The Sustainable Products department is strategically responsible for the topic of packaging and enables the combine
to implement adopted strategies and measures. The topic is handled and advanced by a dedicated team within the
department. When it comes to implementation for an individual product, Purchasing and Category Management are
responsible for ensuring that packaging goals are implemented in day-to-day operations.

GGooaallss
In order to make progress measurable in the area of packaging, the REWE Group has deﬁned the following
key performance indicator (KPI) with associated objective, which relates not to a particular reference year,
but rather to the status quo of each individual packaging for private labels. The status quo is measured using
criteria which the REWE Group has deﬁned for more environmentally friendly packaging (see
Implementation): 
Goal
Status
100% more environmentally friendly private label packaging by the end of 20301
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 This goal applies to the REWE Group in Germany (REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY stores) and, since
2019, also to the international sales lines (BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY and ADEG).
In order to achieve the desired percentage of more environmentally friendly private label packaging of 100 per cent
by the end of 2030, the REWE Group has set numerous subgoals in the area of packaging which are also subject to a
continuous progress review. The data for some of these subgoals was collected quantitatively for the ﬁrst time in
2021. Collection of data on the share of recyclable plastic packaging is not possible. Due to a lack of data
transparency, it is also not possible to make any statements regarding goal achievement for paper packaging. The
subgoals for REWE and PENNY in Germany are: 
Goals
2019
2020
2021
Status
100% of PET private label packaging in the area of washing and cleaning
agents to be made from recycled material by the end of 20211
-
-
95%
An average of 50% recycled material in PET single-use drink bottles for
private labels by the end of 20232
-
-
38%
Reduction of the share of plastic in private label packaging of 20% by the
end of 2025 compared with 2015
-
-
22%
100% recyclable plastic private label packaging by the end of 2025
-
-
-
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 Wherever possible, the REWE Group strives for 20 per cent recycled material sourced from Germany’s “Gelber Sack” (Yellow Bag) programme, in
which plastic rubbish is collected from private households in the country.
2 This is an objective which was adjusted during the ﬁnancial year. It became apparent that the REWE Group would already achieve the previous goal
of 25 per cent recycled material in 2021.
The data for some of these subgoals was collected quantitatively for the ﬁrst time in 2021. Collection of data on the share of recyclable plastic
packaging is not possible. Due to a lack of data transparency, it is also not possible to make any statements regarding goal achievement for paper
packaging.

Goals
2019
2020
2021
Status
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 Wherever possible, the REWE Group strives for 20 per cent recycled material sourced from Germany’s “Gelber Sack” (Yellow Bag) programme, in
which plastic rubbish is collected from private households in the country.
2 This is an objective which was adjusted during the ﬁnancial year. It became apparent that the REWE Group would already achieve the previous goal
of 25 per cent recycled material in 2021.
The data for some of these subgoals was collected quantitatively for the ﬁrst time in 2021. Collection of data on the share of recyclable plastic
packaging is not possible. Due to a lack of data transparency, it is also not possible to make any statements regarding goal achievement for paper
packaging.
100% certiﬁed paper packaging at REWE and PENNY in Germany by the
end of 2020
-
-
-
-
Implementation
“More environmentally friendly packaging” is such which has the least possible impact on the environment. To
achieve this, packaging is to be avoided, reduced or improved in terms of its environmental eﬀects wherever possible.
These principles are to be applied in the order indicated here – the packaging which is best from an environmental
standpoint is therefore packaging which can be completely avoided.

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In order to reduce the negative environmental impact of a particular packaging, the following six criteria are
used as determining factors:
!"Use of reusable alternatives
!"Reduction of material usage
!"Promotion of recyclability
!"Use of secondary raw materials
!"Use of alternative materials
!"Use of certiﬁed raw materials
Packaging to which the criteria are applied also ideally has a better result when undergoing a life cycle
assessment. The REWE Group views life cycle assessments as a helpful tool for evaluating the environmental
friendliness of packaging, for example in the event of a material change.
Each optimisation of a particular packaging or packaging component according to the criteria has a positive
environmental impact in principle and contributes to the goal of achieving “100 per cent more
environmentally friendly private label packaging”. Packaging should always be optimised or reduced as
comprehensively as possible. Packaging is constantly reviewed and continuously optimised on the basis of
the current state of research and the latest developments.
The REWE Group uses three corresponding seals on products which have more environmentally friendly packaging to
ensure transparency. The labels enable customers to see at glance on an increasing number of products which
measures have already been implemented to optimise the packaging, such as reduced material usage, use of
secondary raw materials or use of alternative materials.

In addition, disposal instructions have also been developed for packaging at REWE, PENNY and toom since 2021.
This information is intended to help consumers correctly separate and dispose of the particular product packaging.
The aim is to gradually apply these instructions to the majority of packaging during the course of 2022. 
Systematic integration into purchasing processes
The approach for more environmentally friendly packaging is being systematically integrated into purchasing
processes across all product ranges. The REWE Group ensures that knowledge is transferred within the company
through measures such as a permanent working group on packaging.
When it comes to implementation, the REWE Group uses three pillars which build on each other:
!"The trade group anchors deﬁned requirements for more environmentally friendly packaging in its purchasing
processes. In order to evaluate packaging and packaging alternatives, the REWE Group has developed tools which
allow the environmental friendliness of packaging to be classiﬁed based on the requirements.
!"Meetings with suppliers form the basis for cooperation, with a view to potential improvements in the environmental
friendliness of packaging. Suppliers are also required to implement and comply with the strategy at various points.
This varies depending on the product area: For example, suppliers must actively take note of dos and don’ts during
the listing process, subgoals are ﬁxed in writing in framework agreements, or guidelines are communicated to
suppliers via the Supplier Portal.

!"Innovation products lead to the development of new packaging concepts, through involvement in research
products and industry initiatives or through cooperation with partners from the supply chain or start-ups, for
example. These concepts may include, for instance, the use of alternative raw materials or the avoidance of
packaging through innovative technology.
CCoommppllaaiinntt  pprroocceessss
Consumers can submit complaints or comments regarding private label packaging of the REWE Group via the
standard customer hotlines. These queries are forwarded internally to the respective specialist department or even to
the purchaser if the matter relates to a speciﬁc product. Responses are coordinated internally and feedback is
provided through customer service. 
Suppliers can also get in touch with the REWE Supplier Portal using an email address.
SSppeecciiaall  aawwaarrdd  ffoorr  ppaacckkaaggiinngg
The REWE Group, in collaboration with the German Sustainability Award Foundation (Stiftung Deutscher
Nachhaltigkeitspreis e. V.), awarded the German Sustainability Award in the packaging category for the third
time during the ﬁnancial year. The competition focused on concepts and ideas which reduce, optimise or
avoid packaging, remain aﬀordable in the mass market, and meet consumer needs to the greatest extent
possible in terms of hygiene, information and convenience. The winner was Büttenpapierfabrik Gmund
GmbH & Co. KG with its packaging paper made completely from hemp ﬁbre.
Measures for more environmentally friendly packaging
The REWE Group is implementing a wide range of measures to make its packaging more environmentally friendly and
optimise the use of resources. Measures and activities are divided according to the three principles “avoid, reduce,
improve”.

The REWE Group is working hard to avoid packaging:
Discontinuation of plastic bags
To set an example regarding the reduction of plastic waste, the REWE Group has discontinued plastic bags at its sales
lines well before the legal ban in Germany (January 1st, 2022) and Austria (January 1st, 2020):
!"Germany: REWE (2016), PENNY (2017), DER Touristik travel agencies (2017), toom Baumarkt DIY stores (2018)
and Lekkerland (2020) – the last plastic bag in the food service area has now been replaced by a bag for life.
!"Austria: BILLA, BILLA Plus, PENNY, BIPA and ADEG (2017)
““AAwwaayy  FFrroomm  PPllaassttiicc””
The REWE Group in Austria is working to reduce plastic on the shelves of BILLA, BILLA Plus, PENNY and
ADEG through the “Away From Plastic” initiative. For example, Echt B!O, the private label of PENNY Austria,
has sold blood oranges in cotton nets since 2018. Some fruits and vegetables are sold without packaging,
including squashes and courgettes. In addition, the entire product range of organic fruit and vegetables in
Austria has only been sold loose without packaging or in more environmentally friendly packaging since the
end of 2019. In 2020 and 2021, the organic milk and yoghurts of the private label Ja! Natürlich were
switched to reusable glass containers. Since the start of packaging optimisations in 2011, 1,110 tonnes of
plastic have already been saved with the private label Ja! Natürlich alone.
Reusable nets in the area of fruit and vegetables
At the end of 2017, the REWE Group started to look at how to reduce the amount of plastic fruit and vegetable bags
(“knot bags”) used: customers could purchase reusable fresh food nets from participating REWE test stores and bring
them to transport fruit and vegetables on each shopping trip. It was also pointed out that fruit and vegetables with a
natural protective outer layer can also be transported without any packaging at all. In October 2018, REWE was the
ﬁrst major food retailer in Germany to introduce these reusable fresh food nets nationwide. PENNY followed in 2019
with the nationwide introduction of cotton nets. In Austria too, the REWE Group was the ﬁrst retailer to oﬀer reusable
fresh food nets back in 2018 – to transport unpackaged fruit and vegetables in manner which ensured the
conservation of resources. The REWE Group in Austria received the WorldStar Packaging Award for this in 2020.
Natural branding instead of packaging
Since March 2017, REWE has been using “natural branding”: logos and information are applied directly to the outer
skin of sweet potatoes by laser. Only pigments in the outermost layer of skin are removed. The labelling only takes
place on the surface, is completely contactless and has no inﬂuence on taste, quality or shelf life. This makes printed

packaging to identify organic products superﬂuous, enabling the use of plastic, paper and metal to be reduced.
FFrruuiitt  aanndd  vveeggeettaabblleess  uunnppaacckkaaggeedd
The REWE and PENNY sales lines have already been oﬀering various fruit and vegetable products without
packaging for a long time – and are continuously expanding their commitment. Since April 2020, for
example, REWE in Germany has been selling organic fruit and vegetables nationwide as far as possible
without plastic or with improved packaging. This enabled 210 tonnes of plastic and 80 tonnes of paper to be
saved in the area of organic fruit and vegetables in the rollout year compared to 2019, and these ﬁgures are
expected to grow in line with the increasing sales in this product range. This step was preceded by an
“unpackaged test” in 630 REWE and nahkauf stores in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and
Saarland. As part of this test, plastic packaging was avoided as far as possible or more environmentally
friendly packaging was used in the area of organic fruit and vegetables. The Nature and Biodiversity
Conservation Union (NABU) provided support here with its expertise in an advisory capacity.
Rethinking packaging material
Another example of the avoidance of packaging material is the switchover from ﬁlm packaging to adhesive tape rolls
or adhesive labels for cucumbers. By avoiding the use of ﬁlm packaging for cucumbers, REWE and PENNY were able
to save around 170 tonnes of plastic in the ﬁnancial year.
toom Baumarkt DIY stores are also working to avoid packaging material. For example, the sales line is reducing the
use of plastic labels for plant products. Nine million labels had already been saved by 2021, including two million in
the reporting period alone.
DER Touristik: Reﬁllable drinking bottles rather than disposable plastic bottles
It has become more diﬃcult to avoid single-use plastics when travelling. Since winter 2017/18, in order to reduce the
amount of plastic waste in holiday regions, Go Vacation, DER Touristik’s destination agency, has been giving guests of
DER Touristik tour operators (Dertour, Jahn Reisen, ITS, Meiers Weltreisen, ADAC Reisen, Travelix and Kuoni) in
Indonesia reﬁllable drinking bottles at the beginning of their trip, which they can also take home. The bottles can be
ﬁlled up at all hotels on the tours and during breaks at restaurants thanks to water dispensers. Disposable plastic
bottles will be completely dispensed with in the future. In Bali, guests also receive cloth bags, meaning that there is
no need for plastic bags. The drinking bottles and cloth bags have been produced locally. Due to the pandemic, no
tours took place during the ﬁnancial year and the campaign has been paused.

Avoiding single-use plastic in tourism: “Plastic Free Balearics”
The goal of the Futouris project “Plastic Free Balearics” is to reduce the use of single-use plastic in the hotel industry
or avoid it completely. By doing so, the aim is to reduce the amount of plastic waste and optimise further recycling.
DER Touristik Group is taking part in this project with a hotel in Majorca. Based on the ﬁndings of a plastic hot spot
analysis, measures have been implemented such as the provision of plastic-free straws, loose teas, dispensers for
soap, shampoo and shower gel as well as communication measures for guests and training sessions for employees. In
addition, the plastic packaging of products and food delivered is being analysed and, where possible, reduced. Due to
the corona pandemic, only a few measures were implemented as part of the industry project in 2020 and 2021.
However, the guidelines “Plastic-free holidays on Balearic Islands” were published. They help hotels and tourism
businesses to ﬁnd more sustainable alternatives to frequently used single-use plastic products such as, for example,
plastic water bottles, straws or cups.
Packaging-free products at the fresh food counter
Following successful tests in March 2019 and the rollout during the following July, the REWE Group in Austria is
enabling customers to bring their own containers to ﬁll with sausage, cheese or coﬀee drinks at all BILLA and BILLA
Plus stores. The customers bring along an empty, clean reusable box or coﬀee cup. The employees ﬁll this container
and attach a label. This reduces the use of packaging. Since June 2019, it has also been possible to bring along
containers to almost all German REWE stores which have fresh food counters. However, this option had to be
suspended during the ﬁnancial year due to the corona pandemic.
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Working together with the start-up VYTAL, the REWE sales line was the ﬁrst food retailer in Germany to oﬀer
a free reusable system for its salad bars when it was introduced to pilot stores in 2020. What is special here
is that the system operates without a deposit. A VYTAL vending machine containing clean, reusable
packaging stands next to the salad bar. Customers can take a bowl from the vending machine by scanning
the QR code in their VYTAL customer account. The bowls can be ﬁlled as normal and paid for at the till. The
bowl’s tare weight is automatically subtracted. The bowl can be returned either to the returns machine at
the REWE store or other VYTAL partners such as cafés and restaurants within 14 days. The deposit-free
reusable system is currently being tested at ﬁve REWE stores in Cologne.
Lekkerland has been a cooperation partner of RECUP since the end of 2020. With its takeaway coﬀee cups,
the sales line is oﬀering a reusable alternative with a deposit system at participating sales outlets.

Reusable plant trays at toom
toom Baumarkt DIY stores use several million single-use plant trays each year to transport plants from nurseries to
warehouses and stores and then onto the customers. The REWE Group's DIY chain also wants to reduce plastic waste
here. As part of a pilot project in 34 stores, toom Baumarkt DIY stores have been testing a reusable alternative which
provides a closed reusable material cycle since July 2021.
If it is not possible to completely avoid packaging, the REWE Group takes various measures to try to reduce the
amount of material used:
Reducing packaging material
By cutting down the amount of ﬁlm used for selected REWE and PENNY private label products, e.g. for breakfast bags
and refuse sacks or packaging for kitchen towels and toilet paper, huge amounts of plastic have been saved in the
past. In Austria too, the REWE Group is working to reduce material consumption: the BIPA sales line has been oﬀering
selected products from the bi good brand in reﬁll bags since 2020. This measure saved up to 75 per cent packaging
material compared with 2019.
Savings thanks to ﬂow packs
Since 2020, the REWE sales line has been selling Wilhelm Brandenburg minced beef in so-called ﬂow packs. By
packaging under a protective gas atmosphere, it was possible to save around 60 per cent of plastic in the year of its
introduction compared with the previous year, corresponding to around 35 tonnes per year.
Yoghurt lid as a reusable solution
Both REWE and PENNY have gradually stopped using the additional plastic lid for 500 gram pots of private label
yoghurt, soy yoghurt and skyr since summer 2020. Through this measure, the two sales lines have saved around
146,000 kilograms of plastic each year. So that customers can conveniently and hygienically reseal the opened
yoghurt pot, REWE and PENNY oﬀer food-safe reusable lids. In 2021, this initiative was also introduced to PENNY
Austria, BILLA, BILLA PLUS and ADEG. This enables around 50,000 kilograms of plastic to be saved each year.
If it is not possible to reduce the packaging, it is improved as far as possible in terms of environmental friendliness:
Circular economy for materials
The REWE Group is a member of the Recyclat-Initiative, an alliance of partners from a range of diﬀerent industries
that promotes eﬀective recycling and practises the principle of a circular economy. Their shared goal is to develop
sustainable closed loops and to use materials produced by Germany’s “Gelber Sack” (Yellow Bag) programme, in
which plastic rubbish is collected from private households in the country. Since 2017, for the product group
“washing, cleaning, scrubbing”, REWE and PENNY have been steadily switching to packaging made entirely from
recycled material. Twenty per cent of this material comes from “Gelber Sack” collections. In addition, REWE and
PENNY have been oﬀering shower gel and soaps from the private label “today” in packaging made entirely from
recycled material since 2019. In this case too, twenty per cent of the material comes from “Gelber Sack” collections.
The use of raw materials from “Gelber Sack” collections is possible due to a special sorting technology based on laser

optics. In the future, the REWE Group wants to switch more packaging to recycled material (for more information, see
Management Approach”).
PPrriivvaattee  llaabbeell  ddrriinnkk  bboottttlleess  mmaaddee  ffrroomm  rreeccyycclleedd  mmaatteerriiaall
Many private label drink bottles from the REWE Group have long consisted of a signiﬁcant proportion of
recycled PET (rPET). At the start of 2019, REWE and PENNY were the ﬁrst food retailers to introduce drink
bottles made completely from recycled plastic – for example, the 0.75 l water bottle (still) with sports cap of
the private labels PENNY Ready and REWE Beste Wahl. Since the end of 2021, all drink bottles of private
labels in the convenience sector have been made entirely from rPET. For REWE Bio, the proportion of
recycled material in drink bottles is 50 per cent. In addition, the bottles of Lekkerland's private label Santa
Emilia and those of GoFresh juices, smoothies and shots consist of 100 per percent and 75 per cent rPET
respectively.
Use of recycled plastic
Working with its suppliers and other partners, toom Baumarkt DIY stores have developed packaging made of nearly
100 per cent recycled plastic. In 2011, toom began to sell its private label paint in containers made from recycled
plastic (Procyclen®). In 2021, the product range included 111 items. The carbon dioxide emissions from containers
produced using recycled material are up to 50 per cent less than for packaging made of primary material. This
initiative has helped toom Baumarkt DIY stores to save over 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide since its introduction. In
2015, the sales line also added paint trays, buckets and storage boxes made of recycled plastic to its product range
and it is continuously expanding the oﬀering of products made partly from recycled material.
In 2021, for example, the ﬁrst private label products in the area of potting soil were switched to optimised packaging:
the improved packaging consists of recyclable ﬁlm with at least 80 per cent post-consumer recycling material (PCR).
The plan for 2022 is to gradually further expand the oﬀering of potting soils with this packaging. In July 2020, toom
Baumarkt DIY stores also began to require its plant suppliers to use only recyclable cultivation pots which consist of
at least 50 per percent PCR. Since the start of 2021, this proportion has increased from 70 to over 90 per cent.
bi good: Packaging with the highest possible recycled content
In 2014, the BIPA sales line in Austria introduced a new line for household and care products under the name bi
good. The packaging consists exclusively of recyclable materials and has the currently maximum possible recycled
content. For example, bottles (HDPE or PET) and folding boxes (paper) are produced from 100 per cent recycled
material while the ﬁgure for tubes (PE) is 60 per cent.

Supporting a functioning recycling system
A functioning recycling system is essential so that packaging materials can be reused following disposal. For this, in
turn, the packaging waste needs to be separated according to type. To support this process, the REWE Group has
been a founding member of “Holy Grail 2.0” since 2020. The aim of the initiative is to enable a better sorting process
through a digital watermark on packaging. The codes are imperceptible to the naked eye and applied to the entire
packaging. They are identiﬁed in the waste sorting plant using a high-resolution camera and the packaging can be
automatically sorted according to the respective data. The result: better sorting streams and thus higher quality
recycled materials.
Use of alternative materials
Another approach to improving packaging is the use of grass paper. This alternative packaging material consists
partly of sun-dried grass, a fast-growing raw material, and partly of wood. Currently, grass paper is being used as
packaging in various areas of the product ranges at REWE and PENNY in Germany.
The REWE Group in Austria also uses grass paper. This material has been used to package herb and ﬂower seeds as
well as teas of the brand Ja! Natürlich since 2020.
At toom Baumarkt DIY stores, the packaging of beneﬁcial-organism-friendly seeds was also switched to grass paper
in 2021 – with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 40 per cent per bag. The sales line began to gradually
switch the composite materials of protective covers to thin kraft paper back in 2020. And since 2022, ﬂower bulb
bags made from composite material (plastic and paper) have been replaced with ones which consist exclusively of
paper. This will make it much easier to recycle them in the future. For plant products which are placed in the warm
storage building, toom has been gradually switching the label material from plastic to paper since 2021, thus saving
64 per cent carbon dioxide equivalent. The sticks of stick-in labels will be made from bamboo rather than plastic in
the future.

In a linear economy, raw materials used to make a product are not returned to the cycle after its service life. Rather
they are disposed of, mostly burnt, in the end and therefore cannot be reused. This leads to an increasing
consumption of resources, which has impacts on the climate and the environment. The production of waste (for
example, through packaging), including food waste, is also a problem yet to be solved when it comes to dealing with
raw materials.
In addition to climate and biodiversity, the circular economy is also a focus issue in the area of action of the
environment within the Green Products Strategy 2030. The REWE Group aims to avoid the waste of resources, reuse
packaging and products, and close as many material cycles as possible through a high-quality recycling system.
Packaging is a subtopic of the circular economy and is described in greater detail in Packaging.
GRI 301: Materials
Management approach
Principles
In its Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices, the REWE Group has committed itself to the eﬃcient use of the
natural resources soil, air and water as well as of raw materials and fuels. As part of this eﬀort, the REWE Group
optimises the use of relevant resources in its business processes and takes product- and raw-material-related
measures aimed at both the upstream and downstream links in the value chain.
In 2021, the REWE Group adopted a strategy for implementing the circular economy in the supply chains of private
labels sold at REWE, PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores in Germany. The strategy has been documented in the
Guideline on Circular Economy. It is intended to provide the basis for gradually anchoring the circular economy in the
value chain of products.
The strategic principles for the circular economy, which have already been deﬁned since 2020 for the area of
packaging in the Guideline on More Eco-Friendly Packaging, are therefore supplemented by a holistic approach for
products and their value chains. This enables existing activities and other potential recycling projects to be
GRI 301, 306
Circular Economy

consolidated and communicated in a structured framework.
GGooaall
The REWE Group aims to use the circular economy to actively reduce the consumption of resources in the
value chain of its products and thereby make a positive contribution to environmental and climate
protection. The topic of the circular economy is being taken into consideration and further expanded in all
relevant areas. Speciﬁc goals and requirements, for partners and suppliers, for example, are summarised in
the Guideline on More Eco-Friendly Packaging and Guideline on More Sustainable Textiles. In the area of
action “vigilant approach to food” under Projects and Sponsorships, the REWE Group also reports on its
commitment to avoiding food waste.
Implementation
In order to implement its circular economy strategy, the REWE Group uses three principles for its measures: “Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle”. By applying these principles along the life cycle of the Group's products – from raw material
production to consumption – the aim is to avoid waste and ensure that resources are used as long and as often as
possible.
!"Reduce:
The REWE Group is committed to working with its suppliers to avoid the production of waste in the value chain of
food products, as well as in cultivation and production. When it comes to producing durables and consumables,
the demand for resources should be reduced and production waste minimised, where possible, for example
through reduced material usage. To achieve this, processes are being further developed and production
innovations created.
!"Reuse:
In the case of durables, the quality and longevity are further developed in order to oﬀer products with a longer
useful life. In the case of consumables such as, for example, single-use household items, it should also be checked
whether there are more sustainable reusable alternatives. The Group is also investigating options for oﬀering
customers products through rental or sharing models.
!"Recycle:
Secondary raw materials such as recycled plastics or recycled paper are used where possible to produce products.
In addition, the Group is continuously checking for recycling potential in its own material streams in order to
identify and close new material loops. Recyclables are separated and fed to a high-quality recycling system.

Measures for implementing a circular economy
The REWE Group continuously examines potential for the further development of the circular economy within the
Group. This involves investigating the use of resources and generation of waste in key supply chains in order to
develop further strategic measures and goals based on this.
With regards to the company's own material streams, the company is also developing approaches to feed reusable
materials along the value chain back into material loops and reduce the demand for primary resources.
In the product ranges of private labels, there should be more emphasis on products which make a positive
contribution to the circular economy according to the principles of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”.
Finally, the principles of the circular economy are also to be integrated into purchasing processes and play a greater
role in existing environmental programmes in the future.
The REWE Group has underscored its ambitions by joining the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business
and Marketing Practices. The code was drawn up jointly by European associations and companies, the departments
of the European Commission, and with the active participation of international organisations, non-governmental
organisations, unions and professional associations. In July 2021, the EU Commission presented the code as part of
the European “Farm to Fork” strategy. Amongst other things, the signature of this code is enabling the REWE Group to
further strengthen its eﬀorts to reduce food waste along the value chain, in cooperation with suppliers and with its
customers in mind.

The natural resource of water is required for the production of products in the supply chain. Many products are
produced in regions where water stress prevails. Since water is a vital resource and a high consumption leads to water
shortages, it is important to ensure that it is used sustainably and economically.
Activities of the REWE Group in the area of water fall within the area of action of the environment in the Green
Products Strategy 2030 and relate to the use of water in the company's supply chains for food and non-food
products. Measures relating to operational water use by the REWE Group are described in Operational Water
Consumption.
GRI 303: Water and eﬄuents
Management approach
Principles
The Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices of the REWE Group applies to all business relationships. It is based
on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the conventions of the International Labour Association (ILO), and
the UN Global Compact. These guidelines include, amongst other things, requirements for the economical use of soil,
air, water and other natural resources. These fundamental values apply both for the company's own business
processes as well as for business partners and suppliers of the REWE Group. The REWE Group reserves the right to
apply sanctions when the values contained in the guidelines are deliberately and ﬂagrantly breached.
In its Guideline on Water Protection in the Supply Chain, published in 2020, the REWE Group summarises its
measures and goals regarding the reduction of water consumption and water pollution. It deﬁnes a binding
operational framework and is used to make employees and partners in the supply chain aware of the importance of
economical water consumption.
Strategy process and implementation
As part of a risk analysis conducted in 2017 as well as other individual hot spot analyses, the topics of water
consumption and water pollution were identiﬁed as focus issues in the areas of raw material production and
GRI 303
Water

production: Water consumption is particularly high for raw material production involving wood, cotton and natural
stone as well as in the cultivation of fruit and vegetables. In addition, the production of paper, metal and plastic is
associated with high and sometimes ineﬃcient water consumption. Water pollution occurs particularly in the growing
of ornamental plants, the cultivation of fruit and vegetables as well as in ﬁsh farming. In textile production too, the use
of environmentally harmful chemicals pollutes bodies of water and can lead to severe environmental damage there.
Microplastics as well as dissolved, liquid and gel-like polymers pass through eﬄuents into inland waters or oceans
and therefore pose a risk to the resource of water. The situation is similar with single-use plastic and plastic packaging
which can break down to form microplastics.
With water consumption and water pollution in mind, the REWE Group has deﬁned the following focus product groups
and focus raw materials:
To support the responsible consumption of water along the entire supply chain, the REWE Group pursues the
overarching management approach for responsible supply chains (see Environmental Aspects in the Supply Chain).
Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken
Through the measures it is taking, the REWE Group is striving to reduce water consumption in supply chains and
increase water eﬃciency. In addition, the aim is to avoid water pollution and ensure eﬀective water treatment.

Water consumption
In order to reduce water consumption in the cultivation and production of its private label products, the REWE Group
works together with certiﬁcation systems which oblige its producers to use water resources sustainably in their
processes. These include, for example, the Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, Cotton made in Africa, Naturland and
GLOBALG.A.P. SPRING.
As part of the REWE Group's Green Production Programme, all producers have had to show an ISO 14001 certiﬁcate
since June 2020 or undergo a self-assessment which also includes providing information on water consumption. As
an alternative to the ISO 14001 certiﬁcate, textile producers can also present an OEKO TEX STeP certiﬁcate or a Higg
FEM Veriﬁcation. Producers for strategic suppliers that have a high risk in this respect are subsequently supported in
training and consulting projects to achieve water savings (for more information, see Environmental Aspects in the
Supply Chain). Between 2018 and 2021, none of the 23 production sites were rated as being high risk.
IInniittiiaattiivvee  ffoorr  ssuurrvviivvaall  ooff  tthhee  ssppaanniisshh  wwoorrlldd  nnaattuurraall  hheerriittaaggee  ssiittee  DDooññaannaa
In Spain's oldest national park and UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, the wetlands of Doñana, currently
unapproved areas are being used to cultivate strawberries and other berries and are being irrigated with
over 1,000 illegal wells. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) condemned Spain in this regard
following legal action in June 2021 by the WWF over excessive extraction of groundwater. Despite this, the
Andalusian government plans to legalise this agricultural use of 1,900 hectares in the region of Huelva. The
European Commission, international organisations (UNESCO, Ramsar and IUCN), scientists, environmental
groups and the Spanish government also oppose these plans.
Therefore, on World Water Day in March 2022, the WWF launched an initiative for the survival of the Spanish
World Natural Heritage site of Doñana and asked the Regional Government of Andalusia to stop the damage
to the World Natural Heritage site caused by fruit growing. The REWE Group has signed the letter. Food
retailers from Germany also involved are Aldi Nord, Aldi Süd, EDEKA, Kauﬂand, Lidl and Netto Marken-
Discount. Germany is the most important customer country for early strawberries from the region. The
UNESCO World Natural Heritage site of Doñana has been protected since 1969. This illegal use threatens
the habitat of migratory birds and rare animal species such as the Iberian lynx.
Water pollution
The REWE Group's Green Production Programme also helps to reduce water pollution: For example, producers for
selected suppliers are receiving support with their eﬄuents management through training and advice. This includes
the analysis of existing potential for improvement, measures to reduce hazardous substances in eﬄuents, and
progress measurements. Also on the subject of water pollution, no risk, and therefore no need for training and advice,
was identiﬁed between 2018 and 2021.

In order to counteract water pollution in its textile supply chains, the REWE Group has set up a Detox Programme for
clothing, shoes and home textiles in its private labels. Within the scope of this programme, water pollution caused by
chemicals will be speciﬁcally reduced (for more information, see Environmental Aspects in the Supply Chain).
In addition, the REWE Group is setting requirements for the use of pesticides during the cultivation of fresh fruit and
vegetables as well as in the growing of ornamental plants, which go far beyond statutory requirements. According to
these stipulations, critical substance classes may not be used here. In addition, the REWE Group is limiting the sum of
all pesticide residues in the growing of fruit and vegetables. By doing so, the aim is to avoid negative additive eﬀects
which can result from the use of diﬀerent active ingredients. In addition, a limitation of the “acute reference dose” is
also prescribed – an amount of active ingredient deﬁned by the World Health Organisation which a human can
consume without risk in a day. Moreover, suppliers of fruit and vegetables to the REWE Group must adhere to speciﬁc
nitrate levels. As part of central chemical residue monitoring, the REWE Group regularly checks for compliance with
these requirements.
When it comes to water protection, the REWE Group also works together with certiﬁcation organisations such as the
Rainforest Alliance, QS Qualität und Sicherheit or GLOBALG.A.P. In addition to their own central chemical residue
monitoring, these organisations implement extensive preventive measures for water protection. In the area of ﬁsh
farming, the REWE Group attaches importance to the ASC standard, which requires regular water quality checks and
treatment of any eﬄuents produced.
Avoiding microplastics
Microplastics as well as dissolved, gel-like and liquid polymers are used in recipes of cosmetic products. For this
reason, in its Guideline for Microplastics in Cosmetic Products, the REWE Group deﬁnes requirements and measures
with regard to the use of these substances in cosmetic products. The aim is to eliminate microplastics – according to
the REWE Group's understanding of this term deﬁned in the guideline – from the recipes of all cosmetic products in
private labels of REWE and PENNY in Germany. This goal was achieved in 2020. In addition, the aim is to eliminate
the focused-on synthetic and semi-synthetic polymers in dissolved, gel or liquid form from all cosmetic product
recipes, where this possible without a drop in performance. The complete elimination of the polymers being focused
on was just missed in 2021 with 99.9 per cent. The REWE Group is working in close cooperation with suppliers to
meet this objective.
In close coordination with suppliers, the company continuously checks its entire private label product range in the
area of cosmetics to ensure that new recipes are developed without the use of microplastics. In this way, the REWE
Group already managed to free all private label cosmetic products of microbeads, which are used as friction bodies in
exfoliators, for example, in 2014.
In order to make orientation easier for consumers, the REWE Group has developed its own seal. It is used to identify
private label cosmetic products which are free from microplastics – according to the REWE Group's understanding of
this term – and free from the focused-on dissolved, gel-like and liquid polymers.

Plastic in packaging is also a source of microplastics, which can pollute the environment and bodies of water.
Therefore, the REWE Group wants to use less plastic in the future by avoiding, reducing and improving packaging. In
its three-pronged approach for more environmentally friendly packaging, the REWE Group is aiming to reduce plastic
in private label packaging (REWE and PENNY in Germany) by 20 per cent by the end of 2025. Furthermore, additional
speciﬁc goals for private label products of REWE and PENNY in Germany have been formulated. For more
information, see Packaging.
WWoorrkkiinngg  ttooggeetthheerr  ffoorr  lleessss  ppllaassttiicc  iinn  tthhee  oocceeaannss
Together with NABU and the Dutch company MBRC the ocean (MBRC), the REWE sales line has been
taking a stand against plastic in the oceans through its involvement in the campaign “Gemeinsam für
weniger Plastik” (Together for less plastic) since September 2020. MBRC uses recycled plastic waste
collected from beaches around the world to make accessories and other lifestyle products, and funds
further global beach clean ups using revenue from sales. During the campaign with REWE and NABU, ocean
bracelets made by MBRC were sold in stand-up displays in REWE stores to draw attention to the project. 2
euros of the purchase price of around 10 euros went to NABU to facilitate environmental protection
projects. The campaign raised a total of over 450,000 euros in donations in 2020 and 2021. This money
ﬂows into NABU's Meereschutzfonds (Marine Protection Fund), which is used to ﬁnance various projects
aimed at protecting marine biodiversity and using marine resources sparingly.
Eﬀectively tackling ocean waste in the Maldives
The REWE Group is also committed to avoiding and reducing the waste which goes into the world’s seas, particularly
in regions which do not have a functioning disposal infrastructure. On the smaller islands of the Maldive atolls, for
example, waste is not properly disposed of. From 2019 to 2020, the REWE Group worked together with its tuna
supplier – the food retailer followfood – to support the Maldives with their eﬀorts to counteract the increasing amount
of rubbish in the ocean. Measures taken on the atoll of Laamu included the continuous disposal of plastic waste on
the islands, the installation of reusable drinking water systems on ﬁshing boats to avoid plastic bottles, and
environmental (further) education for children and adolescents.

Up to one million species of animals and plants are threatened with extinction. This loss also poses a threat to
people's livelihood in the long term. This is because the processes of nature control the quality of fresh water, air and
soil, regulate the climate, ensure pollination and pest control, and reduce the impacts of environmental catastrophes.
As a trade and tourism company, the business activities of the REWE Group have diverse impacts on biological
diversity. In addition to direct impacts, for example at company sites or during the transport of goods, the upstream
and downstream links in the value chain are also of particular signiﬁcance. Impacts arise here through the
unsustainable use of natural ecosystems – for example, when obtaining raw materials, in the production of goods, or
due to tourism oﬀerings.
Biodiversity has been deﬁned as a focus issue within the Green Products Strategy 2030. It belongs to the area of
action of the environment. The REWE Group's goal is to preserve natural resources as well as protect and promote
biodiversity along the supply chains.
GRI 304: Biodiversity
Management approach
Principles
In the Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices, the REWE Group has made a ﬁrm commitment to preserving and
protecting natural ecosystems. The company has also endorsed the objectives of the UN Convention on Biological
Diversity. In addition, as part of the Biodiversity in Good Company initiative, the REWE Group has pledged to integrate
the protection and promotion of biological diversity into the company’s sustainability management.
Implementation
In order to protect and promote biodiversity, the REWE Group is making its product ranges more sustainable and, for
this purpose, is taking biodiversity criteria into consideration
!"through standards systems such as the organic label/logo, Fairtrade, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®), the
Rainforest Alliance and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
GRI 304
Biodiversity

!"within its Guidelines for Raw Materials such as palm oil, ﬁsh or cocoa
!"during product-related analyses as part of the process for awarding the PRO PLANET label, in which negative
impacts on biodiversity are identiﬁed and measures for preservation and promotion are taken (for more
information in this regard, see PRO PLANET).
The REWE Group also relies on cooperations. Working together with numerous farmers and its partners NABU,
Stiftung Rheinische Kulturlandschaft and its sister foundations, and other environmental protection organisations,
the company supports regional projects which promote biological diversity in agricultural practices.
In March 2021, the REWE Group also founded the organisation “Food for Biodiversity” together with representatives
of companies, associations and certiﬁcation organisations from the food industry as well as environmental and
research groups. The members of this ﬁrst industry-wide alliance pledge to implement measures which anchor the
protection of biological diversity in the food industry and its upstream value chains. This is intended to help achieve
the goals of the German and European biodiversity strategy, the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity
and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
As part of the Central America Fund (see Raw Materials in Focus – Food), measures for the protection and promotion
of biodiversity are also being implemented in a targeted manner, for example through a reforestation or turtle
protection project in banana-growing regions in Central America.
GGooaallss
!"Switchover of all relevant regional, outdoor-grown fruit and vegetable products in private labels to
cultivation which promotes biodiversity by 2025.
!"Switchover to peat-free soils for private label and brand products by 2025 in order to protect peat bogs as
important carbon dioxide stores.
GRI 304-2: Signiﬁcant impacts of activities, products and services on biodiversity
Projects for the preservation and promotion of biodiversity
The REWE Group's biggest opportunities to make an impact in terms of protecting biodiversity lie in the area of
private label products. The following projects highlight the focal points of the Group's commitments during the
reporting period. Progress and impacts are evaluated on a project basis and reported within the framework of the
projects presented.

PPRROO  PPLLAANNEETT  bbiiooddiivveerrssiittyy  pprroojjeecctt
The goal of the PRO PLANET project is to increase biological diversity at conventional fruit and vegetable
farms through eﬀective cooperation between farmers and environmentalists. In addition to the many
farmers involved in the project, environmental protection organisations such as NABU and Stiftung
Rheinische Kulturlandschaft and its sister foundations are also important partners of the REWE Group, who
implement individual measures on site to protect and promote biodiversity. When the project began in 2010,
the focus was initially on apple and pear orchards. Since 2016, following successful pilot tests, the project
has been expanded to include various fruit and vegetable crops. The number of fruit and vegetable farms
taking part has now grown to over 540 (as of the end of 2021). In addition to apples and pears, products
also include broccoli, Chinese cabbage, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, carrots, potatoes, onions, cherries,
plums and blueberries. The fruit and vegetables receive the PRO PLANET label with the tagline “Für mehr
Artenvielfalt” (For more biodiversity).
The positive impacts of the project are manifold. Numerous measures have been implemented throughout
Germany since 2010. These include:
!"The planting of some 26,000 bushes, trees and shrubs.
!"The creation and upgrade of around 888 hectares of ﬂowering strips as well as the construction of various
forms of structural enhancement such as dry stone walls or small bodies of water.
!"The setting up of over 13,300 nesting boxes and nesting aids for birds and bats as well as more than
6,500 insect nesting aids.
In order to make the key ﬁgures and project goals more tangible, the following objectives to be achieved by
2025 were set as part of the project:
!"The creation and upgrade of 9 million square metres of ﬂowered areas
!"The planting of 30,000 woody plants (trees, hedges and shrubs)
!"The setting up of 20,000 nesting aids for insects and birds
The REWE Group carries out regular monitoring to check the success of the measures implemented. This is
demonstrated, for example, in the results of the wild bee monitoring carried out in the farming region of Lake
Constance in 2021: There, wild bee diversity has settled at a very high level. Overall, more species of wild
bee (2021: 112; 2010: 56) and also more endangered species of wild bee (2021: 26; 2010: 5) were found in
the ﬂowered areas being studied compared with at the start of the project. In addition, the biodiversity of the
individual areas being studied has increased. This proves that the ecosystems in the various areas have also
stabilised and become more robust.

Wild bee monitoring was carried out in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate in 2019. Here too, more individual
wild bees appeared on ideal ﬂowered areas with a high bloom density and an undisturbed location than on
areas where no measures have been taken. Nesting opportunities in the soil had a positive eﬀect on the
number of species. This conﬁrms that ﬂowering areas have a positive eﬀect on wild bee communities – as
long as the areas are undisturbed, well developed and have a high bloom density. The REWE Group aims to
continue its monitoring activities to check the success of measures. Consequently, the next wild bee
monitoring is likely to take place in 2025.
In 2020, the PRO PLANET biodiversity project was included in the European Union's guide to protecting
pollinators for the retail industry. In 2019, it received the European Bee Award and, that same year, it was
one of the projects included in the UN Decade on Biodiversity. In addition, it already received the German
CSR Award in 2016.
PRO PLANET apple project in Poland
Together with the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP) and farmers in the region of Grójec, the REWE
Group has been campaigning for more biodiversity since 2020: measures being taken at the orchards in the largest
growing region for apples in Poland include the creation of ﬂowering strips as a source of food for insects as well as
the setting up of insect hotels and bird houses. The apples from this project are handled separately and used to
produce the REWE Beste Wahl apple juice “Aus Liebe zur Biene” (For the love of bees) which has been awarded the
PRO PLANET label and is available seasonally.
Insect protection fund with NABU
According to research, the amount of ﬂying insects has decreased signiﬁcantly during the past decade. Therefore, in
2018 and 2019, the REWE Group lent its support to an insect protection fund set up by its long-standing strategic
partner NABU, initially with a sum of over 300,000 euros in total. This money enabled comprehensive measures for
the protection of insects to be implemented nationwide and therefore helped to counteract the decline in the number
of insects. These measures include the purchase of areas of land to be developed and secured in the long term as
species-rich habitats. There have been over 50 projects so far. 171,093 square metres, including arable land, have
been made insect-friendly. In addition, 373,360 square metres of ﬂowered areas have been created or upgraded to
make them insect-friendly, landowners and landlords have been advised on how to support insects, insect hotels
have been set up and environmental education on this topic has been provided.

PPrrootteeccttiioonn  ooff  ppeeaatt  bbooggss  ––  wwiitthh  tthhee  NNAABBUU  cclliimmaattee  ffuunndd  aanndd  ppeeaatt--ffrreeee  aalltteerrnnaattiivveess
During the ﬁnancial year, the REWE Group and NABU have added another component to their cooperation
as part of their long-standing partnership. Starting in 2022 and for ﬁve years, the REWE sales line will pay
ﬁve million euros each year into the newly created NABU Climate Fund. The aim of this fund is to support
measures being taken for the rewetting of peat bog soils which have been degraded due to agriculture and
peat cutting. On the one hand, heavily drained peat bog areas in Germany and EU countries in the Baltic
region are to be purchased or leased over the long term. On the other hand, farms are to receive support
with switching over from conventional farming methods to climate-friendly wetlands management.
Rewetting should enable the peat bogs to regain their original function as giant carbon stores (see also
Climate Protection in the Supply Chain) and, in terms of biodiversity, as unique habitats for many species of
animals and plants which have become rare such as the common snipe, moor frog or sundew.
In order to protect peat bogs from cutting, REWE, PENNY and, in particular, toom Baumarkt DIY stores as
the ﬁrst DIY chain in Germany to do so, decided back in 2016 to switch the entire soil product range (both
private labels and brand products) over to peat-free alternatives by 2025 at the latest. In 2021, the private
label product range of peat-free soils at toom comprised a total of 19 products, including seven Naturtalent
by toom® potting soils, eleven products from toom's quality brand, plus one additional organic potting soil.
The Naturtalent by toom® potting soils have been awarded the PRO PLANET label “Für mehr Klimaschutz”
(For more climate protection) and certiﬁed by the Bio-Grünstempel® (Organic Green Seal). In addition to
expanding the range of peat-free products, the proportion of peat substitutes made from renewable raw
materials is also being gradually increased across all soils. All of toom's private label soils are now at least
peat-reduced. With this switchover, toom Baumarkt DIY stores are helping to counteract climate change
and making a contribution towards biological diversity. The REWE and PENNY sales lines have also
supplemented their seasonal soil product range with peat-free and peat-reduced alternatives.
In the long term, wherever possible, the plan is to also replace peat with alternative materials for toom
ornamental plants. Currently, ornamental plants in which a maximum of 50 per cent peat is used in the
substrate can be awarded the PRO PLANET label “Für mehr Klimaschutz” (For more climate protection).
This is intended to create an incentive for producers and suppliers and provide customers with guidance. In
2021, the product range of peat-free and peat-reduced plants in toom Baumarkt DIY stores consisted of
17 products.
Beneﬁcial organism-friendly plants
REWE and PENNY are conducting campaigns throughout the year with “bee favourites” and “bee enticers”, while
toom Baumarkt DIY stores started to oﬀer an extensive product range of bee-friendly plants under the concept name
“Bee Friends” in 2016. Since 2021, this has been replaced by the new concept of “beneﬁcial-organism-friendly”.
With this new concept, an entomologist and wild bee experts check not only how friendly the plants are to beneﬁcial
organisms at a species level, but also which insect group(s) they are suitable for. Therefore, toom is the ﬁrst DIY store

chain in Germany to diﬀerentiate between diﬀerent ﬂower-visiting insects groups in the assessment, which also
generates positive feedback from the scientiﬁc side. In the new product range, plants are “beneﬁcial-organism-
friendly” if they are considered to be a pollen plant for honey bees, bumble bees or wild bees or a nectar plant for
butterﬂies. Since 2021, toom Baumarkt DIY stores have only been selling plants under the new concept “beneﬁcial-
organism-friendly” which have been evaluated by experts and found to be suitable. The product range is to be
expanded further. All potted plants which considered to be friendly to beneﬁcial organisms are awarded the PRO
PLANET label “Für mehr Artenvielfalt” (For more biodiversity). By the end of 2021, the product range of beneﬁcial-
organism-friendly plants included 127 items – including herbaceous perennials, ﬂower bulbs, herbs and fruit trees.
Negative list for the use of pesticides in plants which are friendly to beneﬁcial organisms
In addition to the assessment of beneﬁcial-organism-friendly plants by an insect expert, an extended negative list
which goes beyond the generally accepted negative list for all ornamental plants and is based on the
recommendations of the Pesticide Action Network (Pestizid Aktions-Netzwerk e. V. (PAN)) has applied to this product
range at toom Baumarkt DIY stores since 2021. According to this list, all active ingredients which are harmful to bees
are banned from production of the beneﬁcial-organism-friendly product range. In addition, the REWE Group's DIY
chain has been cooperating with Austria's leading environmental organisation, GLOBAL 2000, to further reduce the
use of pesticides in beneﬁcial-organism-friendly plants since November 2020.
Negative list for the use of pesticides in conventional fruit and vegetables
The REWE Group has also set the goal of reducing pesticide levels in conventional fruit and vegetables and drawn up
a negative list for this purpose. The active ingredients listed are not permitted to be used during production. The
Group is working closely here with producers, NGOs and the scientiﬁc community on solutions which will minimise
harm to the environment and health but still ensure production and yield security for farmers. For more information
about the use of pesticides in conventional fruit and vegetables, see Environmental Aspects in the Supply Chain.
Reduction of pesticides and elimination of glyphosate at toom Baumarkt DIY stores
Glyphosate, the most widely used agricultural pesticide in the world, has repeatedly come under criticism. toom
Baumarkt DIY stores stopped selling products which contain glyphosate in 2015 – the ﬁrst DIY store chain in the
industry to do so. In addition, the sale of pesticides which are particularly harmful to bees and their use in the
production of the plant product range of toom Baumarkt DIY stores have also been restricted: In order to actively
contribute to the protection of bees and the environment, toom Baumarkt DIY stores have tightened requirements for
their ornamental plant suppliers such that they go far beyond legal requirements. In 2017, it became the ﬁrst DIY
store chain in Germany to exclusively oﬀer ornamental plants produced without the use of neonicotinoids classiﬁed as
particularly harmful to bees by Greenpeace. In the area of chemical pesticides, in 2015 toom also completely stopped
selling products which, according to a Greenpeace study, contain active ingredients that are especially harmful to
bees.

PPrroommoottiinngg  llooccaall  bbiiooddiivveerrssiittyy  wwiitthh  tthhee  nnaattuurree  ccoonnsseerrvvaattiioonn  pprrooggrraammmmee  ““BBllüühheennddeess  ÖÖsstteerrrreeiicchh””
The foundation “Blühendes Österreich” (Blooming Austria) was set up in 2015 by the REWE Group in
Austria together with the environmental protection organisation BirdLife Österreich. The foundation's
mission is the strategic, transparent and systematic ﬁnancing of nature conservation projects. By
implementing projects together with partners from public institutes, non-proﬁt organisations, communities,
associations and the private sector, “Blühendes Österreich” particularly strengthens regional cooperation.
Today, the foundation is not only the ﬁrst, but also the largest private sector initiative aimed at a healthy
environment and sustainable farming in Austria. In 2021, the foundation's budget was 800,000 euros.
The foundation's nature conservation strategy for 2018-2022 titled “Nachhaltigkeit verankern, Österreichs
Vielfalt leben” (Anchoring Sustainability: Living Austria’s Diversity) has set the goal of protecting a total of
1,000 hectares of threatened environmental areas by 2022. In 2021, 121 farms took part in the FLORA
programme (Förderung von Landwirt:innen und Organisationen zur Rettung unserer Artenvielfalt –
Supporting Farmers and Organisations in Order to Save our Biodiversity). Since 2015, 230 farmers,
environmental protection organisations, communities and other initiatives have received funding, thus
preserving 951 hectares of environmentally valuable land. The ﬁnancial support also helps small farming
families from an economic planning perspective and secures jobs.
DER Touristik: Chili against elephants
DER Touristik is also campaigning for wildlife conservation with the non-proﬁt organisation “DER Touristik Foundation
e. V.”. As part of the project “Chili against Elephants”, awareness campaigns are taking place in Tanzania to promote
ecological habitats and the protection of elephants. For further information, see Projects and Sponsorships.

The impacts of the climate crisis are already perceptible today. Heat records, storms, droughts and ﬂoods are
threatening ecosystems, biological diversity and the existence of millions of people. The world is facing enormous
challenges here. The Paris Climate Agreement seeks to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Germany has
signed the climate agreement and derived a regulatory framework from it: According to the Climate Protection Act,
there is the binding requirement to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045. In addition, the company is calling for
increasingly strong climate protection measures, as shown by movements such as Fridays for Future.
Consumers, employees and specialist stakeholders of the REWE Group rate the topic as particularly signiﬁcant for the
company as part of the materiality analysis: They want climate protection to be taken into consideration at all levels
(for more information, see Materiality Analysis).
In addition to the circular economy and biodiversity, the topic of climate is also a focus issue in the area of action of
the environment within the Green Products Strategy 2030.
Background
Climate change is also having economic consequences in the food sector and raw material production. Agriculture is
at great risk of suﬀering damage and loss due to extreme weather events. Temperature ﬂuctuations, heavy rainfall
and frequent extreme weather are reducing yields. This also can lead to reduced supplier reliability.
According to the World Economic Forum, 25 per cent of all global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the supply
chains of the food industry. In the European retail trade, emissions from the upstream supply chain represent the
largest share (90 per cent) of total emissions in this sector. Therefore, they are fundamentally important for
companies when it comes to climate protection. Consequently, the REWE Group has deﬁned a climate strategy for
the upstream supply chain.
GRI 305
Climate Protection in the Supply Chain

GRI 305: Emissions
Management approach
Principles
In its Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices, the REWE Group commits to continuously reducing the
greenhouse gas emissions resulting from business processes.
In 2009, the commercial company had already published its ﬁrst climate goal at company level and this has been
updated since then (for more information, see Climate Protection at Company Level). However, the REWE Group also
wants to reduce climate-relevant emissions along the supply chain. Consequently, the company has deﬁned a climate
strategy for the upstream supply chain. This was adopted in 2020 and laid down in the Guideline on Climate
Protection in the Supply Chain at the start of 2022.
Implementation
The three principles “Avoidance ﬁrst, then reduction, then compensation” form the framework for the climate
strategy in the supply chain at the REWE Group.
Avoidance: The REWE Group's top priority is to avoid the emission of climate-damaging greenhouse gases along the
upstream supply chain of its products, wherever this is possible. Particularly for products which have a high impact on
the climate, this is to be achieved, for example, by substituting products or raw materials, avoiding deforestation, or
eliminating packaging or packaging components. An example is plant-based alternative products which have lower
emissions due to the elimination of greenhouse gases which are produced in animal husbandry.
Reduction: Where it is not possible to avoid emissions, the REWE Group wants to reduce them through the use of
more climate-friendly raw materials and production methods, more environmentally friendly packaging, or shorter
transport routes. Examples include the use of deforestation-free feed or recycled paper instead of virgin ﬁbres.

Compensation: The REWE Group plans to compensate, i.e. oﬀset, any remaining emissions which cannot be avoided
during the obtaining of raw materials, their processing, or the transport of products, by promoting climate protection
projects. These projects are to be veriﬁed or certiﬁed in accordance with a recognised standard.
With regards to climate protection in the supply chain, the REWE Group has set strategic goals which give the Group's
commitment clear orientation in terms of making product ranges more climate-friendly. Here it has used the
requirements of the Science Based Targets Initiative – an alliance of the UN Global Compact, World Resources
Institute and WWF – as guidance. This internationally recognised standard helps companies to develop science-
based climate goals which are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
GGooaallss
Goal 1: Strategic reduction goal for the supply chain
Reduction of absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent in the supply chains of private label
products at REWE and PENNY in Germany by the end of 2030 (compared with 2019).
Goal 2: Strategic suppliers commitment goal
The aim is to have agreed climate goals in line with the Science Based Targets Initiative with all strategic
suppliers, who are responsible for a total of 75 per cent of product-related emissions, by the end of 2024.
Similar to the approach for more responsible supply chains, the REWE Group pursues a four-stage process in its
climate strategy for the supply chain in order to achieve its objective: Product Range and Risk Analysis, Derivation of
Focal Points, Implementation and Measures, Monitoring and Reporting.

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The strategy for climate protection in the upstream supply chain covers all product groups. For 2019, the
REWE Group has determined a carbon dioxide equivalent footprint of around 4.6 million tonnes for its supply
chains with over 11,000 private label products of REWE and PENNY in Germany.
The determination of Scope 3 emissions meets the requirements of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a
standard for calculating greenhouse gas emissions. Due to the complexity of purchasing as well as the large
number of suppliers and products purchased, the carbon dioxide equivalent footprint was calculated on the
basis of an established expenditure-based method which is based on the so-called “environmentally
extended input-output model”. This model maps global product streams and the climate impacts (in a
speciﬁc sector and in a particular region) which correspond to the purchasing volume of the REWE Group.
The emission factors which have been taken into account for the calculation of the carbon dioxide
equivalent footprint include the climate impacts along the upstream value chain, from the cultivation phase
to the factory gate. For example, the climate impacts of rearing, slaughtering and processing a pig, including
the production of feed (plant cultivation, harvest and further processing), were taken into consideration. The
emissions for packaging and transport were estimated separately.
Data about Scope 3 emissions was collected using the purchased products data of the main product groups.
Third-party brands as well as other purchased goods (for example, equipment) and services were not taken
into account.
Using a similar calculation method and base year as REWE and PENNY, the carbon dioxide equivalent
footprint in the supply chains of toom Baumarkt DIY stores was determined to be around 170,000 tonnes
and took 18,455 private label products into consideration.
In the area of services, DER Touristik also worked on the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions in 2021:
Together with the tourism sustainability initiative Futouris e. V., the company has developed a feasibility
study on the creation of an industry-wide carbon dioxide accounting system for travel. DER Touristik wants
to use the study to inform its guests about the climate impacts of diﬀerent travel oﬀerings in a transparent
manner and, at the same time, to speciﬁcally promote climate-friendly travel alternatives (see also Raw
Materials in Focus – Non-Food).
Climate-relevant greenhouse gases are produced in all supply chains of the REWE Group, both upstream and
downstream. Scope 3 emissions from the upstream supply chain make up the largest share: 62 per cent is
attributable to raw materials production (including agriculture), 24 per cent to processing, 6 per cent to packaging
and 8 per cent to transport.

The evaluation of the product range and risk analysis revealed a highly fragmented footprint. The REWE Group
identiﬁed nine product groups which, owing to their high impact on the climate, are the initial focus when deriving
measures to reduce the carbon dioxide equivalent footprint: milk and dairy products, sausage, cheese, poultry, eggs,
pork, beef, fruit and vegetables. Animal products make up around 42 per cent of the footprint in the product range of
the REWE Group, plant products (in this case: fruit and vegetables) 12 per cent. Even though plant-based products
generally have a signiﬁcantly lower greenhouse gas intensity than animal products, they also need to be taken into
consideration in the sum of greenhouse gas emissions due to the rising demand from customers.

The strategic approach for climate protection in the supply chain is implemented on three levels:
Firstly, the Group promotes climate protection in the supply chain among the general public by deﬁning speciﬁc
goals. In addition, it gives its suppliers clear recommendations for action, from which long-term binding requirements
are to develop. These relate to categories such as energy, agriculture or waste and call for the deployment of more
eﬃcient technology, the use of more sustainable raw materials, or the promotion of the circular economy.
Furthermore, the identiﬁcation and realisation of improvement potentials, both across product ranges and within a
speciﬁc product range, form the basis for implementing measures which reduce greenhouse gases in the value chain.
In addition, the REWE Group wants to work with its partners along the supply chain to actively help shape and
promote the transformation and climate protection in its supply chains in the form of innovation projects.

Measures and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
In order to consistently reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain of private labels, the REWE Group is
implementing a series of diﬀerent measures, a selection of which is presented below. The company is aware that a
continuous expansion of measures is necessary in order to achieve its strategic goals.
For the deﬁnition of clear requirements and goals:
Reduction Roadmaps
In order to promote climate protection in the supply chains of its private labels and reduce emissions in a targeted
manner, the Group is developing, in a ﬁrst step, “reduction roadmaps” for the nine product groups which have a
particularly high impact on the climate. These are to be continuously expanded and adjusted, and are also planned
for all other product groups.
Deforestation-free supply chains
The REWE Group is aiming to make its supply chains deforestation-free in the areas of wood/paper, palm oil and soy
in animal feed by the end of 2025. The company has set speciﬁc goals to achieve this. For more information, see Raw
Materials in Focus – Food and Raw Materials in Focus – Non-Food. By doing this, the REWE Group wants to reduce
the carbon dioxide equivalent footprint in the supply chain.

Rewetting and protection of peat bogs with NABU and peat-free soils
When wet, peat bogs store a quarter of terrestrial carbon, even though they occupy just three per cent of the global
land area. Therefore, the REWE Group is involved in the preservation and rewetting of peat bogs. For example,
starting in 2022 and for ﬁve years, the REWE sales line will pay ﬁve million euros each year into the newly created
NABU Climate Fund set up by its long-standing partner NABU. The purpose of the NABU Climate Fund is to
counteract the drainage of peat bogs caused by agriculture and peat cutting and therefore the release of large
amounts of greenhouse gases. In order to achieve this, the water levels on the land will be raised, thereby bringing the
degradation of peat to a stop. The focus of climate projects lies in northern Germany and EU countries in the Baltic
region. Drained peat bog areas are to be purchased or leased, or farms are to receive support with switching over to
climate-friendly wetlands management.
In addition, the REWE Group is switching its entire soil product range – both private labels and brand products – at
REWE, PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores over to peat-free alternatives by the end of 2025. By eliminating peat,
the REWE Group is reducing the emission of greenhouse gases from drained peat bogs. toom Baumarkt DIY stores
also plan to replace peat with alternative materials for ornamental plants. For more information, see Raw Materials in
Focus – Non-Food.
Packaging
By the end of 2030, the REWE Group plans to make all sales and service packaging of private labels at REWE, PENNY
and toom Baumarkt DIY stores more environmentally friendly. This enables greenhouse gas emissions to be avoided,
by saving plastic or using recycled materials, for example. For more information, see Packaging.
For the identiﬁcation and realisation of improvement Potentials:
Online platform to support suppliers
As part of its strategic suppliers commitment goal (see Goals), the REWE Group is asking its private label suppliers to
develop climate goals and measures which are in line with the requirements of the Science Based Targets Initiative.
The “REWE Group Initiative – Together for More Climate Protection” helps the Group to monitor this commitment and
provides support when it comes to sharing knowledge. For example, it enables suppliers to identify reduction
potentials, formulate their own climate goals, and derive corresponding measures. In this way, the REWE Group would
like to pool forces through dialogue with its suppliers to achieve ambitious climate protection objectives. The online
platform is to be continuously further developed.

For transformation through innovation projects:
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In order to avoid climate-damaging greenhouse gases, the Group is making its private label product range
more climate-friendly and positioning itself as a driver and market leader in the sector with innovative
solutions, for example with purely plant-based private labels.
REWE Bio + vegan currently oﬀers more than 30 vegan organic alternative products and the product range
is to be steadily expanded. All products are not only vegan, but also organic certiﬁed, with no unnecessary
additives. Since September 2021, the product range is also climate neutral: During the production of all
REWE Bio + vegan products, the quantity of emissions of around 32,600 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalents
is compensated, through a forest protection project in Uruguay, for example. This is certiﬁed according to
the Veriﬁed Carbon Standard / Climate Community & Biodiversity Standards. In addition, since November
2021, eight hectares of land have been planted with around 32,600 trees as a mixed forest in Overath in the
Rheinisch-Bergischer district close to Cologne, in order to also reduce the impacts of climate change in
Germany.
When it was launched in October 2020, the PENNY private label Food for Future was the ﬁrst cross-product-
group vegan private label in the German discount sector. PENNY now oﬀers its customers over 40 diﬀerent
Food for Future products which provide a wide choice for a vegan diet. The number of listed products is
increasingly being expanded. In addition, the private label is climate neutral. Each year, PENNY
compensates over 16,000 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalents through a Gold Standard-certiﬁed wind energy
project in Chile. In addition, up to 16,000 trees are being planted in Eulenthal, Overath, in order to also
reduce the impacts of climate change in Germany.
As a result of its extensive vegan product range comprised of private labels and brand products, REWE was
crowned the “Most vegan-friendly supermarket” at the PETA Vegan Food Awards 2021. The cross-product-
group vegan private label at PENNY, “Food for Future”, was the winner in the category “Best private label”.
PRO PLANET greenhouse
For PRO PLANET greenhouse crops such as peppers, tomatoes and strawberries, REWE and PENNY use a resource-
conserving cultivation method in particularly sustainably operated greenhouses in Germany. Renewable energies are
used here, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Dialogue within the sector
The REWE Group communicates regularly with suppliers, industry associations and NGOs on pioneering climate
protection activities in the supply chain in order to identify and implement innovative approaches for more climate-

friendly production methods. In addition, the Group is committed to promoting industry-wide solutions.

The REWE Group sources a large number of products and product components from within Germany and abroad.
This can bring negative environmental eﬀects, particularly in farming and production. Natural raw materials are also
used. At the same time, the global demand for such raw materials is increasing – this is why the protection of
resources is particularly important to the REWE Group.
Activities connected with environmental aspects within the supply chain centre on the area of action of the
environment within the Green Products Strategy 2030 and are aimed at protecting natural resources and preserving
biodiversity along the supply chains. For this purpose, three focus issues were deﬁned, and speciﬁc work is being
carried out on these. In addition to the Circular Economy and Biodiversity, the focus issue of Climate Protection in the
Supply Chain is also important here.
GRI 308: Supplier environmental assessment
Management approach
Principles
In order to improve the environmental impacts along the supply chains, the REWE Group is careful to comply with
environmental standards when selecting its suppliers and business partners. The company works with them to make
supply chains more transparent and production more environmentally responsible. The REWE Group has formulated
the principles of its business relationships with the Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices. In the area of
ecology, these principles include:
!"the careful use of resources such as soil, air, water and natural raw materials,
!"the protection and preservation of natural ecosystems and biological variety (biodiversity) as well as
!"the avoidance and reduction of environmental risks.
These fundamental values apply both for the company's own business processes as well as for business partners and
suppliers of the REWE Group. The REWE Group reserves the right to apply sanctions when the values contained in the
GRI 308
Environmental Aspects in the Supply Chain

guidelines are deliberately and ﬂagrantly breached.
Strategy process
In order to identify the signiﬁcant environmental impacts and implement suitable measures to improve these impacts
in the global supply chains of its products which sometimes can be very complex, the REWE Group uses a four-stage
process.
Step 1: Detailed risk and hot spot analyses are used to identify impacts. Since 2016, the REWE Group has
signiﬁcantly expanded and systematised its approach to recording risks. For more information, see Product-Related
Risk Analyses.
Step 2: The ﬁndings obtained in the ﬁrst step are used to derive focus raw materials and issues. Textile, plastic and
metal, as well as fruit, vegetables and meat in area of food, have been identiﬁed as product groups which have
particularly high environmental impacts.
Step 3: The focus raw materials and issues are addressed with corresponding measures to counteract negative
eﬀects. These measures are implemented through a management approach which works on three diﬀerent levels:
1. Internal cooperation, through training of purchasers, for example
2. Cooperation within the supply chain, through requirements for suppliers or for purchasing certiﬁed raw
materials, for example
3. Cooperation with stakeholders, by further developing standards organisations, for example
Depending on which risks are identiﬁed, measures may be deﬁned diﬀerently, from the requirement of standards and
certiﬁcations, cooperation with standards organisations, or the joining of industry initiatives through to on-site
projects with suppliers and producers.
Step 4: The activities that we conduct are monitored and evaluated. The results of this monitoring work are then
incorporated into reﬁning the measures.

GGooaallss
In order to make progress measurable in the area of action of the environment, the following goals and key
performance indicators (KPI) for private labels have been deﬁned (for more information, see the overarching
Management Approach for Green Products):
Goals
Status
Complete integration of relevant food and non-food producers into an environmental programme
in the case of the private labels of REWE and PENNY in Germany as well as toom by the end of
2030
100% more environmentally friendly private label packaging by the end of 20301
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 This goal applies to the REWE Group in Germany (REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY stores) and, since 2019, also to the international
sales lines (BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY and ADEG).
Implementation
Through the REWE Group's local purchasing companies, requirements and problems can be discussed directly with
suppliers and production sites. In addition, any necessary measures can be implemented. In Asia, for example, the
sourcing and procurement oﬃce REWE Far East (RFE) is responsible for the procurement of certain food and non-
food products and plays an important role in the improvement of environmental conditions in the supply chain. The
Corporate Responsibility Department of RFE maintains direct contact with suppliers and assists with the Green
Production Programme and Detox Programme on site.
When it comes to the procurement of fruit and vegetables, the REWE Group receives support from its wholly owned
subsidiaries Eurogroup and Campina Verde through their individual country representatives. This enables the
commercial company to make its value chains more transparent. The country managers for Spain, Italy and Germany
ensure close communication with production and help to implement the requirements of the REWE Group in the best
possible way.

GRI 308-2:
Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken
The REWE Group implements speciﬁc measures to reduce negative environmental impacts through three
approaches:
1. Internal cooperation
Employees of the REWE Group receive regular training on relevant environmental topics such as biodiversity,
packaging or deforestation so that these issues are given appropriate consideration when selecting suppliers and
during the purchasing process. The information is made available for speciﬁc target groups.
2. Cooperation within the supply chain
Supply chain management at the REWE Group involves evaluating suppliers and making them aware of certain issues
and their obligations, as well as audits and any measures derived therefrom. The REWE Group relies on established
standards to gradually make the supply chain more sustainable. Special requirements are already taken into
consideration during the tender process and incorporated into supplier agreements.
The REWE Group is constantly raising awareness of environmental issues, whether at supplier events or during
individual discussions with suppliers. In addition, requirements in this regard are integrated into agreements with
suppliers and into the Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices. Therefore, suppliers conﬁrm their compliance in
this area with each tender or agreement. For focus raw materials such as, for example, cocoa and palm oil, the REWE
Group has deﬁned guidelines with detailed requirements and goals which, in turn, are imposed on suppliers.
Implementing environmental standards
When implementing improvements, the REWE Group uses internationally recognised standards such as, for example,
the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) seal, Cotton made in Africa for sustainable textiles, or the FSC® and
PEFC™ certiﬁcations for sustainable forestry. Standards such as the Rainforest Alliance, Naturland, Fairtrade, Blauer
Engel (Blue Angel), the Verband für Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik e. V. (German Association of Non-Genetically
Modiﬁed Foods) and the EU organic logo/label also play an important role for the REWE Group when it comes
improving environmental conditions in the supply chain. In the supply chain link of production, the REWE Group uses,
amongst other things, tools of the Business Environmental Performance Initiative (BEPI) or the Detox Programme.
The REWE Group also plays an active role in platforms such as the Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil (FONAP) and the
German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO) as a way of reﬁning standards and initiating industry-wide
improvements in environmental conditions (see also Raw Materials in Focus – Food and Raw Materials in Focus –
Non-food).
Climate protection in global supply chains
In view of the major importance of greenhouse gas emissions from global agriculture for climate change, the REWE
Group is seeking to help limit global warming through engagement in its supply chains. Consumers, employees and
specialist stakeholders of the REWE Group also rate the topic as particularly signiﬁcant for the company as part of the
materiality analysis (for more information, see Materiality Analysis). Therefore, the company has set itself the goal of

achieving an absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 15 per cent by the end of 2030 compared with 2019
in the supply chains of private label products. For more about the company's approach to reducing greenhouse gas
emissions in its supply chains, see Climate Protection in the Supply Chain.
Negative list for the use of pesticides in conventional fruit and vegetables
The REWE Group aims to reduce pesticide levels in conventional fruit and vegetables. To achieve this, it is working
with producers, NGOs and scientists on solutions which will minimise harm to the environment and health but still
ensure production and yield security for farmers. For this purpose, the REWE Group has deﬁned a negative list. It
currently lists 148 active ingredients which producers are not permitted to use in production. In summer 2022, this
will be expanded to 249 active ingredients. For 23 additional active ingredients, the REWE Group has signiﬁcantly
tightened the upper limit for maximum residue levels (MRL): these can be a maximum of 25 per cent of the maximum
values stipulated by law. In this case too, the number of active ingredients will rise to 95 in 2022. For all others, an
upper limit of 50 per cent of the MRL applies. In order to develop speciﬁcations further, the REWE Group has
commissioned the creation of speciﬁc analysis reports in recent years – on endocrine disruptors in 2017 and
substances which are harmful to bees in 2018, for example. In addition, all fruit and vegetable products are regularly
inspected for possible pesticide residue on the basis of a risk-oriented sampling plan used as part of quality
management. This risk analysis is also part of Purchasing's annual seasonal planning since it is a decision criterion for
whether and how a product is brought to market.
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In 2018, the REWE Group launched an environmental programme for suppliers to REWE, PENNY and toom
Baumarkt DIY stores to help achieve the KPIs: The Green Production Programme is used to improve
environmental eﬀects at the production sites of suppliers and monitor them regularly. For this programme,
each production site must conduct a self-assessment based on the Business Environmental Performance
Initiative (BEPI) of amfori or present an ISO 14001 certiﬁcate. For textile suppliers, an OEKO TEX STeP
certiﬁcate or a Higg FEM Veriﬁcation is also a possible alternative. The production sites also conduct
random amfori BEPI audits to check compliance with environmental regulations. In 2021, all suppliers who
produce for REWE Far East joined the programme. This means that there are now 387 suppliers (752
production sites) to the REWE Group who are integrated into the Green Production Programme. For all
strategic suppliers whose processes are considered to be harmful to the environment, the REWE Group
provides advice on how to improve.
Detox programme against negative impacts in textile production
In order to reduce the environmental impacts in the textile supply chain, the REWE Group joined the Detox campaign
by Greenpeace in 2014 and set up a corresponding programme for products distributed by the REWE Group in the
product groups of clothing, shoes and home textiles. The goal is to ensure safe textile production with no dangerous
chemicals. To achieve this, the REWE Group worked together with its suppliers to systematically eliminate hazardous

chemicals from textile production. The REWE Group documented developments with regards to the Detox
Programme from 2015 to 2019 in annual progress reports.
The Greenpeace Detox campaign oﬃcially came to an end in 2020. Regardless of this, the REWE Group is committed
to eliminating dangerous chemicals from textile production. In 2020, the company started a new Detox process. The
approach particularly includes supplier development in the area of chemicals management.
In addition, the REWE Group has been using the Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) of the initiative
“Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC)” since 2020. This contains chemicals which are classiﬁed as
dangerous and are not permitted to be used in production. In addition, factories must always have a valid wastewater
test, produce a chemicals inventory and participate in annual training. The REWE Group sources its products from a
pool of wet processing factories which meet these new requirements.
Between 2018 and 2021, a total of 24 producers, for example from China, Serbia, Italy, Bangladesh and Turkey,
received training. From doing this, improvements were recorded in the areas of chemicals management,
management systems, process optimisation, wastewater and waste management as well as water consumption. The
producers for the REWE Group who took part improved by 24 per cent on average.
To further advance the topic, the REWE Group promotes dialogue with other retailers and textile companies and
supports the Green Button textile seal.
3. Cooperation with stakeholders
In order to improve general conditions, the REWE Group pools its forces with other companies and stakeholders in
industry initiatives and partnerships, thus increasing its inﬂuence. In addition, the REWE Group is actively involved in
further developing these partnerships and represents its interests there.
The REWE Group takes part in the following national and international initiatives which deal with environmental
impacts in supply chains – detailed descriptions of individual initiatives can be read in Industry Initiatives and
Memberships:
!"Member of amfori BEPI
!"Dialogue and cooperation with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)
!"Involvement in the initiative Biodiversity in Good Company
!"Member of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles
!"Member of the Consumer Goods Forum
!"Member of the board at Cotton made in Africa
!"Member of the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI)

!"Founding member of the initiative Food for Biodiversity
!"Dialogue and cooperation with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®)
!"Founding member of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO)
!"Founding member of the Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil (FONAP)
!"Member of the GLOBALG.A.P. working group on environmental aspects in the cultivation of crops
!"Regular dialogue and cooperation with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
!"Dialogue and cooperation with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certiﬁcation Schemes (PEFCTM)
!"Member of the Rainforest Alliance Standards Committee
!"Member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
!"Member of the Sustainable Juice Platform
!"Partnership with the Donau Soja Association
!"Member of the World Banana Forum
!"Cooperation with XertiﬁX

The REWE Group sources a large number of products and product components through supply chains which can
extended across multiple countries. The risk of child labour and forced labour plays an important role here.
Child labour and forced labour are focus issues in the area of action of people within the Green Products Strategy
2030. The REWE Group aims to systematically ﬁght against child labour and forced labour.
Background
Child labour is deemed exploitative when children under the age of 13 perform light work for more than a few hours a
week, or when children under the age of 15 perform work that is hazardous or strenuously hard. In many risk
countries, the ban on exploitive child labour is not suﬃciently implemented and adhered to.
Forced labour often manifests itself through a restriction of freedom of movement, the withholding of wages and
personal documents as well as debt to the employer or an employment agency. Since those concerned are often
migrants who have immigrated legally or illegally, or temporary workers, forced labour is often not visible and is
diﬃcult to monitor.
GRI 408: Child labour;
GRI 409: Forced or compulsory labour
Management approach
Principles
The Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices applies to all business relationships of the REWE Group. It is based
on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the conventions of the International Labour Association (ILO), and
the UN Global Compact. The prohibition of forced labour is stipulated therein: No one may be employed against their
will or forced to work under the threat of any penalty. The avoidance of exploitive child labour is also anchored here.
The REWE Group adheres to the standards for child labour set by the ILO and applicable national laws. The REWE
Group reserves the right to apply sanctions when the values contained in the guideline are deliberately and ﬂagrantly
breached.
GRI 408, 409
Child Labour and Forced Labour

As part of its membership with amfori BSCI, the REWE Group commits itself as well as all suppliers and producers to
comply with the code of conduct of amfori BSCI and commits to its principles. These include the renunciation of
exploitative child labour and forced labour. The REWE Group is continuously working together with its suppliers to
improve labour and social standards.
Guidelines deﬁne the operational framework
In its Guideline on Fairness, the REWE Group has outlined its commitment to strengthening human rights and
improving working conditions within the supply chains of all private label products of REWE, PENNY and toom
Baumarkt DIY stores. The focus here is child labour and forced labour, living wages and income, and women in the
supply chain.
In addition, in its Guideline on the Prevention of Child Labour, the REWE Group speciﬁes its requirements and
measures with regard to the prevention and elimination of child labour and deﬁnes a binding operational framework
for business partners. Building on this guideline, the REWE Group has created a tool kit to help its business partners
and production sites with the implementation of requirements for the avoidance of and ﬁght against child labour.
Various other guidelines mentioned below describe speciﬁc challenges and the requirements derived from these for
suppliers of the REWE Group – also with consideration of forced labour and child labour.
A major reason for child labour is poverty. This is why the REWE Group, in addition to measures to ﬁght against child
labour, also focuses on promoting living wages and income. For more information, see Living Wages and Income.
Projects and measures to ﬁght against child labour and forced labour
Risk analysis: Forced labour in the supply chain
In 2019, the REWE Group conducted a risk analysis to determine risks of forced labour in the supply chain. Firstly, the
risks of forced labour were determined for all countries through which the supply chains of the REWE Group extend.
In a second step, products and raw materials were analysed in consideration of the risk of forced labour. The data
obtained was then linked to the country risks. A qualitative analysis of hot spots was then conducted. The occurrence
and causes of forced labour were examined speciﬁcally in relation to these hot spots in case studies. Based on all of
the analysis results, the REWE Group develops suitable measures to minimise risk.

Avoiding child labour and forced labour in raw material production
The REWE Group relies on internationally recognised certiﬁcation standards to ﬁght against child labour and forced
labour at the raw material production stage and ensure socially responsible working conditions. The most important
organisations are Fairtrade, the Rainforest Alliance, Cotton made in Africa, MSC, ASC, GlobalG.A.P. (GGN) and
Naturland. They guarantee higher standards for raw material production and more transparent supply chains. Child
labour and forced labour are prohibited under these standards. With regard to the raw material palm oil, the standard
of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is also key – this aims to ensure that no child labour or forced labour takes
place on plantations.
SSppeecciiaall  ccaassee  ooff  cchhiilldd  llaabboouurr  iinn  tthhee  ccooccooaa  sseeccttoorr
Due to structural poverty and a lack of educational facilities, child labour is widespread in cocoa production.
In order to keep costs as low as possible, children often help during the harvest, especially in small, family-
based operations. The REWE Group is committed to ensuring that cocoa-containing products in its ranges
are produced with respect for human rights and in compliance with recognised social and labour standards.
For this purpose, the commercial company relies on relevant certiﬁcations such as Fairtrade, the Rainforest
Alliance or Naturland. For more information, see also Guideline on Cocoa Products.
MMeeaassuurreess  ttoo  pprreevveenntt  ffoorrcceedd  llaabboouurr  iinn  tthhee  ﬁﬁsshhiinngg  sseeccttoorr
A large share of traditional ﬁshing and work in aquaculture farms takes place in Asia and Africa. In many
cases, the working conditions in the countries there do not meet internationally recognised standards – in
particular, there is an increased risk of forced labour. The aim of the REWE Group is to ensure respect for
human rights and compliance with fundamental social and occupational safety standards in the seafood
sector. The basic principles of not using child labour and, in particular, forced labour when working with
suppliers of ﬁsh and seafood are especially relevant. By sourcing certiﬁed goods, the farms in the
aquaculture supply chain are also checked for compliance with these basic principles through audits. Since
there is still no established certiﬁcation for labour and human rights when it comes to ﬁshing boats, the
REWE Group is committed to ensuring that social principles are included in the standards for wild ﬁsh and
guaranteed through certiﬁcations. For more information, see Guidelines on Fish and Seafood.
For more information on dealing with child labour and forced labour on the resource-extraction level, see Raw
Materials in Focus – Food and Raw Materials in Focus – Non-Food.

Monitoring the ban on child labour and forced labour through social audits
To monitor compliance with the ban on child labour and forced labour in processing and production, social audits are
regularly carried out, principally applying the amfori BSCI standard (see Social Aspects in the Supply Chain). All
production sites in the ﬁrst supply chain link of deﬁned risk countries are inspected during these audits. They take
place both announced and unannounced. Afterwards, the respective company receives a rating based on the audit
results. If the audit reveals a case of child labour or forced labour, the audited company does not receive an overall
rating. Rather, the amfori BSCI zero-tolerance mechanism takes eﬀect: The auditor triggers a warning message, stops
the audit, and collects evidence to prove the violation. The violation is then reported to the amfori BSCI oﬃce within
24 hours of its discovery. Within 48 hours after the allegation has been made, the Auditing Department checks the
facts, the evidence as well as the training and competencies of the auditor. Within 72 hours of the discovery, all
amfori BSCI participants concerned form an ad-hoc remediation group to deﬁne the next steps and initiate measures,
the implementation of which will be checked.
Strategically relevant production sites also take part in the Factory Improvement Training (FIT) of the REWE Group.
Here, the challenges of the production sites are addressed individually. If there are risk factors for forced labour or
child labour in a factory, these are dealt with during the training.
Cooperation with children's rights organisation
Cases of child labour and forced labour are not tolerated at the REWE Group and are dealt with thoroughly. In order to
be able to react quickly in cases of child labour, the REWE Group has been working with the children's rights
organisation “The Centre of Child Rights and Business” (formerly the Center for Child Rights and Corporate Social
Responsibility) since 2018. The organisation advises companies on the implementation of strategies and programmes
to ensure children's rights in supply chains. Through this cooperation, the REWE Group beneﬁts from the expertise
and network of the organisation, maintains dialogue with relevant stakeholders within the working group, and can use
tools developed by the organisation. If cases of child labour are discovered, the centre helps the company to
implement solutions.
Handling of complaints and evidence of forced labour or child labour
The REWE Group promotes the construction of eﬀective complaint mechanisms in the supply chain. By doing so, the
company wants to ensure that grievances in the supply chains can be discovered. This also concerns the reporting of
cases of child labour and forced labour. The REWE Group already uses audits and certiﬁcations to check whether
production sites oﬀer their employees the possibility to make complaints. The REWE Group has developed a
systematic process to handle complaints (for more information, see Social Aspects in the Supply Chain).
In 2021, the REWE Group received four complaints. All four cases were handled by applying a systematic process. In
three cases, the trigger was suspicion of forced labour. In the ﬁrst case, there was the suspicion that a supplier was
illegally having work carried out in a prison. Based on an on-site investigation, however, this suspicion was cleared. In
the second case, migrant workers had to pay fees themselves, such as for a work permit. Even though a subsequent
evaluation revealed that this was not a case of forced labour, work is being done with the supplier concerned to
improve processes. In the third case, a supplier was forcing its workers to do overtime. Since the supplier was not
willing to change this practice even when asked, the REWE Group terminated the cooperation. The fourth case

concerned rights violations related to child labour, occupational safety and wages. This case was still under
investigation at the end of 2021. It is being evaluated whether the rights violations took place in the supply chain of
the REWE Group.

The REWE Group sources a large number of products and product components through supply chains which can
extended across multiple countries. The supply chain links of raw materials production and processing involve a
heightened risk of non-observance of labour and social standards. Therefore, these areas are the focus of REWE
Group activities.
These activities connected to social aspects and fairness within the supply chain centre on the area of action of
people within the Green Products Strategy 2030 and are aimed at observing and strengthening human rights,
improving working conditions, and promoting fair trade. In addition, binding standards for shared supply chains are to
be implemented in cooperation with business partners and suppliers and dialogue is to be promoted between all
partners.
GRI 414: Supplier social assessment
GRI 412: Human rights assessment
Management approach
Principles
The Guidelines on sustainable business practices of the REWE Group applies to all business relationships. It is based
on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the conventions of the International Labour Association (ILO), and
the UN Global Compact. It addresses such issues as a ban on forced labour and exploitative child labour as well as
fair employee policies. The REWE Group reserves the right to apply sanctions when the values contained in the
guidelines are deliberately and ﬂagrantly breached. These requirements are deﬁned in the guidelines (see box below)
and the Supplier Code of Conduct updated in 2021.
In its Declaration of principles on human rights, the REWE Group commits to strengthening human rights and
preventing human rights violations. This commitment applies both to our own business activities and to our global
supply and value chains. Due to the special features in the tourism industry, in 2019, DER Touristik Group adopted its
own, additional policy statement on the observance of human rights and also implemented a Supplier Code of
Conduct. Company guidelines and processes are adapted with regard to human rights due diligence and the
GRI 412, 414
Social Aspects in the Supply Chain

measures formulated are gradually implemented.
GGuuiiddeelliinneess  ddeeﬁﬁnnee  tthhee  ooppeerraattiioonnaall  ffrraammeewwoorrkk
The Guideline on Fairness, updated in 2021, represents a further component of the REWE Group for the
implementation of human rights due diligence. In this guideline, the company seeks to strengthen human
rights, improve working conditions, and promote fair trade within the supply chains of all private label
products sold in Germany at REWE, PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores. Additional guidelines which deal
with social aspects in the supply chain include the Guideline on the Prevention of Child Labour, the
Guideline on Living Wages and Incomes and the Guideline on Women in the Supply Chain. For more
information, see Child Labour and Forced Labour, Living Wages and Income and Women in the Supply
Chain. These guidelines deﬁne binding operational frameworks for business relationships with contact
partners and specify requirements and goals. They are continuously updated on the basis of the latest
developments.
PPoossiittiioonn  oonn  tthhee  dduuee  ddiilliiggeennccee  aacctt
The REWE Group believes it needs binding framework conditions in order to create fair conditions along
global supply chains. This is why, at the end of 2019, the company called for binding framework conditions
which create fair conditions along global supply chains. However, it also noted that a national supply chain
law is not suﬃcient, since only an international legislative process is able achieve this eﬀectively and also
involve all value chain stakeholders in a binding manner. Of course, the commercial company believes that
human rights must not be negotiable.
In addition, the REWE Group worked intensively on implementing the German Supply Chain Due Diligence
Act in 2021. For this purpose, a detailed gap analysis focused on product supply chains was performed to
identify strategic or operational gaps. As a result of this, the following measures were derived for 2022 and
2023:
1. Optimisation of internal processes: The REWE Group is continuing to work on optimising its internal
processes to ensure human rights due diligence.
2. Expansion of supplier evaluation process: The REWE Group is developing an overarching supplier
evaluation process. This is intended to provide a more comprehensive means than before of
prioritising suppliers in terms of their human rights risks and taking targeted measures in order to work
in cooperation with them on minimising or eliminating these risks.

3. Analysis of purchasing practices: The REWE Group is reviewing its purchasing practices in terms of
human rights risks and incorporating the results into its risk analyses.
4. Optimisation of at-risk raw material analysis: The REWE Group will continue to optimise the content of
its tried and tested approach to analysing at-risk raw materials in order to enable stronger internal
orientation.
5. Analysis and further development of measures: The REWE Group continuously reviews the
introduction of new measures in order to further reduce or eliminate the risk of human rights violations
in its supply chains.
6. Intensiﬁcation of training: The REWE Group is expanding its training concept designed to make
employees aware of human rights due diligence.
Strategy process
A four-stage process is at the heart of building fairer supply chains at the REWE Group. It is used to systematically
determine, minimise and prevent potentially negative impacts of business activities on human rights:
Step 1: Detailed risk and hot spot analyses are used to identify impacts. Since 2016, the REWE Group has
signiﬁcantly expanded and systematised its approach to recording risks. For more information, see Product-Related
Risk Analyses.
Step 2: The ﬁndings obtained in the ﬁrst step are used to derive focus raw materials and issues. Three focus issues
have emerged which aﬀect a large number of focus raw materials and countries. These are Child Labour and Forced
Labour, Living Wages and Income and Women in the Supply Chain.
Step 3: The focus raw materials and issues are addressed with corresponding measures to counteract negative
eﬀects. These measures are implemented through a management approach which works on three diﬀerent levels:
i. Internal cooperation, through training of purchasers, for example
ii. Cooperation within the supply chain, through requirements for suppliers or for purchasing certiﬁed raw
materials, for example
iii. Cooperation with stakeholders, by further developing standards organisations, for example
Depending on the risk identiﬁed, diﬀerent measures are deﬁned such as, for example, the requirement of standards
and certiﬁcations, cooperation with standards organisations, the joining of industry initiatives as well as on-site
projects with suppliers and producers.

Step 4: The activities that we conduct are monitored and evaluated. The results of this monitoring work are then
incorporated into reﬁning the measures.
GGooaallss
In order to make progress measurable in the area of action of people, the following key performance
indicators (KPI) for private labels have been deﬁned (for more information, see the overarching
management approach for Green Products):
Goals
Status
Complete integration into a training programme (capacity building) for strategically relevant production sites in the
case of the private labels of REWE and PENNY in Germany as well as toom Baumarkt DIY stores by the end of 2030
Improvement of access to complaint mechanisms in relevant supply chains in the case of the private labels of
REWE and PENNY in Germany as well as toom Baumarkt DIY stores by the end of 2025
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
Implementation
Through the REWE Group's local purchasing companies, requirements and problems can be discussed directly with
suppliers and production sites. In addition, any necessary measures can be implemented. In Asia, for example, the
sourcing and procurement oﬃce REWE Far East (RFE) is responsible for the procurement of certain food and non-
food products and plays an important role in the improvement of working conditions in the supply chain. The
Corporate Responsibility Department of RFE maintains direct contact with suppliers and assists with the social
compliance process on site.
The complexity of the value chain with a large number of destination countries and service providers also poses major
challenges for the travel industry. For instance, within the scope of its human rights due diligence, in 2018, DER
Touristik Group carried out a risk analysis to determine actual and potential negative impacts of its business
operations on human rights (for more information, see Product-Related Risk Analyses). The risk analysis scheduled
for 2020 has been postponed due to the corona pandemic and is planned for 2022. DER Touristik regards the human
rights due diligence process as a continuous, ongoing task.
Complaint mechanisms
The REWE Group has developed a strategy for further developing and implementing complaint mechanisms in its
supply chains and documented this in its Guideline on Fairness which was updated in 2021. According to the risk
analyses, the company has deﬁned a) focus raw materials and b) the production sites in risk countries as relevant
supply chain areas. In these supply chain areas, there are already approaches for internal complaint mechanisms and
external “back-up” complaint mechanisms. The latter are intended to ensure that those concerned are able to
address their complaints to a diﬀerent organisation if they come to a dead end in the company they work for.

Therefore, by raising awareness and through training, the REWE Group is promoting the use and quality of existing
complaint mechanisms and strengthening the expansion of “back-up” mechanisms.
The company is implementing relevant measures to promote internal mechanisms: For example, the REWE Group
formulates speciﬁc requirements for the design of eﬀective internal complaint mechanisms in its Supplier Code of
Conduct (see Principles) which was updated in 2021. As part of the REWE Group's Factory Improvement Programms
support is being provided to build internal complaint mechanisms into the deeper levels of the supply chain as
previous experience shows that many production sites still need to catch up when it comes to establishing
transparent, trustworthy processes which are actually practised. Together with an experienced service provider, the
REWE Group analyses the complaint mechanisms of factories in terms of structure and possible hurdles for
employees. Particular attention is paid here to the accessibility of complaint mechanisms for migrant workers and
women, for example. For instance, factories are urged to provide information in the mother language of migrant
workers or designate female contacts in a targeted manner.
In order to expand back-up mechanisms, the REWE Group relies on the support of audit and certiﬁcation systems,
many of which are also currently developing their complaint mechanisms. The REWE Group is actively involved in
amfori's project group which is working to develop a complaint mechanism in the supply chain. A pilot project for this
has been running in Vietnam since 2021.
Complaint process
Business partners must report any suspected violations of regulations, laws and principles. When the REWE Group
receives external complaints about incidents via formal channels such as the whistleblower system, through
standards systems, or via other informal channels, an internal process to investigate and resolve the complaint takes
eﬀect, with the involvement of the complainant:
1. Receipt and review of the complaint
After the complaint has been received, it is documented and checked for reliability. Relevant contacts within the
REWE Group are informed.
2. Investigation of the situation and identiﬁcation of possible measures
The complaint is then investigated – for example, through conversations with suppliers, industry initiatives or NGOs,
through on-site visits, or in the form of interviews with those aﬀected. Eﬀective measures are identiﬁed on the basis of
the results.

If a complaint relates to child labour, the REWE Group works together with the organisation The Center for Child
Rights and Business (formerly CCR-CSR) to ensure that remedial action can be taken in the interests of the child's
well-being (also see the REWE Group's Guideline on the Prevention of Child Labour).
3. Remediation, redress and monitoring of implementation of measures
The supplier or production site in question must implement the deﬁned measures. These might include stopping the
behaviour that has been criticised, preventive measures through training, or redress for those aﬀected, for example
through compensation. The REWE Group continuously monitors implementation of the measures. The failure to
implement such measures can ultimately also lead to the supplier being excluded from future orders.
4. Closure of the complaint and evaluation
If countermeasures have been successfully implemented, the complaint is closed.
GRI 414-2
Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken
The REWE Group implements speciﬁc measures to reduce negative social impacts through the following three
approaches:
1. Internal cooperation
The REWE Group is working to further integrate sustainable procurement into its purchasing processes so that
sustainability aspects are taken into consideration for each purchasing decision. Through the provision of risk
analyses and brieﬁngs, the agreement of binding goals with the purchasing departments as well as training on
sustainability topics, the REWE Group is helping to raise awareness internally. In 2021, for example, 37 employees
from the relevant purchasing department of the REWE Group received training on social compliance in the area of
fruit and vegetables.
In addition, employees – particularly those working in purchasing at the REWE Group – receive regular training on
relevant topics in the area of labour and social standards. This means that the deﬁned standards – such as, for
example, the requirement for social audits – are given consideration when selecting suppliers and during the
purchasing process. Internal reports enable continuous development within the area of action of people. External
communication creates transparency for stakeholders.
2. Cooperation within the supply chain
The REWE Group addresses sustainability risks in the supply chain that are pertinent to the area of action of people in
a targeted fashion through systematic supply chain management involving close cooperation with suppliers as well as
commitments on the production site and raw materials production levels. By doing so, the REWE Group is initially
increasing transparency along the supply chain for private label products, where this is not already present. This
enables risks to be identiﬁed and then avoided or directly addressed more eﬀectively. Eﬀorts are also made to

integrate sustainability into the supplier evaluation process.
In its supply chain management, the REWE Group takes a three-step approach with regard to the area of action of
people, which includes formulation of requirements, monitoring and developing the suppliers and supply chains:
Suppliers are contractually obliged to comply with the Supplier Code of Conduct (see Principles) which was updated
in 2021. All business partners in the private label supply chains of the REWE Group are obliged to name the
production sites in which products for the REWE Group are produced. Through awareness campaigns and the
obligations of contract partners, it is possible to create speciﬁc rules to implement sustainability in the entire supply
chain. These requirements are checked by the Sustainability Department of the REWE Group during the purchasing
process.
Business partners of the REWE Group are obliged to comply with minimum requirements such as international and
national laws as well as the core labour standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO). This is accompanied
by the obligation to comply with the following principles in particular:
!"Any form of discrimination is prohibited. Business partners undertake not to exclude or favour people on the basis
of their gender, their origin or for any other reason.
!"Business partners must pay their employees at least the applicable national minimum wage regularly (at least
monthly).
!"Business partners must ensure that working hours correspond to the applicable national statutory or industry-
standard working hours.
!"Business partners comply with occupational health and safety regulations in accordance with national law and
international standards.
!"All business partners enable employees to exercise their right to freedom of association and collective bargaining
agreements.
!"Business partners are careful not to employ any children in their operations.

!"Business partners must ensure fair and respectful treatment of employees.
!"Business partners must excluded any form of forced or compulsory labour or human traﬃcking.
The REWE Group is constantly raising awareness of human rights and working conditions, whether at supplier events
or during individual discussions with suppliers. This includes, for example, the Social Improvement Coaching,carried
out in 2020, which trains suppliers on how to continuously improve social standards and working conditions at
production sites.
Raw Materials in Focus
Based on the product-related risk analyses, the following critical raw materials have been deﬁned to be relevant to
the area of action of people for REWE and PENNY in Germany: coﬀee, cocoa, tea, palm oil, juices (in particular
orange juice), ﬁsh, fruit and vegetables such as, for example, bananas or pineapples as well as cotton/textiles and
natural stone.
Raw materials (main supplier countries) for REWE and PENNY in Germany
The REWE Group has deﬁned guidelines with detailed requirements and goals certain focus raw materials. For more
information, see Raw Materials in Focus – Food and Raw Materials in Focus – Non-Food.
Processing in risk countries: the social improvement programme
All production sites in the ﬁrst supply chain link of deﬁned risk countries are being integrated into the REWE Group's
Social Improvement Programme, which follows the three-step approach of requirements, monitoring and
development. For these risk countries, the REWE Group takes guidance from the assessment of amfori. This is based
on the governance indicators of the World Bank and other indices and is updated annually.

If no social audit has been carried out yet, new suppliers and production sites are informed about the requirements of
the REWE Group through onboarding (1) and given support to prepare for the ﬁrst audit.
In the second step, all production sites in risk countries are obliged to present evidence of audits (2) by recognised
certiﬁcation organisations or veriﬁcation systems. These audits – both announced and unannounced – are carried
out by independent third parties. Recognised social audits include audits according to the standard of amfori BSCI or
the SA8000 standard as well as SMETA audits of the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange. In addition, textile production
sites in Bangladesh must also conduct building and ﬁre safety inspections as part of the “Bangladesh Accord on Fire
and Building Safety” (see Factory Improvement Training).
In order to continuously improve labour and social standards, the REWE Group records the audit results. If
requirements are not complied with, it works together with the suppliers to deﬁne improvement measures
(remediation (3)) and the production sites are urged to participate in amfori BSCI sessions and further training (4). If
production sites are not prepared to bring about improvements, the REWE Group, as a last resort, reserves the right to
terminate the business relationship.
Percentage of production sites in the stages of the social improvement Programme1
2019
2020
2021
Onboarding stage
0%
0.3%
0.7%
Audit stage
100%
99.7%
99.3%
Percentage of production sites according to their audit results
SA8000
4%
3.5%
2.4%
Naturland
0%
0.2%
0.2%
amfori BSCI A
5%
4.4%
4.4%
amfori BSCI B
8%
6.6%
6.0%
amfori BSCI C
67%
68.5%
68.9%
amfori BSCI D
2%
0.9%
2.2%
amfori BSCI E
0%
0%
0%
SMETA
6%
6.6%
6.0%
Expired audit
8%
9.4%
9.2%
1 Figures have been rounded. The calculation was made on the basis of the number of production sites and includes all production sites of REWE,
PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores in Germany for food and non-food products in the ﬁrst supply chain link in risk countries.

The risk analyses, factory visits and work with stakeholders show that employees at many points in the supply chain
still lack the knowledge and management experience required to implement processes and guidelines in order to
ensure good working conditions and human rights.
FFaaccttoorryy  IImmpprroovveemmeenntt  TTrraaiinniinngg  ((FFIITT))
For its strategically important production sites, the REWE Group has set up a training programme (“Factory
Improvement Training”, FIT) to build social skills. It is intended to help them better understand the
importance of compliance with REWE Group standards for sustainable business practices and establish
systems and work procedures in order to strengthen sustainable business practices. Speciﬁcally, the
production sites receive support with measuring and improving the social working conditions in their
factories. In addition, the plan is that they will increase their personal responsibility to such an extent that
they are able to implement their own programmes for compliance with social standards.
To achieve this, managers at strategic production sites take part in an 18-month modular training
programme to learn about health and safety, complaint mechanisms, wages and working hours as well as
ethical recruitment. There are also modules on women empowerment/leadership training. Where useful, the
programme includes group training sessions, in which challenges common to various production sites are
addressed. Prior to all this, the factories are analysed with regard to their social standards and individual
action plans are drawn up based on the results. In order to record progress, key ﬁgures are deﬁned and
continuously measured, and employee surveys are carried out.
The REWE Group aims to fully integrate all relevant production sites of its strategic suppliers into the FIT
programme by the end of 2030. Since 2018, 14 factories in China, Thailand, Vietnam and Bangladesh have
completed the training. In addition to improving complaint mechanisms, carrying out training to raise
awareness about modern slavery, and covering various occupational safety topics, the training enabled ten
factories to design improved processes for recording working hours. This also had a positive impact on the
correct payment of wages for overtime. In 2021, 13 additional factories from China, Pakistan and India
started the programme.
In order to implement a programme aimed at ensuring reliable safety in the textile industry in Bangladesh, the REWE
Group signed the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety in 2013 and the subsequent “2018 Transition
Accord” in 2017. The REWE Group also supports the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), which was founded in 2020
and has oﬃcially taken over the tasks of the agreement in Bangladesh. In May 2021, the REWE Group signed the
three-month extension of the “2018 Transition Accord”. The REWE Group also plans to sign the new “International
Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry”, which would be valid until October 2023.

3. Cooperation with stakeholders
When it comes to dealing with sustainability risks in the production of private label products, the challenges often lie
in the global trade structures. These are inﬂuenced by political and social framework conditions. An important
starting point for identifying the relevant topics and implementing the sustainability strategy is therefore good
cooperation with the stakeholders. The REWE Group is in continuous exchange with them and invites them to regular
dialogue events.
In addition, the REWE Group is involved in the following national and international initiatives which deal with human
rights and working conditions in the respective context – detailed descriptions of individual initiatives can be read in
Industry Initiatives and Memberships:
!"Member of amfori BSCI
!"Member of the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety
!"Member of the Competitive Cashew Initiative
!"Member of the Consumer Goods Forum
!"Member of the board at Cotton made in Africa
!"Founding member of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO)
!"Founding member of the Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil (FONAP)
!"Member of the Technical Committee of GLOBALG.A.P. GRASP
!"Participation in the Initiative for Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains
!"Founding member of the Partnership for Sustainable Orange Juice (PANAO)
!"Member of the Rainforest Alliance Standards Committee
!"Member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
!"Member of the Sustainable Juice Platform
!"Member of the The Centre for Child Rights and Business
!"Member of the World Banana Forum
GRI 414-2:
Employee training on human rights policies or procedures
See Internal Cooperation.

The REWE Group sources a large number of products and product components through supply chains which can
extended across multiple countries. Raw material production and processing involve a heightened risk of non-
observance of labour and social standards – for example, in the payment of wages and income. Therefore, these
supply chain links are the focus of REWE Group activities.
Living wages are a focus issue in the area of action of people within the Green Products Strategy 2030. The aim of
eﬀorts within the scope of this focus issue is to help improve the wage and income situation in supplier countries.
Background
A living wage must be high enough for workers and their families to have a humane living standard – this includes
funding for food, water, accommodation, education/schooling, healthcare, transport, clothing and other essential
needs – including a reserve for unforeseen events. In many countries, the statutory minimum wage is far below the
poverty line. Since many self-employed workers such as small farmers do not receive a wage, but rather earn their
income by selling their goods or services, the term “living income” has also be introduced. In this text, the deﬁnition
applies to the net annual income.
GRI 414: Supplier social assessment
Management approach
Principles
The REWE Group is committed to ensuring that products are produced in their ranges with respect for human rights.
All business partners of the REWE Group are contractually obliged to comply with minimum requirements, such as
national and international laws and the core labour standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and to
acknowledge the Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices. They cover matters such as compensation
requirements and fair employee policies. For example, they stipulate that all companies in the supply chain must pay
their employees the applicable national minimum wage regularly (at least monthly). The REWE Group reserves the
right to apply sanctions when the values contained in the guidelines are deliberately and ﬂagrantly breached. The
REWE Group also takes responsibility for strengthening human rights and preventing abuses of human rights in its
GRI 414
Living Wages and Income

Declaration of principles on human rights.
Guidelines deﬁne the operational framework
In its Guideline on Fairness, the REWE Group has outlined its commitment to strengthening human rights and
improving working conditions within the supply chains of all private label products of REWE, PENNY and toom
Baumarkt DIY stores. In addition to child labour and forced labour as well as women in the supply chain, a living wage
and income is a focus issue in the area of action of people. In its Guideline on Living Wages and Incomes, the REWE
Group raises awareness with regard to the importance of a living wage and income in the supplier countries and
identiﬁes speciﬁc measures and goals. The guideline deﬁnes a binding operational framework for the REWE Group
and its business relationships with contract partners.
GGooaall
The REWE Group has set itself the long-term goal of embedding the realisation of a living wage and income
in its global supply chains in its sustainability strategy.
Implementation
To support a living wage and income in the entire supply chain, the REWE Group pursues the overarching
management approach for responsible supply chains (see Social Aspects in the Supply Chain).
Training and education programmes support implementation
Training helps suppliers and producers implement the requirements of the REWE Group and ensures continuous
improvement. In various projects the REWE Group works directly with raw material producers to overcome the
challenges. In cooperation with Fairtrade and four Fairtrade small farmer organisations in Brazil, the REWE Group is
involved, for example, with training programmes designed to provide a better income as well as improved living and
working conditions for small orange producers. In accordance with the principle of “helping people to help
themselves”, orange farmers learn how to operate more eﬃciently and how to work in a more socially and
environmentally conscious manner (also see Guideline on Juices).
Cooperation with stakeholders
The REWE Group encourages continuous dialogue with a large number of stakeholders and is involved in various
national and international initiatives, alliances and forums. For example, the REWE Group is a member of
organisations such as the Competitive Cashew Initiative, which aims to increase the competitiveness of the cashew
value chain in selected African countries.
Along with other German retailers, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the REWE Group is part of the “German Retailers
Working Group on Living Income and Living Wages” (see also A Living Wage for Banana Workers). In a ﬁrst step, the

activities of the working group are geared to global agricultural supply chains for the private label products of
members. Together, the members have developed a voluntary commitment for this issue, which the REWE Group has
signed. Through this, it pledges to be actively involved in the development and implementation of responsible
business practices – in coordination and cooperation with all relevant stakeholders in its global supply chains.
Measures taken in this regard include establishing the topic within the companies as well as conducting supplier
surveys on sustainable procurement practices and knowledge of production conditions on site.
In 2020, the REWE Group teamed up with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
(BMZ), the Christian Initiative Romero (CIR), and TransFair e. V. to found the Partnership for Sustainable Orange Juice
(PANAO). The members are committed to actively promoting social justice, labour rights, occupational health and
safety, and environmental protection in the orange juice supply chain. Brazilian orange juice production is the focus
here. Together with the Sustainable Juice Platform, the REWE Group is also funding projects such as the creation of a
living wage benchmark analysis for orange cultivation in Brazil. As a member of this European initiative, the REWE
Group has already been championing social and environmental improvements in the supply chains of the fruit juice
industry since June 2016.
Pilot projects to ensure a living wage and income
Through pilot projects in focus supply chains, the REWE Group wants to contribute to implementing measures and
evaluating the resulting successes. As part of this, the commercial company has set itself the goal of trialling
approaches to ensure a living wage and income by 2025 and, if these are successful, to upscale them. The ﬁrst pilot
projects have already been implemented:
AA  lliivviinngg  wwaaggee  ffoorr  bbaannaannaa  wwoorrkkeerrss
The REWE Group is involved in various initiatives aimed at establishing a living wage in banana cultivation.
The aim is to improve the wages and social conditions of workers on banana plantations. For example, the
REWE Group is a member of the “Working Group on Distribution of Value” within the World Banana Forum,
which is aﬃliated with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Numerous activities
within the banana supply chain are brought together here.
Banana cultivation is also an important topic within the “German Retailers Working Group on Living Income
and Living Wages”. The close cooperation with farms and standards organisations enables the development
of a tailor-made strategy for the value chain of bananas. As part of a pilot project in Ecuador focused on
banana cultivation, the working group, in a ﬁrst step, conducted a survey of banana suppliers on supply
chain structures and procurement standards. Based on the ﬁndings, the focus of measures is on
empowering employee representatives who stand up for the rights of workers on the plantations, introducing
eﬀective complaint mechanisms, and ensuring a monitoring system for wage and working conditions. This
enables risks to be analysed and eﬀective measures to be developed and adapted. These measures are to
be implemented in cooperation with standards organisations and local, civil society organisations.

In December 2021, the members of the working group – ALDI Nord, ALDI SÜD, Kauﬂand, Lidl, the REWE
Group and dm-drogerie markt – attended a kick-oﬀ event where they agreed to gradually integrate living
wage criteria into the banana portfolio of their private labels. These include, for example, responsible
procurement practices, strong employee representation, transparent wages and working conditions.
Starting in 2022, these criteria are to developed and piloted as part of a participatory process of dialogue
and consultation with supply chain partners and other relevant stakeholders. The criteria are to be deﬁned
and implemented according to the principle of “shared responsibility, shared reward, shared risk” between
the stakeholders of the supply chains of the respective retailers. From spring 2023, the ﬁrst bananas which
meet the living wage criteria will then be traded in the stores of retailers. The working group wants 50 per
cent of the product range to be living wage bananas by 2025 and therefore achieve its vision for the banana
sector.
AAddddiittiioonnaall  ssuurrcchhaarrggee  ffoorr  ccooccooaa  ffaarrmmeerrss
In cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development as well as the
organisation Fairtrade, the REWE Group was one of the ﬁrst food retailers in Germany to launch a project for
a living income in the cocoa sector: In addition to the respective Fairtrade premiums and minimum prices,
the cocoa farmers receive an additional surcharge which is based on the Fairtrade reference price for a
living income. As part of this project, Fairtrade chocolate bars have been sold at REWE and PENNY in
Germany since mid-2021. The cocoa beans used for the cocoa mass from which these chocolates are
produced can be completely physically traced.

The REWE Group sources a large number of products through supply chains from around the world. These include
countries where the state framework conditions for the protection of human rights are insuﬃcient and where
applicable labour and social standards are not observed. Women are often employed at the start of global supply
chains and, in many cases, are excluded from economic opportunities and the beneﬁts of international trade.
Therefore, these areas are the focus of REWE Group activities.
The topic of women in the supply chain has been identiﬁed as a focus issue in the area of action of people within the
Green Products Strategy 2030. The REWE Group aims to protect and promote women in its supply chains.
GRI 414: Social aspects in the supply chain
Management approach
Principles
The Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices of the REWE Group applies to all business relationships. It covers
matters such as fair employee policies and the prohibition of discrimination.
In 2020, the REWE Group joined the UN initiative “Women’s Empowerment Principles” and is committed to the
targeted empowerment of women within the company and society.
In order to specify its requirements regarding the promotion and protection of women, the REWE Group published the
Guideline on Women in the Supply Chain in 2021. It contains goals and measures for strengthening the rights of
women along global value chains and promoting their economic independence and participation.
Implementation
The REWE Group follows a universal approach when it comes to empowering and promoting women along global
value chains. First of all, this includes clear guidelines on the protection and promotion of women, which the REWE
Group and its business partners in the supply chain are to use as guidance. The REWE Group also continuously
reviews existing measures as part of this approach and adjusts them where necessary. In addition, new measures and
goals are deﬁned, where necessary, in order to address the needs of and risks to particularly aﬀected supply chains
GRI 414
Women in the Supply Chain

(i.e. those in which there is a high proportion of women and/or in which there are particularly big challenges).
Risk Analysis
In 2020, the REWE Group conducted a risk analysis to determine which negative human rights impacts women are
particularly exposed to and in which sectors and countries relevant for the REWE Group the risks for women are
particularly high. Particular attention was paid to the focus raw materials identiﬁed in the Guideline on Fairness.
Furthermore, where the availability of data allowed it, the proportion of women in each of the sectors and countries
under consideration was determined. Three risk areas were identiﬁed in the results: Precarious working conditions
and low wages, occupational safety and health risks at the workplace, and a lack of participation in economic life –
for example, because women are often not involved in decision-making processes or are legally restricted when it
comes to acquiring property. In addition, it can be stated that women are present in all supply chains and there are
risks everywhere – albeit to diﬀerent extents.

GGooaallss
Based on the ﬁndings of the risk analysis and a discussion on fairness with stakeholders from civil society,
also held in 2020, the REWE Group deﬁned three goals which are used to protect and promote women in its
supply chains:
1. Dialogue and communication: The REWE Group seeks and maintains dialogue with standards
organisations and other stakeholders to advocate for the rights and needs of women. During these
discussions, it communicates its requirements to its stakeholders and trains relevant employees on
the speciﬁc risks to and needs of women.
2. Social capacity building programme: The REWE Group ensures that training content addresses the
speciﬁc needs of and risks to women in factories.
3. Projects: The REWE Group initiates individual projects which strengthen the rights of women and
promote their economic independence and participation.
Measures and projects
The REWE Group is increasingly buying certiﬁed raw materials – for example, through Fairtrade, the Rainforest
Alliance, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Cotton made in Africa, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
(RSPO), XertiﬁX and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®). All production sites in the ﬁrst supply chain link of
deﬁned risk countries must also provide proof of a social audit according to the standards of amfori BSCI or the
SA8000 standard as well as SMETA audits. All of these certiﬁcations already set requirements for the equal treatment
and protection of women, which are checked during audits. These include, for example, equal pay for men and
women doing the same job, the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of gender, or the provision of appropriate
advanced training.
In addition, the REWE Group implements various measures and projects to promote the economic independence and
participation of women. Selected examples are presented below.
Social capacity building programme
As part of the Social Capacity Building Programme, managers at strategic production sites take part in an 18-month
modular training programme to learn about health and safety, complaint mechanisms, wages and working hours as
well as ethical recruitment. The training programme was run in factories for food and non-food products in 2020. That
same year, checks were also made to ﬁnd out whether the speciﬁc needs of and risks to women are being suﬃciently
addressed. Additional content was included as a result of this, with a focus on raising awareness amongst employees
and management in order to prevent and counteract gender-speciﬁc discrimination at the workplace.

Improved conditions for cocoa farmers in Côte d'Ivoire
As a founding member of the multi-stakeholder German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa, the REWE Group works
together with other companies to support the PRO-PLANTEURS project, launched in 2015, which was implemented
in collaboration with the German and Ivorian governments. By 2025, the aim is professionalise 30,000 cocoa farmers
in the eastern and south-eastern regions of Côte d'Ivoire as well as their producer organisations in order to increase
incomes and improve the living situation of families. In particular, the aim is to give women the opportunity to
optimise their own income. PRO-PLANTEURS supports them, for example, during the production, processing and
marketing of agricultural products. During the ﬁrst phase of the project, around 3,000 farmers were trained in cocoa
cultivation between 2015 and 2020. Also, 4,000 additional farmers received training on selected crops and animal
husbandry for personal consumption, whilst 76 women were trained up as nutritionists.
EEmmppoowweerrmmeenntt  ooff  wwoommeenn  iinn  ccooﬀﬀeeee  ccuullttiivvaattiioonn  iinn  PPeerruu
The “Café Mujer” women's coﬀee in Peru is a current project of the REWE Group which speciﬁcally
advocates for the empowerment of women in the supply chain. As part of this initiative, the organically
grown Arabica beans for REWE Bio caﬀè crema pads are grown exclusively by women of the Fairtrade-
certiﬁed “Valle de Ubiriki” cooperative. 120 farmers here cultivate the coﬀee gardens which they own in the
Chanchamayo region in the heart of Peru. The REWE Group guarantees these women that it will purchase
their entire annual production at the Fairtrade minimum price. Furthermore, Fairtrade employees organise
workshops on, for example, operational practices such as post-harvest treatment or the promotion of
women farmers through qualiﬁcations such as team leadership. In addition, the cooperative receives the
Fairtrade Premium for local projects. The REWE Bio caﬀè crema pads bear the PRO PLANET label “Für
bessere soziale Bedingungen” (For better social conditions).
Fairtrade roses: Long-term fair trade commitment
The REWE Group was the ﬁrst food retailer in Germany to add fairly traded cut roses from East Africa to its product
range when it introduced them to REWE and PENNY stores in 2007. Most of these roses, which bear the PRO
PLANET label, come from Kenya. Pesticides frequently harm the health of the predominantly female workforce and
the environment. Therefore, PRO PLANET roses are only sourced from Fairtrade ﬂower farms. The Fairtrade seal
obliges producers to limit the use of chemicals and pay workers fairly.

Product safety and the health of its customers are extremely important to the REWE Group and play a prominent role
both in retail and in travel and tourism, with both industries having diﬀerent requirements and challenges. In retail,
the REWE Group is responsible for ensuring quality and thus protecting the health of customers. In travel and tourism,
the REWE Group's main concern is to ensure the trust and safety of travellers. This includes comprehensive crisis and
safety management, both in the holiday country and the home country.
GRI 416: Customer health and safety
Management approach in retail
Principles
The objective of quality management is to meet the ever-growing customer requirements by continuously ensuring
the quality of products. In doing so, it is important to systematically improve internal structures and processes within
the company and bring them up to measurable standards on both a national and international level. Since consumer
satisfaction is the focus here, prevention and food safety form the basis for quality management along the entire value
chain of the REWE Group.
Implementation
All activities relating to quality management – from preventive measures such as, for example, an established,
systematic issue monitoring process and management system, and warehouse and store inspections through to
supplier audits – are published in a semi-annual key ﬁgures report, the so-called Management Review of Quality
Management, making them measurable and transparent.
A special focal point of quality management is private label products: The combine deﬁnes speciﬁc requirements for
the products and their producers to meet in all steps along the value chain – from raw materials and recipes to
labelling and packaging. The contents of these so-called speciﬁcations form the basis for regular spot checks
conducted by independent accredited testing institutes. The random samples are determined on the basis of supplier
and product risk. Foods like fresh fruit and vegetables are tested more frequently than products like salt and sugar.
GRI 416
Customer Health and Product Safety

For fruit and vegetables, the REWE Group has set the goal of minimising pesticide levels. For this purpose, a negative
list speciﬁes active ingredients which producers are not permitted to use in production. In addition, all fruit and
vegetable products are regularly inspected for possible pesticide residue.
In addition to the products themselves, other links in the value chain are examined: All private label suppliers in the
food area must be certiﬁed according to a standard recognised by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) such as, for
example, IFS Food or the standard of the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Furthermore, the REWE Group conducts
additional supplier audits on the basis of a risk analysis. This risk analysis involves evaluating a number of key ﬁgures
like dissatisfaction with products, customer complaints and the risk classiﬁcation of the product group.
Manufacturers and suppliers who fail to meet the REWE Group's quality standards are asked to remedy the situation.
Otherwise, they face the possibility of being delisted.
Moreover, annual audits of warehouses are conducted by internal auditors as well as an independent external
inspection board. All areas of the warehouse are included in these audits, from incoming goods to transport to stores.
In addition, special audits that focus on quality requirements for fruit and vegetables are conducted in warehouses.
Regular internal and external inspections are also conducted in the REWE Group's food stores. The external
inspections are conducted on the basis of checklists prepared by QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH, Bonn. The lists
focus on meat, meat products, fruit, vegetables and potatoes.
Products produced in REWE stores themselves, including ground meat (at the service counter) or fruit and
convenience products, are subject to microbiological monitoring. These samples are examined by independent
laboratories.
Responsibility
Quality assurance measures are implemented by Quality Management at the REWE Group. This serves, among other
things, to protect the persons involved and prevent damage to the company's image.
A central customer service unit handles incoming queries and complaints. Quality Management uses the resulting key
ﬁgures for supplier assessments, for example. From an organisational standpoint, the customer service department is
no longer linked to Quality Management, but rather is associated with Retail Germany. From a technical standpoint,
the customer service department coordinates closely with Quality Management.
Covid-19 pandemic: protection of employees and customers in stores
In order to protect employees and customers in stores, the REWE Group implemented targeted measures. For
example, during times of lockdown, access was limited in some stores where customer inﬂow made this necessary.
This was achieved through entry controls and by limiting the number of shopping trolleys or baskets. Customers were
informed of any rules applicable in store via notices or posters.
In addition, all stores have a comprehensive HACCP hygiene concept and are cleaned several times a day. Stickers on
the ﬂoor indicate to customers the minimum social distance to adhere to. Furthermore, REWE and PENNY have

installed transparent protective panels in the checkout area of all stores as a preventive measure for employees.
Signage and the in-store radio explain to customers what measures have been taken.
Observance of strict hygiene rules in accordance with the requirements of the German Infection Protection Act is
obligatory for all employees. In addition, they also adhere to the AHA-L rules (keep your distance, observe good
hygiene, wear a mask in everyday life, ventilate regularly) which are also recommended by employers' liability
insurance associations.
GRI 416-1:
Assessment of the health and safety impacts of product and service categories
As part of its quality management, the REWE Group systematically conducts health and safety audits through the
entire product lifecycle. As part of these eﬀorts, the REWE Group implemented a new IT application for product
speciﬁcations as well as for laboratory and report management in 2020. As a result of this technical change, the
number of product tests commissioned fell signiﬁcantly from 2019 to 2020. In 2021, the number of product tests
increased again.
Checks for compliance with legal and internal company health and safety requirements (absolute ﬁgures)1
2019
2020
2021
Supplier audits
522
483
677
Independent product tests for private labels2
32,123
19,320
24,115
External warehouse audits
111
114
97
External store audits3
3,804
3,687
3,761
Tests on products made in stores
16,606
17,306
17,733
Total number of audits/tests
53,166
40,910
46,383
1 The ﬁgures relate to REWE und PENNY National as well as other products mandated in REWE Group Buying such as, for example, bundled PENNY
International products.
2 In 2020, the REWE Group implemented a new IT application for product speciﬁcations as well as for laboratory and report management. As a result
of this technical change, the number of self-commissioned product tests fell compared to the previous year.
3 In 2020, external store audits were included and subsequently corrected for 2019. They are based on internal checklists, but are performed by
external experts.

GRI 416-2:
Incidents of non-compliance concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services
In 2021, there were twelve public recalls of private label products in Germany and three in Austria. In Germany,
foreign substances were the cause in six cases, four happened due to microbiological complaints, one recall
concerned the sensor system of a product and another one was triggered because a wrong label was applied – as a
consequence, allergens contained in the product were not fully indicated. In Austria, two recalls took place due to
foreign substances in private label products, while the third recall concerned a microbiological complaint.
All public recalls are assessed by Quality Management and, if necessary, the suppliers concerned are audited by
external experts on behalf of Quality Management. The goal of these audits is to check what measures are being
introduced to operations to avoid such deviations in the future.
The public recalls carried out were isolated cases. There were not multiple instances for product groups or suppliers.
In every case, customers were able to return the product a store and get a refund of the purchase price.
GRI 416: Customer health and safety
Management approach in travel and tourism
Principles
In acute crisis situations such as natural disasters, accidents or terrorist attacks, the REWE Group's goal is to ensure
the trust and safety of travellers. This includes comprehensive crisis and safety management, both in the holiday
country and the home country.
Implementation
The Crisis and Safety Management department at DER Touristik is responsible for the safety of travellers in
emergency situations. In acute crisis situations such as natural disasters, accidents or terrorist attacks, Help Teams
around the world provide support to units. These employees, who have also undergone training for crisis situations,
take care of the safety of and provisions for travellers and employees at the particular site, and are an extension of
safety management. They provide those aﬀected with on-site assistance, acting as liaison with Crisis and Safety
Management which controls crisis situations worldwide. The Crisis Management Centre coordinates the overall crisis
response, organising transport to hospitals, alternative hotel accommodations or travel home as necessary. The Help
Teams are stationed at various locations so that they can be at the site quickly.
The Crisis and Safety Management oﬃce is based at the headquarters of DER Touristik in Frankfurt. As part of crisis
prevention work, employees there monitor current developments in travel regions around the clock. If one of the
digital early-warning systems raises an alarm, measures can be taken in no time to manage the crisis. These
measures include crisis hotlines for direct contact with aﬀected individuals and close cooperation with destination
agencies, government authorities, airlines and airports. Another focus is ensuring an up-to-date and qualiﬁed ﬂow of
information for all aﬀected individuals and the general public.

CCrriissiiss  mmaannaaggeemmeenntt  dduurriinngg  tthhee  ccoorroonnaa  ppaannddeemmiicc
With the ongoing corona pandemic, DER Touristik was also facing enormous challenges again in 2021.
During the reporting period, the Crisis and Safety Management team recorded 153 major catastrophic
events in total. Some of these involved complex support actions for the travellers there, but also extensive
support activities to relaunch destinations. There were also 190 smaller crisis responses. In addition, a
dedicated Covid-19 health hotline was established, in which the safety management team was signiﬁcantly
involved.
The Crisis and Safety Management department responded quickly and ﬂexibly to the dynamic and complex
development of the pandemic, with the setting up of test centres in destinations, for example. Dedicated
test infrastructure was built in Spain and the USA. The health hotline operators received training speciﬁc to
each pandemic status. Communication measures precisely tailored to the government rules in destinations
were included in all relaunch concepts (for more information in this regard, see the next paragraph).
2021 was characterised by numerous country openings and closures, with the situation quickly changing. In total, the
safety management team actively supported 56 country openings. One or more “take care ﬂyers” were created for
each of these countries. There were even podcasts or videos on entry requirements for some destinations. In addition,
the entire sales department received webinar training on the topic. Moreover, individual relaunch concepts were
developed for each destination aﬀected in order to be able to restart tourism following lockdown as quickly as
possible – these included hygiene concepts for hotels and partners, but also extensive entry concepts. Special test
strategies and oﬀerings – for example, PCR tests for at home and rapid tests in the destinations – completed the
comprehensive package of preventive measures.

Promoting the consumption of more sustainable products and services is an important part of the REWE Group's
sustainability strategy. In order for more sustainable product ranges to be successful, the social or environmental
added value must be understandable and credible for the customers. It is important to note that other criteria such as
the price, quality, packaging and freshness also play a role in purchasing decisions. Retail has an important
intermediary role to play in this context. Without suﬃcient demand and willingness to pay on the part of the customer,
responsible providers quickly ﬁnd themselves in ﬁnancial diﬃculties. And without a broad range of more sustainable
products, consumers are unable to act in an ethically responsible way.
GRI 417: Marketing and labeling
Management approach
Principles
In its Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices, the REWE Group pledges to comply with applicable consumer-
protection regulations and to employ appropriate sales, marketing and information practices in communications with
consumers.
Implementation
As part of its sustainability communications work, the REWE Group implements various measures which enable
informed purchasing decisions and are intended to get consumers enthusiastic about more sustainable products and
services. Credibility, transparency and a target group-speciﬁc address are important communication principles here.
GGooaall
The REWE Group has committed itself to transforming sustainability's niche role into a truly mass market.
GRI 417
Promoting Sustainable Consumption

Measures for increasing sustainability awareness
Through campaigns, actions and communication measures throughout the year, the sales lines of the REWE Group
address their customers on sustainable consumption in the context of a relevant social issue such as, for example,
conscious diets, organic products, regionality or animal welfare. By doing so, the REWE Group creates awareness of
sustainability during purchasing decisions and makes its customers aware of responsible consumption.
REWE communicates sustainability topics throughout the entire year as part of far-reaching 360-degree campaigns
and directly in the stores. For example, the eight-week campaign “Leichter besser essen” (Eat better more easily)
about the Nutri-Score was launched around January 2021 and the Tafel bags campaign was advertised in October
under the slogan “Fill the Plate Together”. In addition to promoting topics, REWE's online shop oﬀers a function which
enables customers to apply an organic or vegan ﬁlter to products and items.
REWE focuses on regional, organic and vegan products
There is a focus on regionality and organic products. To this end, the sales line is continuously expanding its
communications – in the relevant seasonal period, all year round and across all channels. In 2021, the focus was on,
amongst other things, the promotion of local business, short transportation routes as well as trusting and fair
cooperation with local suppliers and farmers within the REWE Local Partnership (for more information on regionality
at the REWE Group, see Regionality).
With regards to organic products (for more information, see Organic), REWE asked questions in 2021 such as, for
example, “Is this still organic?” and thereby demonstrated that organic has long ceased to be a niche topic for
sustainability pioneers. Under the slogan “Mehr Bio für dich = besser für alle” (More organic food for you is better for
everyone), REWE showed, for example, that organic means more space and larger run-out areas for dairy cows – with
ﬁve-minute videos on around 6,000 screens in German cities. The launch of the private label “REWE Bio + vegan” in
May 2021 was also accompanied by a communication campaign. During the ﬁnancial year, REWE also reported on
the project “Boden gut gemacht” (Soil made good) with NABU, in which farmers seeking to transition from
conventional to organic farming can receive support. At the start of 2022, the “Gutes beginnt mit mir – Gemeinsam
für mehr Nachhaltigkeit” (Good things begin with me – together for more sustainability) omni-channel campaign was
launched for the areas of animal welfare, packaging and the climate.
In order to place vegan product ranges, the consumption of plant-based alternative products and packaging in the
context of climate protection, REWE cooperated with the ecosign Academy of Design in Cologne at the end of 2021.
As part of the project, sustainable design students were called upon to look for new approaches to communication –
from traditional communication media and digital design options through to packaging concepts. A panel made up of
employees from the REWE Group in the area of sustainability selected the best three ideas which were awarded prize
money of up to 1,500 euros. These are currently being reviewed in terms of their feasibility.
Since 2020, PENNY has been gathering together all information and news about sustainability online under the motto
“Unser grüner Weg” (Our green way). In addition, the sales line has used far-reaching sustainability campaigns
throughout the ﬁnancial year to highlight relevant topics such as Naturgut, climate change and the Förderpenny
(Sponsorship Penny) initiative. Since the end of 2021, the campaign “Klimaleicht mit PENNY” (Climate-friendly with

PENNY) has been used to bring climate protection into focus, through the consumption of plant-based alternative
products using the example of the private label Food for Future. As in previous years, the discounter also ran
Sustainability Weeks during the ﬁnancial year to promote more sustainable branded products.
““ZZuukkuunnffttssbbaauueerr””  ((FFaarrmmeerr  ooff  tthhee  ffuuttuurree))  pprroojjeecctt  pprroommootteess  eenneerrggyy--eeﬃﬃcciieenntt  eeggrriiccuullttuurree
The end of October 2021 saw the launch of the support programme “Zukunftsbauer” (Farmer of the Future),
a joint project between PENNY and the dairy Berchtesgadener Land. The aim of this project is to make a
contribution to climate protection and the preservation of family-run farms in the Alps. For this purpose,
farmers in the dairy cooperative are set to receive up to 10,000 euros to help them make their farms more
energy eﬃcient. An example is farms with sophisticated energy management, which use the power
produced themselves by means of a photovoltaic system in a time-optimised manner for their electrical
machines and electrical vehicle ﬂeet.
The funds for this project come from two sources: PENNY waives part of the trade margin from the sale of all
dairy products from the brand “Berchtesgadener Land”. The dairy Berchtesgadener Land doubles that
amount. By buying products from Berchtesgadener Land, consumers are thereby able to support farmers in
the region on their journey towards sustainable agriculture. Therefore, the joint project between PENNY and
Berchtesgadener Land is a good example of what is possible when retail, companies, agriculture and
consumers pull together.
See and experience sustainability issues at PENNY
Since the opening of the ﬁrst interactive sustainability store “PENNY Grüner Weg” in 2020, the sales line has been
making its customers more aware of the importance of sustainability: 20 stations in the store allow customers to see
and experience the most important sustainability issues – from the advantages of Naturgut Bio-Helden and initiatives
to avoid packaging through to tips on how to create a bee-friendly environment. One station also shows the “true
cost”: here it is explained what selected products actually cost when certain environmental factors are taken into
consideration.
To do this, scientists at the University of Augsburg looked at the four indicators of greenhouse gas emissions, reactive
nitrogen emissions, energy consumption and land use change from the production of eight selected foods and
included them in the true sale price of conventionally and organically produced private label products (apple, banana,
potato, tomato, mozzarella, Gouda, milk and mixed ground meat). The example evaluation of conventionally
produced food shows that the sale price per kilogram increases by around 62 per cent on average. The delta between
true cost and sale price is smaller for organic food because it tends to reﬂect the consequential costs. Therefore, the
sale price of products from organic farming increases by around 35 per cent.

REWE, PENNY and nahkauf draw attention to insect mortality
Insect mortality is focal point of customer communications at REWE, PENNY and nahkauf. For example, PENNY ran
an action week on bee-friendly plants in spring 2021.
Since 2019, REWE has been receiving prominent support for communication activities on protecting insects: Maya
the Bee and her friends are ambassadors for REWE's commitment to biodiversity and have also promoted the
protection of insects during the ﬁnancial year. For more information on wildlife conservation and biodiversity, see
Biodiversity).
A bee campaign also took place for the ﬁrst time at the nahkauf sales line in 2021. Under the slogan “Wir geben
Bienen ein Zuhause” (We give bees a home), over 430 nahkauf stores across Germany provided a total of 435 insect
hotels which were given to selected establishments such as nursery schools. The little wooden houses provide bees
and other insects with a nesting and hibernation aid.
In autumn 2021, toom Baumarkt DIY stores promoted the sustainable properties of its private label products – from
ﬂooring and paints/varnishes through to energy-saving LED lights or radiator thermostats – with the campaign “Über
Geschmack lässt sich streiten – über Nachhaltigkeit nicht” (You can argue about taste – but not sustainability). The
former tennis player Ana Ivanović and her husband, football star Bastian Schweinsteiger, were brand ambassadors for
this campaign.
DER Touristik is educating customers about sustainable and responsible travel oﬀerings via the format “Bewusst
Reisen” (“Conscious Travel”) (see Sustainable Holiday Oﬀerings). In addition, the travel company has been working
with the industry initiative for sustainability, Futouris e. V., to develop a feasibility study on the creation of a CO2
accounting system since autumn 2021. The aim is to create a uniform basis for calculating a climate footprint for
travel and then implement it as an industry project. The CO2 footprint information is to be incorporated into product
design at DER Touristik and be used to make products comparable, drive sales of more sustainable products, and
make customers aware of the impact of their travel on the climate and possible alternatives. This is intended to
reduce the climate footprint of travel.
The REWE Group in Austria has been organising Sustainability Weeks once a year since 2010. The products in focus
here are those which oﬀer sustainable added value with regard to healthy diets, climate and environmental
protection, biodiversity or social involvement.

GRI 417-1:
Requirements for product and service information and labeling
The products of the REWE Group are labelled in accordance with legal requirements regarding their origin,
composition and usage – an example being the expiration date. The REWE Group goes beyond legal requirements
when it comes to highlighting the sustainability aspects of its products and provides detailed information about the
origin of many products.
Sustainability label and certiﬁcations for transparency and credibility
With the PRO PLANET label, the REWE Group has created a system that enables it to clearly and transparently
provide sustainability information on products. REWE, PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores use the PRO PLANET
label to identify private label products which take social and environmental factors as well as animal welfare aspects
into consideration. It thus provides a reliable and comprehensible orientation for shoppers to encourage sustainable
consumption amongst a broad group of consumers. More information about individual products can be found on the
PRO PLANET website (for an overview of the share of these products in the range and an explanation of the PRO
PLANET process, see PRO PLANET).
In 2020, the REWE Group also began to introduce Nutri-Score labelling for the ﬁrst private label products of REWE
and PENNY. The labelling will be gradually expanded until it is completely introduced by mid-2023. More than 40 per
cent of REWE and PENNY private label products already bear the Nutri-Score on the packaging. With this eye-
catching nutritional information labelling, the REWE Group wants to help consumers make conscious food choices.
The recipes of numerous private label products have been optimised with the Nutri-Score in mind (for more
information, see Nutrition).
In addition, the REWE Group uses recognised external labels to mark its private labels and sells brand products with
the following seals in its product range:
!"Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and GGN – certiﬁed aquaculture (GLOBALG.A.P.)
!"Blauer Engel (Blue Angel)
!"Fairtrade
!"Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®)
!"Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
!"Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certiﬁcation Schemes (PEFC™)
!"Rainforest Alliance
!"Verband Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik e. V. (VLOG) (German Association of Non-Genetically Modiﬁed Foods)
In addition, organic and regional products are displayed separately. Almost all fresh ﬁsh counters at REWE stores
have been certiﬁed by the MSC since 2009 and by the ASC since 2012. So that consumers can make informed

buying decisions amid this maze of labels, REWE has compiled the most important information about the labels and
certiﬁcations that it uses on its website.
Addition of origin information for greater supply chain transparency
Many consumers want to know where the products that they are purchasing come from. The REWE Group responds
to this desire by taking such steps as highlighting the origin of its regional products and having information about
many products certiﬁed according to the criteria of the Regionalfenster (Regional Window) programme (see in this
regard Regionality).
For ﬁsh products, the REWE Group introduced a tracking code for private label ﬁsh products in 2012. Customers can
use this on the websites of the REWE and PENNY sales lines to ﬁnd out about the supply chain of the particular ﬁsh
product. In addition, the ﬁrst aquaculture products can be tracked online all the way back to the farming region. In
total, 84 per cent of ﬁsh products have been given a tracking code. For the supply chains of REWE private label
bananas, REWE Beste Wahl pineapples, pineapples at PENNY and Fairtrade Biohelden bananas at PENNY,
customers are also able to trace the products back to the producer using a QR code.
In 2014, the name of the actual production company began to be included on the private label products sold by
PENNY and REWE. This means greater transparency in the supply chain for customers. The REWE Group continues
to be listed as the production company in only a few exceptions, including the products of the Feine Welt brand that
are made by small suppliers.
When it comes to non-food products, the REWE Group uses the TÜV Exclusive Seal as a sign of the quality and safety
of the products. Each certiﬁed product bears an individual ID number which is used to access further information.
toom Baumarkt DIY stores have teamed up with the consumer group Verbraucher Initiative e. V. to compile a
guideline for sustainability labels. This is intended to provide customers with guidance when it comes to more
sustainable shopping and explains recommended labels which can be found on products in their DIY stores. The
selection of labels is based on ratings by the consumer portal label-online.de. The guideline can be downloaded at
toom.de/nachhaltigkeit.
In order to oﬀer travellers transparent help for decision-making, DER Touristik has implemented a strategy for clear
labelling of sustainable travel oﬀerings. As part of the “Green Travel Transformation” project from the sustainability
initiative Futouris, the labelling of oﬀerings using a number of diﬀerent seals was replaced with a uniform logo for
sustainable travel oﬀerings which is recognised throughout the industry. This resulted in the data provider Green
Travel Index, which collects and processes data from recognised sustainability certiﬁcates. Since winter 2019,
sustainably certiﬁed hotels have been identiﬁed as “sustainably certiﬁed” with a green leaf in the catalogues of
DERTOUR, Meiers Weltreisen, ITS and Jahn Reisen. It is based on international certiﬁcates which are recognised by
the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and therefore meet the most demanding requirements in terms of
compliance with environmental and social standards in tourism.

In addition to highlighting sustainability in these catalogues, DER Touristik has also enabled targeted online searches
for sustainable hotels: Since the start of 2020, these hotels have also been identiﬁed accordingly with the green leaf
on the travel agency booking platform Bistro and travel agency employees at DER Touristik can include these when
providing advice to customers. In addition, various measures are being taken to gradually increase the number of
sustainably operating hotels in the oﬀering of DER Touristik tour operators and the development of sustainable travel
products is constantly being promoted. The goal is for 25 per cent of DER Touristik's core portfolio to consist of
sustainably certiﬁed hotels by 2023.
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In 2021, DER Touristik published two catalogues in magazine form (the “magalogue”) for the ﬁrst time
called “Bewusst Reisen” (“Conscious Travel”). Adopting a transparent approach, these bring together
sustainable and responsible travel oﬀerings at destinations in Europe which can be reached by car, bus or
train, medium-haul destinations and selected long-haul travel destinations. All hotels are sustainably
certiﬁed by a standard recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) – they implement
active sustainability management, behave in a socially responsible manner, reduce their environmental
footprint, and actively involve the local community. The magalogues present initiatives from this
sustainability commitment as well as selected excursions which meet the criteria of responsible tourism.
Their portfolio is to be further expanded gradually and also include travel components and tours in the
future.
For the ﬁrst time, the magalogues provide information about the carbon footprint associated with the travel
packages. Guests can voluntarily oﬀset the balance of any carbon dioxide emissions which cannot be saved
or avoided through other measures by investing in climate protection projects. DER Touristik and the non-
proﬁt climate protection organisation MyClimate have teamed up to enable this. The respective amount has
been calculated for each travel oﬀering in the magalogue – for example, for a one-week trip.
From 2022, “Bewusst Reisen” will no longer be seasonal, but rather will be set up as an annual catalogue.
There are also plans to transition to an online environment, where a growing number oﬀerings and
information about projects and initiatives of DER Touristik and its partners will be gradually added.

Six criteria for sustainable travel experiences in Mauritius
DER Touristik is using the dodo – a land bird once native to Mauritius but now extinct – as a symbol for its campaign
“The Wise Dodo. Preserve our Island”. As part of this campaign, the brands DERTOUR and Meiers Weltreisen are
oﬀering tours which focus on the cultural legacy and diverse range of plants and animals on the island and which
promote social and environmentally relevant projects. The travel experiences must meet six sustainability criteria:
1. Authentic experience
2. Biodiversity & coral health
3. Equal opportunity
4. Waste avoidance
5. Conservation of resources
6. Involvement of local communities.
The campaign was born out of the “Sustainable Island Mauritius” project, in which DERTOUR and Meiers Weltreisen
were pilot project partners and which has been promoting the development of the island as a sustainable destination
country since 2018. It was initiated by the Mauritius Tourism Authority and the Collaborating Centre on Sustainable
Consumption and Production based in Germany. The aim is to strengthen the positive inﬂuence of tourism, the
handprint, in the holiday destination and, at the same time, reduce its negative impacts, the environmental footprint.
“The Wise Dodo” tours can also be booked in combination with certiﬁed hotels from DER Touristik's portfolio.
GRI 417-3:
Incidents of non-compliance concerning marketing communications
As a matter of principle, the REWE Group advertises its products and services in strict conformity with legal
requirements as well as with ethical and cultural standards. It expressly avoids the use of sexist, discriminatory,
political, pornographic, extremist and violence-glorifying advertising. Truth, precision and transparency are the
fundamental advertising principles employed by the company. In addition, the REWE Group adheres to its own
company-wide code of conduct, regulations, guidelines and rules laid down by national advertising boards. To
succeed, communications of sustainability issues require a signiﬁcant amount of credibility.
In its Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practises, the REWE Group explicitly commits itself to complying with
applicable consumer-protection regulations and to employing appropriate sales, marketing and information practices
in its communications with consumers. As a way of considering these factors in the advertising concepts,
communication materials from REWE and PENNY in Germany in particular are approved by the Sustainability
Department before being published.
During the reporting period, there was one violation which resulted in a written warning.

The eﬀects of the climate crisis can already be felt today. Heat records, severe weather, drought and ﬂooding
threaten ecosystems, biodiversity and the existence of millions of people Our planet faces enormous challenges. The
aim of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Germany has signed the Agreement and
derived regulatory parameters: According to the Federal Climate Change Act, greenhouse gas neutrality must be
achieved by 2045. Society also demands stricter climate protection measures, as seen by movements such as
Fridays for Future.
As part of the materiality analysis, stakeholders conﬁrmed the importance of climate protection measures for the
REWE Group: The issue was classiﬁed as particularly relevant and was ranked No. 3 in priority (for more information,
see the section Materiality analysis).
Energy, Climate and the Environment is a pillar of the REWE Group's sustainability strategy. As part of this pillar, the
company has set the strategic objective of making a measurable contribution to climate and resource protection or, at
the very least, keeping impacts on the climate and environment to a minimum.
Background
A large portion of global CO2 emissions is created during the cultivation, production and consumption of products as
well as the provision of services. In its climate strategy for the supply chain, the REWE Group focuses on these
upstream scope-3 emissions (see also Climate protection in the supply chain). But greenhouse gas emissions are also
produced in stores, logistics and at business locations. The REWE Group accepted this challenge very early on: The
company prepared its ﬁrst carbon footprint report on a company level back in 2006 and, with its publication in 2009,
deﬁned its ﬁrst climate goal; the complete changeover to certiﬁed green electricity took place in 2008.
The REWE Group itself is aﬀected by climate change in various ways (see also Risk management): Climate change
and extreme weather events can have an adverse eﬀect on the products and services of the REWE Group, which
relies on the long-term, reliable availability of food. Extreme high temperatures and ﬂooding can threaten the
cultivation and harvesting of raw materials and lead to higher purchase prices. In travel and tourism, climate change
can pose a threat to entire destinations over the long term. In particular, these areas include islands, coastal regions
and ski resorts.
Energy, Climate and the Environment

Strategic approach
Principles
The eﬀorts that the REWE Group has undertaken in terms of climate and resource protection are included in the
Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices. In this, the company pledges to continuously reduce the greenhouse
gas emissions that occur in its business processes, to espouse the use of renewable energies, to lower its speciﬁc
energy consumption through suitable energy eﬃciency measures and to make employees aware of how their changes
in their behaviour can help save energy. The REWE Group strives to use resources sparingly and to increase the
amount of recycled and sustainable materials it employs (see Packaging and Circular economy).
To further reduce climate-relevant emissions in the supply chains, the company deﬁned a climate strategy for the
upstream supply chain, which was enshrined in the Guideline on climate protection in the supply chain at the start of
2022.
Responsibility
The topics of energy, climate and the environment are controlled by the Energy, Climate and Environment Working
Group, in which all sales lines and relevant holding areas are represented. The working group is led by Telerik
Schischmanow (Divisional Management Board Trade Germany – Administration and Services).
Implementation
The pillar of sustainability Energy, Climate and the Environment focuses in essence on environmentally relevant
activities that lie in the REWE Group’s own business processes. These include the construction and operation of
stores, warehouses, administration oﬃces, production sites, logistics operations as well as resources and materials
needed for the company’s own business operations. To save energy and prevent climate-damaging emissions, the
REWE Group has introduced a central energy management system to oversee its eﬃciency activities, has used green
power since 2008, taps the optimisation potential of logistics and has applied a holistic sustainability approach for its
stores since 2009 with its Green Building concept (see Green Building). The REWE Group reviews its progress in an
annual carbon footprint report (see Climate protection on a company level), which is prepared by independent
experts. The data for this report has been collected for all countries and companies of the REWE Group since 2019.
Areas of action
In its strategy process, the REWE Group identiﬁed the following three areas of action in the pillar Energy, Climate and
the Environment: Climate-relevant emissions, energy eﬃciency and conservation of resources.
Targets and key performance indicators (KPIs)
To measure its progress in the pillar Energy, Climate and the Environment, the REWE Group has deﬁned various KPIs
with related targets. In 2020, the company prematurely achieved all its old targets with regard to greenhouse gas

emissions, electricity consumption and refrigerant-related greenhouse gas emissions per square meter sales area. As
a result, the company set itself a new absolute target in 2021: the REWE Group wants to achieve climate neutrality at
the company level by 2040. This applies not only to Germany and Austria, but to all countries and companies in which
it is active. To do this, in a ﬁrst step, it will reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030
compared to the base year of 2019. The emission level set by the REWE Group takes account of the use of certiﬁed
green electricity in all stores, warehouses and travel agencies since 2008.
In addition to its climate targets, the REWE Group has also deﬁned KPIs for its electricity consumption and
refrigerant-related greenhouse gas emissions. These KPIs make the eﬀectiveness of the energy eﬃciency and
greenhouse gas emission reduction measures transparent.
To reach its targets, the REWE Group will consistently continue to implement measures to avoid or reduce greenhouse
gas emissions on a company level. In this respect, the company will focus on electricity, heating, refrigerants and
logistics.
Reporting
The following sections of the GRI Report contain all measures, data and topics related to the pillar Energy, Climate
and the Environment:
!"Waste
!"Energy
!"Green Building
!"Climate protection on a company level
KPI
2019
2020
2021
Status
Measures
Reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions for all countries and
companies of the REWE Group by 30% by 2030 (compared to 2019)
Climate neutrality for all countries and companies of the REWE Group by
2040
-
-8.1%
-7.3%
See Climate protection
on a company level
Reduce refrigerant-related greenhouse gas emissions for all countries
and companies of the REWE Group by 60% by 2030 (compared to 2019)
0%
-11%
-18%
Reduce electricity consumption per square metre of sales area by 10%
by 2030 (compared to 2019)
-
-3.1%
-5.2%
See Energy
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained

!"Logistics and Mobility
!"Materials
!"Operational water consumption

The REWE Group uses a range of materials in its daily business activities and it requires raw materials to do so. The
eﬃcient use of these resources is a core element of sustainable business practices.
Three areas of action were deﬁned in the pillars Energy, Climate and the Environment and Green Products of the
group-wide sustainability strategy: energy eﬃciency, climate-relevant emissions and conservation of resources. The
latter includes activities in the area of material savings. The REWE Group’s goal is to conserve natural resources
wherever possible and to close material loops.
GRI 301: Materials
Management approach
Principles
In its Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices, the REWE Group has committed itself to the eﬃcient use of the
natural resources soil, air and water as well as of raw materials and fuels.
Implementation
The REWE Group optimises relevant resource consumption in its business processes and implements product and
raw material-related measures in upstream and downstream stages of the value chain. These include implementation
of product-related measures in the areas of packaging and the circular economy, such as reusable alternatives,
reducing the use of material, using recycling materials and optimising material cycles (see Packaging and Circular
economy). Aspects of resource conservation are also taken into account in the PRO PLANET process (for more
information, refer to PRO PLANET).
GRI 301
Materials

Projects and measures to conserve resources
In its own business processes, the REWE Group implements the following measures to close material cycles and
conserve resources.
Reusable systems in logistics prevent transport waste
To reduce the amount of waste from transport packaging, the logistics operation of the REWE Group employs
reusable containers. In recent years, the percentage of reusable pool boxes has been increased. It now totals about
60 per cent in the area of fruit and vegetables in Germany. In addition, conventional wooden pallets are being
replaced by plastic alternatives. Plastic pallets are lighter and have more capacity measured against transportable
package volume. This has a positive eﬀect on energy eﬃciency during transportation. The plastic palettes can also be
completely recycled and are returned to the recovered substance cycle when a defect occurs.
Use of low aromatic printing inks for recycled paper
Instead of conventional inks that contain mineral oils, only low aromatic inks have been used since January 2016 to
print ﬂiers at the REWE Group. In accomplishing this, the REWE Group fulﬁlled the requirements of the environmental
seal Blauer Engel (Blue Angel) for printed products (RAL 195). The seal called for the use of low-emission paints and
ink to start in 2017. The change that was accelerated by the REWE Group has led to long-term changes in the entire
industry: Leading ink manufacturers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland now supply mainly low aromatic ink for
heatset printing. This is a signiﬁcant step in the use of recycled paper for food packaging. If recycled paper is used in
combination with conventional mineral oil-based inks, the aromatic substances can migrate to the food, which is
considered a health risk. For this reason, the REWE Group worked towards turning the use of aromatic-free ink into a
standard for the printing industry.
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The REWE Group is working on measures to create closed material loops in order to conserve resources and
promote sustainable consumption. For this purpose, the company created a return system for textiles in
2016 and, a year later, set up the ﬁrst collection containers at the locations of the PENNY sales line with the
help of a service provider. In taking this approach, the REWE Group intends to promote the reuse of textiles
and to prevent them from being discarded. At the end of 2021, 575 collection containers at 424 locations
were available for consumers to return textiles. The collected textiles are used as second-hand clothing or
are recycled in the industry as input material in textile production. Textiles that cannot be recycled are
professionally disposed of.

GRI 301-1:
Materials used by weight or volume
For a trade and tourism company, paper is an important resource, which plays a signiﬁcant role, especially in product
advertising. Total paper consumption by the REWE Group rose from about 156,000 tonnes in 2020 to nearly 175,000
tonnes in 2021. Most paper consumption can be attributed to the production of ﬂyers. The increase in paper
consumption in 2021 is due mainly to an increased use following the lower level of consumption in 2020 because of
the coronavirus pandemic. This trend is also reﬂected in speciﬁc paper consumption, which increased to
17.3 kilograms per square metre of sales area in 2021.
Total paper consumption (tonnes)
2019
2020
2021
167,969
155,808
174,646
Speciﬁc paper consumption (kg/m²)
2019
2020
2021
16.84
15.16
17.31
Scope: REWE Group Germany and Austria, including retailers.
GRI 301-2:
Recycled input materials used
To make consumption of paper, which was deﬁned to be a signiﬁcant resource, more environmentally conscious over
the long term, the REWE Group encourages the use of recycled paper, which is utilised in particular for ﬂiers and
other printed matter as well as in its administration work.
More recycled paper reduces the ecological impact of paper consumption
Since 2009, the REWE Group has used mainly more environmentally friendly paper. The share of more
environmentally friendly paper in total consumption was nearly 100 per cent in 2021. Recycled paper (with and
without the Blue Angel environmental certiﬁcation) makes up around 97 per cent of the total of more environmentally
friendly paper. For the almost three per cent remaining, the company uses virgin ﬁbre paper from sustainable forestry
that has been certiﬁed by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest
Certiﬁcation Schemes (PEFC™) or the EU Ecolabel.

From stores and oﬃces to transports – the REWE Group uses energy to conduct its business activities. Responsible
consumption and the use of alternative energy sources can help to reduce environmental impacts.
Three areas of action were deﬁned in the pillars Energy, Climate and the Environment of the group-wide sustainability
strategy climate-relevant emissions, energy eﬃciency and conservation of resources. Energy is part of the energy
eﬃciency area of action. Within this area, the REWE Group is continuously working towards reducing its energy
consumption per square metre of sales area. In this process, it makes a key contribution to climate protection.
GRI 302: Energy
Management approach
Principles
Energy consumption includes electricity, mainly for refrigeration and lighting, energy for heat generation and fuel for
transporting the products – from the warehouse to the points of sale or, with online orders, to the customers. This
part of logistics is a category that the company can inﬂuence directly. As a result, consumption by the group’s own
vehicles as well as those of external service providers in Germany and Austria were included (for measures in the
areas of logistics and mobility see Logistics and mobility).
Implementation
The foundation of the REWE Group’s systematic eﬃciency activities is the combine-wide energy management system
that the company has been applying with the help of the Hamburg-based Energie-Handels-Gesellschaft (EHA) since
2008. The energy service provider – since 2014 a 100% subsidiary of the REWE Group – has equipped the stores
and warehouses with measuring points, which enables exact daily energy consumption to be recorded centrally. In
addition, a monitoring platform called FRIGODATA keeps close watch on temperature and energy data.
The central energy management system of the REWE Group in Germany is certiﬁed in accordance with the current
version of ISO 50001:2018. The system tracks all electricity consumption of the entire REWE Group in Germany with
all sales lines and about 5,000 locations. This includes grocery stores, DIY stores, travel agencies, logistics centres,
GRI 302
Energy

administrative oﬃces and online shops. An exception to this is Lekkerland, which became part of the group in 2020,
and is not yet part of the central energy management system of the REWE Group in Germany. The production
operations Wilhelm Brandenburg and Glocken Bäckerei have been operating an energy management system certiﬁed
in accordance with ISO 50001 since 2014. In April 2016, REWE International AG in Austria also received ISO 50001
certiﬁcation for about 2,100 stores (BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY Austria and BIPA) and the entire logistics
operations. BILLA Czech Republic, BILLA Slovakia, BILLA Bulgaria, IKI Lithuania and PENNY Romania have also been
ISO 50001 certiﬁed since spring 2017. All other companies of REWE International AG were certiﬁed in 2018. In
taking this approach, the REWE Group is bundling its many energy-related activities. At the same time, it is meeting
the standards of the European Energy Eﬃciency Directive and fulﬁlling legal requirements in individual countries (the
German Energy Services Act (Energiedienstleistungsgesetz)).
Electricity consumption has been collected for all countries and companies of the REWE Group since 2019. At about
57 per cent, it makes up the biggest share of total electricity consumption and was reduced by 1.2 per cent between
2020 and 2021. The driving forces behind this improvement were the use of LED lighting, steps involving more
energy-eﬃcient refrigeration and new stores that are more energy eﬃcient.
Overall, this success reﬂects the eﬀectiveness of the energy management systems that have been put into place. The
REWE Group will continue to work on boosting its energy eﬃciency as part of a continuous improvement process. This
will also help the REWE Group reach its overall targets regarding climate neutrality by 2040 (for more information,
refer to Climate protection on a company level). With regard to energy, the REWE Group has also deﬁned the KPI
energy consumption per square metre of sales area for all countries and companies. The target here is to achieve a
10 per cent reduction between 2019 and 2030.
Development of electricity consumption per square metre sales area in detail
2019
2020
2021
Status
Reduce electricity consumption per square metre of sales area by 10%
by 2030 (compared to 2019)
in kWh/m²
329.43
319.36
312.28
Change compared
with 2019
– 1
- 3.1%
- 5.2%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
Scope: All countries and companies of the REWE Group, including retailers and REWE Dortmund.
1 No data, as it is the base year.

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The established management structure is an important requirement for continued optimisation of energy
consumption, as detailed recording enables central energy targets and sub-targets to be deﬁned and
tracked. In addition, the link between measured energy usage and implemented programmes can be better
understood and monitored. In this way, high-impact solutions can be identiﬁed and reﬁned. In addition to
the administration employees and energy managers responsible, employees on site also play an important
role. Through their actions on the job, they can make a key contribution to the success of the measures and
suggest improvement ideas that can make a diﬀerence. Therefore, the REWE Group has established a
central e-mail address for employees who have questions or who wish to make suggestions: EnMS@rewe-
group.com
Promoting the use of alternative energies
At the beginning of 2008, the company shifted the source of the electricity used by its stores, warehouses and travel
agencies in Germany and Austria to certiﬁed green power. It is supplied by Hamburg-based Energie-Handels-
Gesellschaft (EHA) and fulﬁls the requirements of TÜV SÜD according to Label EE01. In accordance with the
convention of the German Environment Agency regarding the calculation of green power, a regulation that is designed
to facilitate the expansion of power produced from renewable sources, the REWE Group only applies the share of new
systems pursuant to Label EE01 as an emission-lowering factor in calculating its carbon footprint in Germany (about
25 per cent). In 2021, 83.4 per cent of the green electricity purchased via EHA came from hydro electricity and
16.6 per cent from photovoltaic systems.
In addition, the REWE Group employs photovoltaic technology and other regenerative technologies to produce its own
energy. Photovoltaic systems are used in administrative oﬃces, warehouses and stores in suitable locations
(particularly Green Building stores). At the end of 2021, the REWE Group operated photovoltaic systems at 57
locations in Germany. These units have a potential peak power output of 17,568 kWp.

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As the ﬁrst food retailer in Germany, the REWE Group will use green electricity generated by a North Sea
wind farm for REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY stores and Travel and Tourism. In September 2021,
Energie-Handels-Gesellschaft (EHA) and Ørsted, the world leader in planning, building and operating
oﬀshore wind farms, signed a a ten-year corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA). The green electricity
will come from the Borkum Riﬀgrund 3 wind farm in the North Sea, which is expected to start operating in
2025. The REWE Group will then purchase well over good 10 per cent of its total annual capacity of about
900 megawatts and, as a consequence, operate 1,500 REWE, PENNY and toom Baumarkt DIY stores. By
doing this, the REWE Group is promoting the development of renewable energies, accepting its process
responsibility and taking a more active role in the energy shift.
GRI 302-1:
Energy consumption within the organization
Total energy usage by the REWE Group rose by about 1 per cent between 2020 and 2021. Despite the electricity
savings, this development is due to the increased demand for heating and fuel. The increase in heating can be
attributed to the colder winter of 2020/21 compared to the previous year whereas increased fuel consumption for
trucks and cars from 2020 to 2021 results mainly from increased consumer demands in the convenience area.
The largest share of total energy consumption in 2021 was attributed to electricity at about 57 per cent, followed by
fuel for trucks and cars (including third-party logistics).
Energy consumption within the organisation (in GWh)
20191
20201
2021 
Change 2020–2021
Total
Total
Total
Total
in %
Electricity
3,999.09
3,933.25
3,886.28
-46.97
-1.2
Heating oil
77.03
73.62
73.43
-0.19
-0.25
1 TJ | 0.2778 GWh, 1 MJ/m² | 0.2778 kWh/m² (Source: International System of Units (SI)) 
The conversion factors for the diﬀerent energy sources are obtained from the GEMIS material ﬂow analysis model and the TREMOD transport emission
model.
Scope: All countries and companies of the REWE Group, including retailers and REWE Dortmund. Lekkerland was integrated into the scope in 2020.
Excluded are units that left the REWE Group and the data was adjusted retroactively.
Self-produced renewable energies comprise: Solar power, photovoltaics, geothermal, wind power, wood pellets, biomass.
1 GRI 102-48, restatement of information: The values diﬀer due to the retroactive discontinuation of consolidation units and because of individual
corrections of the previous year’s reports by the units.
2 The calculation is based in assumed data from the previous year.

20191
20201
2021 
Change 2020–2021
1 TJ | 0.2778 GWh, 1 MJ/m² | 0.2778 kWh/m² (Source: International System of Units (SI)) 
The conversion factors for the diﬀerent energy sources are obtained from the GEMIS material ﬂow analysis model and the TREMOD transport emission
model.
Scope: All countries and companies of the REWE Group, including retailers and REWE Dortmund. Lekkerland was integrated into the scope in 2020.
Excluded are units that left the REWE Group and the data was adjusted retroactively.
Self-produced renewable energies comprise: Solar power, photovoltaics, geothermal, wind power, wood pellets, biomass.
1 GRI 102-48, restatement of information: The values diﬀer due to the retroactive discontinuation of consolidation units and because of individual
corrections of the previous year’s reports by the units.
2 The calculation is based in assumed data from the previous year. 
Gas (natural and liqueﬁed gas)
1,071.14
1,058.23
1,157.14
98.90
9.3
Self-produced renewable energies
9.72
13.59
16.93
3.34
24.6
District heating2
229.50
209.68
234.23
24.55
11.7
Fuels (trucks/cars)
1,222.56
1,333.61
1,356.06
22.45
1.7
Jet fuel
227.42
79.06
44.98
-34.08
-43.1
Total
6,836.45
6,701.04
6,769.06
68.02
1.0
Energy consumption within the organisation – shares of consumption 2021
Scope: The REWE Group including retailers. Units that left the REWE Group were excluded. Self-produced renewable energies comprise: solar power,
photovoltaics, geothermal energy, wind energy, wood pellets and organic heat.

GRI 302-3:
Energy intensity
Energy intensity covers location-related use of electricity and heat (heating oil, gas and district heating). Speciﬁc site-
related energy consumption (energy consumption per square metre of sales area) of the REWE Group increased
during the reporting period and in 2021 was 0.4 per cent higher than in 2020. This development is due mainly to
increased demand for heating. The implementation of numerous eﬃciency activities, such as the use of LED lighting,
has a reducing eﬀect (see also the KPI for electricity consumption and the table Steps to Lower Electricity Usage).
Energy intensity
Unit
2019
2020
2021
Change 2020-2021
Total energy consumption
in GWh
5,386
5,288
5,368
+1.5%
Energy consumption per square metre of sales area
in kWh/m²
439.48
428.66
430.27
+0.4%
1 TJ | 0.2778 GWh, 1 MJ/m² | 0.2778 kWh/m² (Source: International system of units (SI))
Scope: All countries and companies of the REWE Group, including retailers and REWE Dortmund. Lekkerland was integrated into the scope in 2020.
Excluded are units that left the REWE Group and the data was adjusted retroactively.
GRI 302-4:
Reduction of energy consumption
To systematically save energy and reduce emissions, the company works with Hamburger Energie-Handels-
Gesellschaft (EHA) to monitor electricity and gas consumption in the stores supplied by EHA. In 2016, the REWE
Group began to use the ISO 50001 certiﬁed energy management system in Germany, Austria and central and Eastern
European countries. Based on the collected data, the energy managers in the REWE Group check the target and
actual consumptions and make recommendations for optimisation measures. These are aimed mainly at optimising
lighting and refrigeration, heating and ventilation systems. The REWE Group is also working to reduce its use of heat.
Lighting
Lighting inﬂuences customers’ well-being and product presentation – a pleasant light makes a signiﬁcant
contribution to the shopping experience. At the same time, lighting is responsible for about 24 (REWE) and 21
(PENNY) per cent of electricity consumption in food stores and around 60 per cent in toom Baumarkt DIY stores. To
reduce consumption, energy management is devising eﬃcient lighting concepts that address the lighting needs of the
sales lines. LEDs play a major part in this eﬀort by saving between 30 per cent and 45 per cent of the electricity
required by lighting systems.

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For a systematic changeover to LED lighting in their stores, the REWE Group sales lines have developed
lighting concepts that are appropriate for use in retail, some of which required completely new technical
solutions. In recent years, LED lighting systems have improved considerably with regard to light colour and
service life. In all of its new construction and renovation projects, the REWE Group uses new LED light
concepts for its stores and logistics locations. The use of LED lighting has played a key role in the reduction
of electricity consumption per square metre of sales area in recent years.
Refrigeration
In food stores most electricity is consumed by refrigeration units and, consequently, this is a signiﬁcant area in which
energy consumption could be reduced. Optimised refrigerated display cases use 20 per cent to 40 per cent less
electricity for cooling purposes. Glass doors installed on refrigerated display cases are a visible, highly eﬀective way to
cut energy consumption. They are already used as standard for meat products; for dairy products they are used in
Germany in new buildings and after major refurbishments. In Austria too, glass doors are used on refrigerated display
cases for meat products in the sales lines BILLA, ADEG and BILLA PLUS, while the doors are standard for dairy
products in new BILLA and BILLA PLUS-stores.
Another key factor is regular maintenance and professional management of refrigeration systems. These systems can
be energy eﬃcient only if the refrigeration equipment is operated optimally. As the range of fresh and convenience
products grows in stores and as refrigerating needs rise with them, energy-eﬃcient refrigerated display cases will
become increasingly important in future.
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Every two years, the REWE and PENNY sales lines invite representatives from refrigeration companies and
system suppliers to a refrigeration forum to share experiences. During presentations and workshops, the
participants discuss topics such as energy optimisation and operational and temperature reliability. The last
refrigeration forum took place in 2018; in 2020 it had to be cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions.
In Austria, the BILLA, BILLA PLUS and PENNY sales lines also cooperate closely with the specialist service
providers and award an eﬃciency prize to successful refrigeration companies within the framework of their
refrigeration partner conference.

Steps to lower electricity usage
Measures
Reduced electricity consumption (GWh)
2019
2020
2021
Lighting
Conversion of lighting systems to LED, optimisation of light
management, reduction of turn-on times
23.8
22.3
12.4
Refrigeration
For example, use of glass on dairy-product shelves and doors on
freezers, retroﬁtting of glass doors, optimisation/upgrading of system
technology, replacement of refrigeration systems and energy-eﬃcient
display cases, logistics
14.1
10.6
12.5
Improving technology of other systems, especially in production,
ventilation systems and IT infrastructure
0.3
4.4
6.1
Total savings
38.2
37.3
31.1
1 TJ | 0.2778 GWh, 1 MJ/m² | 0.2778 kWh/m² (Source: International system of units (SI))
Scope: Companies of the REWE Group in Germany and Austria including retailers. Not included are measures to reduce the electricity consumption of
Lekkerland and units that left the REWE Group in terms of the scope during the reporting period.
In 2021, measures implemented by the sales lines of the REWE Group in Germany and Austria reduced electricity
usage by about 31 GWh. Refrigeration is responsible for about half of electricity consumption at food retailers.
Therefore, many steps in the area of refrigeration to reduce cooling losses were taken during the reporting period.
Measures in other areas, such as ventilation and other systems, also have an eﬀect – especially in the production
area.
For savings measures in the areas of goods transport and mobility, see Logistics and Mobility.

The REWE Group needs natural water resources both at its own locations and in the production of products in the
supply chain. Because water is a limited resource, steps must be taken to ensure its sustainable and economical use.
Three areas of action were deﬁned in the pillars Energy, Climate and the Environment of the group-wide sustainability
strategy: climate-relevant emissions, energy eﬃciency and conservation of resources. The latter are activities in
relation to water consumption.
GRI 303: Water
Management approach
Principles
The REWE Group wants to conserve and ensure eﬃcient use of water resources.
Implementation
The REWE Group uses water in its stores, at its production sites, warehouses and administration locations. Water
saving activities reduce the already low consumption of fresh water, which is used mainly for cleaning and in sanitary
areas.
A much bigger role is played by water withdrawal and disposal in the production of products. In this area the REWE
Group conducts product-related projects in its supply chain (for more information, see Water).
GRI 303
Operational Water Consumption

GRI 303-3:
Water withdrawal
The REWE Group uses water in its stores, at its production sites, warehouses and administration locations. Almost all
water used by the company is obtained from public waterworks – with the exception of the rainwater used by some
Green Buildings. Total water consumption fell by roughly 3 per cent from approximately 6.9 million cubic meters in
2020 to 6.7 million cubic metres in 2021. Over the same period, speciﬁc water consumption decreased by 4 per
cent. This reduction can be attributed mainly to reduced water consumption of DER Touristik due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
Water consumption of the REWE Group
Unit
2019
2020
2021
Change
2020-2021
Total
Total
Total
Total
Per cent
Total water consumption
1,000 m3
7,116
6,939
6,734
-206
-3%
Water consumption per square metre of sales area
(m³/m²)
0.58
0.56
0.54
-0.02
-4%
Scope: Companies in the REWE Group including retailers. Units that are no longer part of the REWE Group were excluded during the reporting period in
terms of the scope.

Human activity has a marked eﬀect on the climate, while climate change has a signiﬁcant eﬀect on ecosystems and,
as a result, on societies as well. The REWE Group understands its responsibility for the climate: A large portion of
global CO2 emissions is created during the production and consumption of products, the provision of services and by
transport. 
Three areas of action were deﬁned in the pillars Energy, Climate and the Environment of the group-wide sustainability
strategy climate-relevant emissions, energy eﬃciency and conservation of resources. In terms of climate protection,
the activities of the REWE Group are included in the area of action of climate-relevant emissions. 
GRI 305: Emissions
Management approach
Principles
Saving energy and preventing climate damaging emissions are very important for the REWE Group, while rising energy
costs also have to be taken into account. Key challenges to be faced by the REWE Group in the future include cutting
energy consumption while addressing rising needs in the areas of freshness and convenience, which will require
increased transports and refrigeration. 
The group is aware that greenhouse gases are created through operation of the stores, travel agencies and
headquarters, transportation of goods and business trips and that these have an eﬀect on climate. The declared
strategic goal of the REWE Group is to make a measurable contribution to climate and resource protection or, at the
very least, to keep impacts on the climate and environment to a minimum. 
In its Guideline on Sustainable Business Practices, the REWE Group has committed itself to continuously reducing the
greenhouse gases that are produced as a result of its business processes. It champions the use of renewable energies
and reduces speciﬁc energy consumption with appropriate measures and by making employees aware of actions to
save energy. The guidelines are also a value basis for business relationships with the contractual partners of the
REWE Group. 
GRI 305
Climate protection on a company level

Implementation
A new climate strategy was deﬁned in 2021 and the management approach was modiﬁed to take account of this:
!"The scope was extended and the focus on Germany and Austria was expanded to include all countries and
companies where the REWE Group is active.
!"Two new sub-targets were adopted with regard to refrigerant-related greenhouse gas emissions and electricity
consumption per square metre sales area (see Objectives). 
All measures to achieve the deﬁned objectives were implemented throughout the group; any deviations are described
explicitly. Information about upstream supply chains can be found in Climate Protection in the Supply Chain. 
To reach its targets, the REWE Group has had its annual greenhouse gas emissions reported by independent experts
since 2006 so that it can review its progress (see Carbon Footprint Report 2021). The reporting framework includes
all parts of the value chain that can be directly controlled. Speciﬁcally, this means: Emission data relates to the
process chain from the central warehouses to the stores of the REWE Group and to the travel agencies and
administration. It does not include manufacture and transport of the products or product use and disposal by
customers. 
In addition to outlining the achieved savings, the Carbon Footprint Report highlights the fundamental levers that the
company has at its disposal. The major causes of greenhouse gas emissions are electrical, heating and refrigeration
systems. Other causes are logistics and business trips. To allow a better comparison, the focus is on direct and
indirect greenhouse gas emissions. In future, paper will be reported as resource consumption.

Responsibility
The Energy, Climate and Environment Working Group is responsible for climate protection on a company level. The
working group is led by Telerik Schischmanow (Divisional Management Board Trade Germany – Administration and
Services). Operational implementation in the regions and strategic business units is handled and expedited by
dedicated specialist areas, such as energy managers. 
OObbjjeeccttiivveess
In 2021, the REWE Group set a new absolute target in relation to its climate strategy: the REWE Group wants
to achieve climate neutrality at the company level by 2040. This applies not only to Germany and Austria,
but to all countries and companies in which it is active. To do this, in a ﬁrst step, by 2030 it will reduce
absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent compared to the base year of 2019. The emission level
set by the REWE Group takes account of the use of certiﬁed green electricity in all stores, warehouses and
travel agencies since 2008. 
In addition to its climate targets, the REWE Group has deﬁned two KPIs to track the eﬀectiveness of energy
eﬃciency measures and activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They focus on activities that cause
signiﬁcant consumption or greenhouse gas emissions where the REWE Group can have a direct eﬀect
through its own actions: refrigerant-related greenhouse gas emissions and electricity consumption. 
KPI/Target
20191
2020
2021
Status
Reduce total greenhouse gas emissions for all countries and
companies of the REWE Group by 30% by 2030 (compared to
2019)
Climate neutrality for all countries and companies of REWE
Group by 2040
–
- 8.1%
- 7.3%
Reduce refrigerant-related greenhouse gas emissions for all
countries and companies of the REWE Group by 60% by 2030
(compared to 2019)
–
- 11%
- 18%
Reduce electricity consumption per square metre of sales area
by 10% by 2030 (compared to 2019)
–
- 3.1%
- 5.2%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 No data, as it is the base year.

These targets replace the previous ones that REWE achieved prematurely for Germany and Austria before 2022:
KPI
Status
Halve greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalents) for Germany and Austria per square metre sales area by 2022
compared to 2006
Reduce refrigerant-related greenhouse gas emissions per square metre sales area (in kg CO2 equivalents/m²) by 35% in
Germany and Austria between 2012 and 2022
Reduce electricity consumption per square metre sales area (in kWh/m²) by 7.5% in Germany and Austria between
2012 and 2022
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
To prevent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a company level and reach its targets, in addition to using
climate-friendly refrigerants (see Reducing refrigerant-related greenhouse gas emissions) and green electricity (see
Energy), the REWE Group focuses on the following: modern, energy eﬃciency stores (see Green Building) and
alternative drive systems (see Logistics & Mobility).
The REWE Group will try to neutralise unavoidable residual greenhouse gas emissions in the future with appropriate
measures. 
Carbon Footprint Report 2021
During the reporting period, the monitoring instrument, the annual carbon footprint report, was carried out for
Germany by INFRAS AG and for Austria by denkstatt GmbH. The service providers calculated greenhouse gas
emissions in accordance with the GHG Protocol. 
In determining CO2 equivalent emission factors, as in the previous years, data from the material-ﬂow-analysis model
GEMIS, the transport emission model TREMOD and the life-cycle analysis database Ecoinvent were used, among
other things. 
Complaint procedure
REWE Group attaches great importance to tips and improvement suggestions from employees with regard to its
general approach and to the actions it takes in the areas of climate protection on a company level and energy. The
REWE Group has set up a central e-mail address for this purpose: EnMS@rewe-group.com. External stakeholders can
also use this address. However, they also have all other communication channels of the REWE Group at their disposal.
For more information, refer to Energy, optimising energy consumption.

GRI 305-1, 305-2, 305-3:
Greenhouse gas emissions scope 1–3 (tonnes CO2 equivalents)1
Total greenhouse gas emissions for all international companies of the REWE Group fell from 1.47 million tonnes in the
base year 2019 to about 1.36 million tonnes in 2021. This represents a decrease of about 7.3 per cent.
2019
2020
2021
Change 2019–2021
Scope 1: Direct greenhouse gas emissions (GRI 305-1)
874,846
778,333
791,664
- 9.5%
Scope 22: Indirect energy-related greenhouse gas emissions
(GRI 305-2)
264,682
237,069
217,431
- 17.9%
Scope 3: Other indirect energy-related greenhouse gas
emissions (GRI 305-3)
326,735
331,669
350,010
7.1%
Total greenhouse gas emissions
1,466,262
1,347,071
1,359,106
- 7.3%
Scope: all countries and companies of the REWE Group, including retailers.
1 102-48: Compared to the 2020 reporting year, the base year for the KPIs has changed from 2006 to 2019; the reporting framework was also
extended to include all countries and companies in which the REWE Group is involved.
2 The green power generated for companies of the REWE Group in Germany meets the requirements of Label EE01 of TÜV SÜD, a technical
inspection association in Germany.
GRI 305-4:
GHG emissions intensity
Speciﬁc greenhouse gas emissions (per square metre sales area) of the REWE Group remained constant over the
reporting period. In 2021, the ﬁgure was 109 kilograms CO2 equivalents per square metre. The calculation of
emissions intensity includes direct, indirect energy-related and other indirect emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3).
Greenhouse gas emissions1
Unit
2019
2020
2021
Total greenhouse gas emissions
t CO2
equivalents
1,466,262
1,347,071
1,359,106
Speciﬁc greenhouse gas emissions per square metre of sales area
kg CO2
equivalents/m²
119
109
109
Scope: all countries and companies of the REWE Group, including retailers.
1 The green power generated for companies of the REWE Group in Germany meets the requirements of the Label EE01 of TÜV SÜD, a technical
services company in Germany.

The greenhouse gas emissions of the REWE Group were broken down in the following manner for 2021:
Share of greenhouse gas emissions by originator group (scope 1–3) in 2021
Scope: all countries and companies of the REWE Group, including retailers.

GRI 305-5:
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
The REWE Group has taken various measures to save electricity, which result in a reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions (for more information, refer to Energy). As a result of these eﬀorts, about 398 tonnes of carbon dioxide
equivalents were saved in 2021.
Steps to lower CO₂ emissions1
Measures
Savings of CO2 equivalents (tonnes)
20192
20202
2021
Lighting
Conversion of lighting systems to LED, optimisation of light management,
reduction of turn-on times
102
171
159
Refrigeration
For example, use of glass on dairy-product shelves and doors on freezers,
retroﬁtting of glass doors, optimisation/upgrading of system technology,
replacement of refrigeration systems and energy-eﬃcient display cases
60
81
161
Improvements in the technology of other systems, ventilation systems and IT
infrastructure
1
34
78
Total
163
286
398
Scope: companies of the REWE Group in Germany and Austria including retailers. Not included are measures to reduce the electricity consumption of
Lekkerland and units that left the REWE Group in terms of the scope during the reporting period.
1 The basis for the calculation are the energy-saving initiatives used for GRI 302-4.
2 102-48: The values for 2019 and 2020 diﬀer from those in the last sustainability report due to the use of market-based emission factors instead of
location-based emission factors.

GRI 305-6:
Emissions of ozone-depleting substances (ODS)
In recent years, the REWE Group has consistently reduced its use of ozone-depleting refrigerants – no ozone-
damaging refrigerant has been used since 2020. The chief reason for this was the legally mandated replacement of
the refrigerant R22 with non-ozone-depleting refrigerants.
Emissions of ozone-depleting substances by weight (kilograms)
Unit
2019
2020
2021
Total emissions of ozone-depleting substances from
replenished refrigerant
kg of CFC-11
equivalents
0.3
0
0
Scope: All countries and companies of the REWE Group including retailers.
GRI 305-7:
Nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulfur oxides (SOX), and other signiﬁcant air emissions
The airborne pollutants associated with the business activities of the REWE Group are primarily caused by upstream
combustion and production processes used to make electricity, heat and paper. Emissions generated by refrigerants,
logistics and business trips also have an impact on air quality.
Air pollutant emissions, including upstream chains (t)
2019
2020
2021
NOX
1,273,712
1,343,324
1,221,380
SOX
270,099
300,177
312,308
Fine particulate matter (particle < 10 µm)
41,099
56,274
50,273
Non-methane volatile organic compounds
66,239
89,908
58,179
Scope: companies of the REWE Group in Germany and Austria including retailers. Units that are no longer part of REWE Group were excluded during
the reporting period in terms of the scope.
Reduction of refrigerant-related greenhouse gas emissions
The greenhouse gas emissions produced by refrigerating systems are largely the result of the refrigeration agents
used in them. The REWE Group decided early on to use climate-friendly refrigerants. These agents increasingly also
include natural refrigerants such as CO2 and propane and refrigerants with lower greenhouse gas potential. By doing
this, the REWE Group has been able to reduce refrigerant-related greenhouse gas emissions from 364,544 tonnes in

2019 to 277,212 tonnes in 2021. Throughout the group, this represents a 24 per cent reduction.
Within the framework of the REWE Group’s sustainability strategy, in the REWE and PENNY stores all multi-
compressor systems for commercial refrigeration in new buildings and in most refurbishments are equipped with
CO2, a natural refrigerant. Plug-in refrigerating units that will be used in future at all new and refurbished stores will
operate with propane (R290), a natural refrigerant.

Various waste products are produced through the REWE Group’s business activities. Proper recycling of unavoidable
waste is an important objective of the company in order to conserve valuable resources.
Three areas of action were deﬁned in the pillars Energy, Climate and the Environment of the group-wide sustainability
strategy: Climate-relevant emissions, energy eﬃciency and conservation of resources. The latter are activities in
relation to waste management. The REWE Group’s goal is to mechanically recycle waste in order to conserve
resources.
GRI 306-1: Waste and signiﬁcant waste-related impacts
GRI 306-2: Management of signiﬁcant waste-related impacts
Management approach
Principles
In dealing with waste and reusable materials, the REWE Group and its waste-disposal partners systematically apply
the principle of recycling.
Implementation
In particular, reusable material found in logistics is sorted to the greatest extent possible and can thus be optimally
provided for further use. This is particularly the case for non-hazardous wastes. These wastes can be reprocessed to a
large extent, and many of them can even be mechanically recycled. In the year under review, this quota was 5 per
cent. Nearly all paper, cardboard and boxes are mechanically recycled. This group makes up the largest share of all
waste at almost 41 per cent. Paper, cardboard and boxes are an important raw material for the paper industry, as new
paper and cardboard can be produced from the recycled ﬁbres. A large amount of plastics, metals, glass and store
rubbish is recycled as well. Organic waste produced in food stores is transported to biogas units where it is converted
into electricity and heat.
GRI 306
Waste

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The REWE Group strives to keep food waste to a minimum. As a member of the National Wholesale And
Retail Dialogue Forum To Reduce Food Waste, the company aims to halve food waste on retail and consumer
levels by 2030 and to reduce it along the production and supply chains. To keep the proportion of unsold
merchandise as low as possible, modern forecasting systems and automated ordering processes are used in
combination with short transport routes and end-to-end refrigeration. These actions help ensure that the
stores are supplied in a demand-driven manner. On an annual average, PENNY and REWE now sell more
than 98 per cent of their food. However, REWE und PENNY provide food that can no longer be sold but can
still be eaten safely to local food banks. For more information about the REWE Group’s commitment to the
avoidance of food waste, see Projects and Sponsorships.
The commercial experience of employees also plays an important role in estimating requirements, and the
REWE Group oﬀers regular training courses on this subject.
GRI 306-3:
Waste generated
The amount of non-hazardous waste in the group in Germany and Austria totalled about 872,000 tonnes in 2021.
This was a 16 per cent increase compared to the previous year. The increase was due mainly to the fact that
Lekkerland and independent retailers were included in the report for the ﬁrst time.
In past years, at much less than one per cent, hazardous waste – mainly certain old electrical appliances, oil, vehicle
batteries and ﬂuorescent tubes – made up a very small part of the total waste. It is not expected that the volume of
hazardous waste will increase signiﬁcantly. Therefore, due to the complex eﬀort of recording this, it is no longer
reported separately in the sustainability report.

Non-hazardous waste – total volume (t)*
2019
2020
2021
693,747
751,994
871,799
* 102-48: There are diﬀerences in the data for 2019 and 2020 compared to reports from previous years. Data from the Lekkerland sales line and
independent retailers has been included retroactively in the survey for the ﬁrst time.

Non-hazardous waste – percentage by waste type
Waste for
recycling
Organic
Paper and
cardboard/boxes
Plastics
Residual
waste
Other (e.g. wood, metals, construction
waste)
13 %
24.9 %
40.7 %
10.2 %
5.6 %
5.5 %
Scope: Companies of the REWE Group in Germany (with independent retailers) and Austria (without independent retailers). The waste volumes of units that
left the REWE Group in terms of the scope during the reporting period are not included.

When goods are transported, fuel is consumed – through the transport of goods from the production facilities to the
warehouse, from the warehouse to the store and through online ordering when goods are delivered to the customers.
These consumptions are reﬂected in energy consumption and in the release of emissions.
Three areas of action were deﬁned in the pillars Energy, Climate and the Environment of the group-wide sustainability
strategy: Climate-relevant emissions, energy eﬃciency and conservation of resources. The actions in the area of
logistics and mobility are assigned to the pillars Energy Eﬃciency and Climate-Relevant Emissions.
GRI 307: Logistics and mobility
Management approach
Principles
The REWE Group is continuously looking for ways to reduce fuel consumption. The company is also doing everything
it can to ensure that the mobility of its employees generates as few emissions as possible.
Implementation
The REWE Group takes many measures to optimise its logistics and transport processes.
Measures in the area of logistics and goods transport
The REWE Group Logistics ensures that the company’s stores always have the products they need. A complex
transport and warehouse system ensures availability, quality and freshness of the products. At the same time, the
REWE Group aims to keep fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions caused by logistics as low as possible. To
achieve this, the REWE Group uses the following levers: strategic reduction of distances between stores and
warehouses, high capacity utilisation of the vehicles, reduction of emissions per kilometre driven through
diﬀerentiated logistics concepts, the use of more eﬃcient vehicle technology and changes in driving behaviour.
GRI 307
Logistics and Mobility

Fuel consumption for trucks and cars increased from 1,334 GWh in 2020 to 1,355 GWh in the reporting year.
Fuel consumption of the REWE Group (in GWh)
Unit
2019
2020
2021
Fuels (trucks/cars)
GWh
1,223
1,334
1,355
Share of fuel consumption
(trucks/cars) in total energy
consumption of the REWE Group
Per cent
17.9%
19.9%
20.0%
Scope: the REWE Group including retailers. Excluded are units that left the REWE Group and the data was adjusted retroactively.
Transport-related emissions cause about 37 per cent of the REWE Group’s total greenhouse gas emissions in
Germany and about 36 per cent in Austria. For the entire the REWE Group, the share of greenhouse gas emissions
caused by logistics was almost 33 per cent in the reporting year. The absolute increase between 2020 and 2021 was
5,685 tonnes CO2 equivalents. The percentage increase can also be attributed to the reduced share of greenhouse
gas emissions from electricity, resulting from the use of green electricity in Germany and Austria (for more
information, refer to Energy).
Greenhouse gas emissions1 from logistics (including external carrier logistics)
Unit
2019
2020
2021
Total greenhouse gas emissions from logistics
t CO2
equivalents
433,923
439,590
445,275
Share of logistics in total greenhouse gas
emissions of the REWE Group
Per cent
29.6%
32.6%
32.8%
Scope: All countries and companies of the REWE Group, including retailers. Units that are no longer part of the REWE Group were excluded during the
reporting period in terms of the scope.
1 The calculation of emission intensity includes direct, indirect energy-related and other indirect emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3). For more information,
refer to Climate protection on a company level.
Warehouse network structure
The REWE Group’s warehouse network also expanded in 2021. For instance, PENNY logistics was reorganised in the
Region East. The REWE Group fruit logistics also put the new fruit and vegetables hub in Wiesloch into operation. The
warehouse network was also increased through warehouse conversions and extensions at the Stelle, Breuna and
Oranienburg locations.
In addition to the improvements in the warehouse structure, forecast techniques and route planning are continuously
improved. In 2021, utilisation of the entire truck ﬂeet was approximately 91 per cent of the capacity in use, which is a

one per cent improvement compared to the previous year.
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In the reporting year, the introduction of new roll cages into the REWE full product range, which began in
2020, was largely completed. The primary transport aid to move merchandise into the REWE Group stores
will take account of increased demands. The side rails, which are 15 per cent higher than their
predecessors, considerably increases the capacity utilisation of the roll cages and also the trucks. This made
it possible to save two million transport units, 51,000 deliveries, 7.2 kilometre and 2.8 million litres of fuel.
As well as this increased eﬃciency, another focus of this development was ease of handling for employees.
The new roll cages can be used in many diﬀerent ways and can be dismantled quickly to take up little space
while they are being stored temporarily and to be returned to the warehouse. In 2021, the PENNY sales line
also ﬁtted higher side rails to its roll cages to increase the eﬃciency of goods deliveries.
Vehicle technology and alternative drive systems
Alternative drive systems for cars and trucks are a focus to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (for more information,
refer to Climate protection on a company level). Within the REWE Group logistics, trialling these systems in terms of
use, practicability and economic eﬃciency is an important pillar of the sustainability eﬀorts. Consequently, the REWE
Group logistics continuously obtains information about the latest developments with regard to vehicle technology and
drive systems.
In the REWE Region Central, gas-powered trucks are a regular part of the ﬂeet. In 2021, eleven trucks ran on CNG
(compressed natural gas). In addition, in national long-distance traﬃc between the central warehouses and the
regional warehouses, seven trucks use LNG (liqueﬁed natural gas).
REWE International AG also works with alternative drive systems and, in Austria, began using two diesel hybrid trucks
and seven trucks running on natural gas at the end of 2021. Between September 2018 and September 2021 a fully
electrically operated prototype truck supplied the retail stores in the Vienna municipal area. IN 2002, another eTruck
trial is planned for the Vienna area.
The eTruck was developed and put into operation within the framework of a long-term partnership between REWE
International AG and the Council for Sustainable Logistics (CNL). REWE International AG is also participating in the
MEGAWATT-LOGISTICS project of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. The aim is to ﬁnd
solutions for the challenges of changing over to electric trucks.
To further reduce the emissions of the ﬂeet, the REWE Group also replaces its vehicles regularly. For this purpose, the
company once again increased its investments in the truck ﬂeet considerably in 2021. Older vehicles with lower

emission classes were increasingly replaced by new Euro-6 vehicles. At the end of 2021, the share of vehicles that
met the Euro 6 emission standard was 92 per cent in Germany and 83 per cent in Austria (in terms of the company’s
entire ﬂeet of trucks).
In Germany, average fuel consumption per 100 kilometres also fell by one per cent compared to the previous year.
Deliveries with battery-operated trucks: feasibility analysis
In 2021, in the REWE Region North-East, a research project was carried out in collaboration with the Fraunhofer
Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI. the objective was to analyse the technical feasibility and economic
eﬃciency of battery-operated trucks in heavy traﬃc. The urban and regional distribution logistics of Oranienburg and
Berlin-Mariendorf warehouses were used as case studies. The energy consumption was simulated for 9,500 actual
routes of 224 heavy trucks and the total usage costs for acquisition from 2021 and eight years of operation were
calculated. The result: current eTrucks and models announced for the future could electrify a large part of the
distribution traﬃc. Up to 42 per cent of the vehicles that were considered and 21 per cent of the carrying capacity
would be feasible with battery-operated trucks and, compared to conventional trucks, total usage costs would also be
lower. However, this assumes the corresponding availability of the vehicle models, which is currently not the case in
terms of the required numbers within the required time line.
Multi-chamber vehicles for Lekkerland
Since 2013, 231 multi-chamber vehicles and vehicle combinations have been delivering merchandise to the
Lekkerland sales line. They have up to three temperature zones simultaneously inside: fresh (0–7 °C), deep-frozen
(-18 °C) and ambient products. With this multi-temperature logistics system, only one truck is used to supply the full
range of goods ordered to customers, especially petrol station shops and convenience stores. This considerably
reduces the number of stops, the kilometres driven and the emissions of the trucks. In 2013, the concept received
the German Logistics Award from the Federal Logistics Association.
Delivering to customers
REWE Group is developing a new concept to ensure eﬃcient delivery to customers by REWE Lieferservice (REWE
delivery service). It will take account of the challenges of urban centres, such as increasing traﬃc and the resulting
congestion and bans on vehicles. One approach is to use bicycles with trailers. In collaboration with the service
provider veloCARRIER GmbH, deliveries in Cologne and Berlin will be made by electric bike. The bikes have a motor
and are equipped with a facility to carry merchandise.
In the course of optimising the refrigeration concept for the REWE Lieferservice (REWE delivery service), new thermal
boxes were developed in 2021. They use batteries to keep the merchandise cool. They do not require carbon dioxide
and can be used time and time again. This means that no dry ice is needed. The ﬁrst locations were provided with the
new thermal boxes in 2021.

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Within the framework of the safety partnership with the German Federal Department of Transportation, in
2018, the REWE Group began equipping all new vehicles in the REWE and PENNY ﬂeets in Germany with
turn assistants. This has been the case with the Lekkerland sales line since 2019. In addition, all existing
newer Euro 6 vehicles were retroﬁtted accordingly. By the end of 2021, more than 500 trucks were
retroﬁtted with assistance systems or added to the ﬂeet as new vehicles already equipped with the systems.
Consequently, at the end of the reporting year, more than 70 per cent of the ﬂeet in Germany had been
retroﬁtted. The entire truck ﬂeet should be equipped with turn assistants by the end of 2022.
With this voluntary commitment, the REWE Group points the way for more safety in road traﬃc. The turn
assistant detects road users in the vehicle's direct surroundings and draws the driver’s attention to them
with acoustic or visual signals. This protects pedestrians, cyclists and all other road users from turning
accidents, which often have a fatal outcome.
Due to its business model, the REWE Group Logistics transports mainly food. Because of this, in the event of a
transport accident, there is little risk of chemicals or other hazardous materials being released. If transport accidents
occur in logistics, they are recorded and followed up at the logistics locations. To prevent serious accidents, all drivers
regularly receive driver safety training.
Employee and customer mobility
Energy is consumed and emissions are also produced when employees commute. The REWE Group is working on
ﬁnding ways to make these commutes emission free as well.
For instance, the REWE Group oﬀers employees, especially in metropolitan areas, a reasonably priced job ticket to
use public transport. Entitled employees of the REWE Group can use their mobility budget individually – they can
choose a smaller car, for example, and use the amount saved to increase their age pension beneﬁts. In addition to
their mobility budget, electric vehicle drivers receive a monthly bonus of up to EUR 150. The monthly subsidy for
hybrid vehicles is EUR 50.
At its locations in Cologne, the REWE Group also has 34 charging stations where employees can charge their vehicles.
For its employees in Austria, the REWE Group has 100 charging stations for 137 electric vehicles.
To encourage mobility with bicycles, all employees of the REWE Group in Germany have been able to purchase a
company bike since 2016 as part of a deferred-compensation model. Employees can use the bicycles to commute to
work and enjoy in their leisure time. Since the scheme began, employees have bought more than 8,000 bicycles.

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The REWE Group is making a contribution towards developing the charging infrastructure for electric
vehicles and is installing charging stations in the car parks of new stores, which were built according to the
Green Building concept. At the end of 2021, 370 stores and administration locations had charging stations
for electric vehicles. 150 of these are in Germany, 68 in Austria and 152 in the CEE countries.
In 2021, the company concluded several strategic partnerships with the aim of developing one of the largest
and most modern networks of fast charging stations in Germany. By the end of 2024, up to 2,000 additional
fast charging stations will be installed at at least 400 selected REWE and PENNY stores and other leased
properties. During this time, the REWE Group will install up to 4,000 more charging stations at existing
leased properties and new buildings.

The REWE Group operates stores throughout Germany and Austria. Energy and other resources are used to run these
stores every day. The company is determined to systematically reduce the energy that these stores use and to design
its buildings in a more sustainable manner.
Three areas of action were deﬁned in the pillars Energy, Climate and the Environment of the group-wide sustainability
strategy: Climate-relevant emissions, energy eﬃciency and conservation of resources. The REWE Group’s Green
Building strategy is part of these three areas of action the REWE Group’s goal is to lower the amount of energy and
resources used by its stores by applying the Green Building concept.
RG1: Green Building
Management approach
Principles
“More sustainable products belong in more sustainable stores.” Based on this conviction, in 2008, the REWE Group
began developing a new generation of supermarkets that make sustainability come alive for customers and
employees and make a measurable contribution to sustainable development.
Modern, energy-eﬃcient stores play a signiﬁcant role in the measures to achieve the strategic objective of climate
neutrality by 2040. In addition to the Green Buildings as important lighthouse projects, the focus is also on existing
stores (for more information, refer to Climate Protection on a Company Level).
Implementation
The Green Building concept of the REWE Group combines modern architecture with energy-eﬃcient technologies
and the use of renewable energies. For example, primary energy consumption was cut by up to 40 per cent compared
with conventional stores. By successfully introducing the Green Building concept, the REWE Group has made the
environmental and business case for building and operating more sustainable retail properties. Because the REWE
Group frequently leases its stores, the support of investors and landlords for more sustainable building concepts must
be gained. Criteria such as economic value, ﬂexibility of use and commercial development costs are key arguments
RG 1
Green Building

for this proven construction concept. Evidence of customers’ positive responses to this concept can be seen in above-
average customer frequency and the related rise in sales revenue.
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In May 2021, the ﬁrst REWE pilot store with a new Green Building concept opened in Wiesbaden, Germany.
The pilot store is not an ongoing development of the previous Green Buildings; rather, the decision was
made to create a completely new design. At the start of 2016, the ﬁrst ideas to create a new generation of
REWE Green Buildings to succeed the existing concept were seeded. In summer 2016, this led to an
architectural competition where REWE as the client remained anonymous to allow the architects the
greatest possible freedom of thought. The result is the REWE Green Farming store in Wiesbaden: a pilot
store and a prototype for the next generation of sustainable REWE supermarkets. A new, adaptable and
sustainable modular store concept that can be customised to suit diﬀerent locations and conditions in terms
of design and construction. Although the store in Wiesbaden has a rooftop farm, the new concept does not
envisage this for every new REWE Green Farming store. Rooftop farms will be included only at suitable,
selected locations.
This urban farming area on the roof of the store includes a combination of basil growing and ﬁsh farming
with a closed cycle. The ﬁsh dung is used to fertilise the plants, which are also supplied with rainwater. This
reduces resource consumption and ensures healthy plant and ﬁsh farming. The farm supplies basil and
fresh ﬁsh to a large number of stores in the region.
The stacked timber design of the roof and columns is an important building block in the use of sustainable
material. The timber is completely visible and is not chemically treated. The design uses European
coniferous timber from certiﬁed forestry inside and certiﬁed larch wood for the external supports that are
subject to weathering. With its arch-like design, the innovative stacked timber support structure creates a
very special atmosphere for shoppers. Since the individual elements are modular, future stores can be built
much faster and easier than with conventional designs. The timber elements are also connected with bolts.
At the end of the store’s life cycle, this will allow it to be demolished in such a way that the material can be
reused – an important step towards a circular economy in the construction industry. In addition, with this
concept, more timber is used in the building, which means that more CO2 is stored permanently.
The glass front and back facades of the store allow customers to see inside the store and employees to look
out at their surroundings. Daylight is used optimally and is also introduced via a large atrium in the store.
Large roof overhangs oﬀer good protection against the sun. Outside the store, an innovative parking area
layout minimises the paved area with no adverse eﬀects on the parking spaces. The result is more than
1,000 square metres of permeable greenery that is planted with insect-friendly grass, bushes and numerous
trees. For a holistic concept, the store focuses on regional and fresh produce.
For its pilot store in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, the REWE Group is hoping to be awarded the platinum

certiﬁcate from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) (see also Certiﬁcation by the German
Sustainable Building Council).
The pilot store is currently being analysed with regard to potential improvements. The ﬁndings will be used
in a standard concept so that sample construction speciﬁcations will be available for a future roll-out
throughout Germany at many diﬀerent locations. Parallel to this, DGNB is developing a multiple certiﬁcate
for the latest generation of green REWE stores so that they can be built eﬃciently and sustainably and also
be certiﬁed. The REWE Green Farming store in Wiesbaden already achieves the economic targets that were
set, which is why deriving an optimised “blueprint” will also be practically feasible from a ﬁnancial aspect. In
new buildings, the new concept will replace the previous Green Building concept.
In May 2022, at the German Retail Real Estate Congress, the store was named “Store of the Year 2022“ by
the German Retail Federation (HDE).
The elements of the Green Building concept
The concept includes the following elements, which are applied in accordance with the needs of the business
location:
1. Daylight architecture: Ribbon windows on up to four sides of the building and additional dome roof lights
facilitate the use of natural light, which is complemented by an energy-eﬃcient LED lighting concept. The
natural light tremendously enhances the quality of time that customers and employees spend in the store.
2. Atrium: The large atrium, together with the glazed façades, ensures energy-eﬃcient use of daylight.
3. Rooftop farm: Aquaponics, a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics, in the rooftop farm creates very
good conditions for the cultivation of basil. The ﬁsh dung is used as a fertiliser. This system enables food
production without pesticides and 90 per cent less water consumption than conventional farming, as the water
is used twice.
4. Organic building materials: The characteristic structural frame of a Green Building is formed by wood, a
renewable resource. This is also the case with the front façade and, in many cases, with the roof shell.
Environmentally friendly and recyclable building materials are also used in other areas.
5. Renewable energies: Green Building stores use 100 per cent certiﬁed green power, just like all other stores,
warehouses and travel agencies of the REWE Group. Additional photovoltaic systems will be installed where
practical.
6. Heating: For heating purposes, no fossil fuels are required thanks to the use of heat pumps and the waste heat
of refrigeration systems.
7. Use of rain water: To clean ﬂoors, ﬂush toilets and water outdoor areas, rain water is collected in containers.

8. Refrigeration systems and units: CO2, a natural refrigerant, is used for normal and combined refrigeration and
deep-freeze systems. Propane, another natural refrigerant, is used for plug-in freezers. Buﬀer-storage units are
used to recover heat. Glass-door refrigerated display cases for meat and dairy products help to prevent losses of
refrigerated air. The energy eﬃciency of refrigeration units is increased by using integrated LED lighting systems
and energy-saving fans and by forgoing the use of glass heaters for glass panels on freezer units.
9. Sociocultural factors: Green Building stores are largely barrier free. They are also equipped with restrooms for
the physically disabled and with baby changing tables. Factors such as visual comfort, ambient air and bicycle
parking places near the entrance are considered as well.
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In 2013, the REWE Group decided to apply the Green Building concept to all new construction projects and
all new leases in Germany as long as fundamental conditions permit its use. The REWE, PENNY and toom
Baumarkt DIY stores sales lines have received multiple certiﬁcations at the “Gold”* level by the German
Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). New buildings are designed in accordance with the Green Building
concept or the council’s criteria for sustainable construction practices. By including the criteria in the
construction speciﬁcations of the sales lines, these requirements also apply explicitly to the leased
properties of the REWE Group. At the end of 2021, 315 buildings had been constructed according to the
Green Building criteria and another 159 Green Buildings are currently in the building or planning phase.
The DGNB’s seal of quality evaluates a wide range of building features. These include environmental
aspects, the stages of the construction process and sociocultural factors regarding well-being, including
visual comfort, ambient air, bicycle parking places and customer restrooms. The multiple certiﬁcation of the
building speciﬁcations signiﬁcantly simpliﬁes the certiﬁcation process because the entire concept has
already been subjected to a thorough review. This is a key pre-condition for the fast, cost-eﬃcient
development of Green Building stores.
* Corresponds to the current classiﬁcation following a change in the criteria by the building council in 2015.

RG 1-1:
Stores that meet the requirements of the german sustainable building council (Green Building)
Stores completed in accordance with the requirements of DGNB (Green Building), status at the end of the
respective reporting year:
2019
2020
2021
REWE
179
209
233
PENNY
39
51
63
toom Baumarkt DIY stores
13
14
18
Warehouses
1
1
1
Total
232
275
315

The REWE Group faces a variety of challenges in the area of personnel policy. Owing to demographic developments,
the proportion of older employees is steadily increasing and there is a growing shortage of trainees and skilled
workers. Moreover, the working world will change dramatically as globalisation and digitalisation continue to progress
– accompanied, among other things, by technological change, a shift in cultural values and increasing
individualisation. Work will become more digital, more connected and more ﬂexible in the future. This structural
change means that many of tomorrow’s jobs will be diﬀerent from those we have today (Federal Ministry of Labour
and Social Aﬀairs, Digitalisierte Arbeitswelt 2020).
A focus on employees is one of the four central pillars of the REWE Group’s Sustainability Strategy. Within this pillar,
the REWE Group is systematically working on positioning itself for the future, attracting talented young people and
binding them to the company in the long term.
Strategic approach
Principles
The corporate culture of the REWE Group is characterised by a trusting and respectful relationship among employees,
customers and business partners. The company strives to create a diverse employee structure and to oﬀer employees
– regardless of gender, age, religion, origin, sexual identity or disability – a workplace that is free of discrimination
and provides equal opportunities for everyone.
Implementation
Committed and qualiﬁed employees play a crucial role in the success of the company. It is therefore a central concern
of the REWE Group to promote employee satisfaction, performance and productivity. For this to succeed, given the
size and diversity of the company, it is essential that there is a strong sense of cohesion among all employees. Various
other factors also play a role, including fair pay, extended company beneﬁts beyond the level of negotiated wages,
ﬂexible working models that can be adapted to the personal needs of the employees and individually tailored oﬀers
that make it easier for them to reconcile their professional and private lives. To this end, the group of companies relies
on strategic Human Resources management – with employee-oriented work concepts, safe working conditions,
personalised training opportunities and an appreciation of each individual.
Employees

Responsibility
All of this is monitored by the “Employees” working group, which is led by Dr Daniela Büchel (Divisional Board
Member of Retail Germany – HR and sustainability areas).
Areas of action
The following areas of action have been identiﬁed for the “Employees” pillar: values and culture, training and
development, health and safety, career and stages of life, and diversity and equal opportunities.
Targets and key performance indicators (KPIs)
To make its progress in the “Employees” pillar measurable, the REWE Group has deﬁned KPIs and corresponding
targets. These were updated at the beginning of 2021 in terms of target value and target horizon.
Targets
2019
2020
2021
Status
Measures
Keep the training percentage (trainees as a
percentage of the total workforce in full-time
equivalents) at 5.4% until 2025
5.3%
5.3%
5.6%
See the section Education and
Training Programmes
Increase the level of internally staﬀed management
positions to 80.0% by 2025
74.4%
72.1%
75.1%
Achieve a balanced gender ratio in management
positions by 2025
45.4%
female
45.6%
female
45.3%
female
See the section Diversity and
Equal Opportunity
54.6%
male
54.4%
male
54.7%
male
Reduce the number of accidents per 1,000 full-
time equivalents to 43.5 by 2025
46.9
48.3
48.8
See the section Occupational
Health and Safety Management
Keep the employment rate of individuals with
disabilities at a level of at least 3.0% until 2025*
3.2%
3.1%
3.0%
See the section Diversity and
Equal Opportunity
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
* The employment rate of people with disabilities is calculated by headcount and therefore has a diﬀerent calculation basis than when determining the
mandatory share of employed people with severe disabilities according to Section 154, Book IX of the Social Welfare Code (SGB) (Germany). The
decision to calculate the employment rate of people with disabilities by headcount was made in order to be able to determine a uniform key ﬁgure for
all countries (Germany and Austria). Individuals with disabilities are deﬁned according to Section 2 of the German Social Welfare Code and the
Austrian Disabled Persons Employment Act (BEinstG).

Reporting
In the GRI report, all approaches, data and topics related to the “Employees” pillar can be found under:
!"Labour/Management Relations
!"Occupational Health and Safety Management
!"Education and Training Programmes
!"Career and Stages of Life
!"Equal Treatment
!"Diversity and Equal Opportunity

The demographic shift and developments in the areas of digitalisation and globalisation are changing the world of
work and confronting companies with new challenges. Committed and satisﬁed employees are the basis for long-term
business success – promoting and retaining them within the company is more important today than ever before.
The focus on Employees is one of the four central pillars of the REWE Group’s Sustainability Strategy. Within this
pillar, the group of companies has deﬁned ﬁve areas of action: values and culture, training and development, health
and safety, career and stages of life, and diversity and equal opportunities.
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The year under review brought special challenges for the employees of the REWE Group – ﬁrstly, as in 2020,
due to the coronavirus pandemic, but secondly also in relation to the disastrous ﬂooding in Germany.
With regard to the coronavirus, the sales and logistics staﬀ of REWE and PENNY in particular were exposed
to high levels of stress during the pandemic. To express its appreciation and gratitude, the REWE Group
granted special payments to its employees, as it did in 2020. During these challenging times, it was and is of
great importance for the company to secure jobs, allay fears and strengthen team spirit – even more so
since the employees of DER Touristik and toom Baumarkt DIY stores were temporarily on short-time work
over the course of 2020 and the ﬁrst half of 2021.
In the wake of the ﬂood disaster, the group of companies supported aﬀected employees with voluntary
employer subsidies. These payments went to the victims of the ﬂooding in July, August and, in smaller
amounts, also in September. As a rule, the employees were granted 3,500 euros or 10,000 euros in ﬁnancial
support. Some employees received additional payments of more than 10,000 euros in December 2021 and
January 2022. In the process, the employees of the REWE Group supported those of their colleagues who
needed help during the ﬂoods with donations amounting to almost 500,000 euros.
GRI 401
Career and Stages of Life

GRI 401: Employment
Management approach
Principles
The REWE Group creates an attractive and fair working environment for its employees. It does this, among other
things, by oﬀering fair pay, extended company beneﬁts beyond the level of negotiated wages, ﬂexible working models
that can be adapted to the personal needs of the employees and individually tailored oﬀers that make it easier for
them to reconcile their professional and private lives.
Implementation
The REWE Group welcomed the statutory minimum wage introduced in Germany in 2014 and always goes along with
its annual adjustments. Abroad, the company is guided by the prevailing wage rates of the respective countries. The
companies of the REWE Group make sure that any external contractors they work with comply with minimum social
standards. Since 2011, the “Group Guidelines on the Deployment of External Staﬀ” have been in force at the national
level within the Group, both when working with temporary employment agencies and when deploying external staﬀ
through work or service contracts. According to these guidelines, the group only uses contract partners that
guarantee to comply with minimum social standards as well as any collectively agreed minimum wages and the
statutory minimum wage. To ensure that the contract partners comply with the standards, the REWE Group has
worked with TÜV Rheinland, a leading international technical service provider in Germany, to develop an auditing
process which is also carried out by this service provider. The audits are conducted in the areas of stock
replenishment, order picking and cleaning staﬀ, for example. In addition, the REWE Group implements a number of
measures and projects (see section Measures and Projects) to ensure a good employment relationship.
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Since 2009, the sales lines of the REWE Group have been certiﬁed in accordance with the career and family
audit by berufundfamilie Service GmbH, an initiative of the non-proﬁt Hertie Foundation. With around
190,000 employees in Germany covered by the audit, the REWE Group is currently the largest company in
the country to have received this certiﬁcation.
REWE sales line
Under the REWE sales line, around 2,700 retail stores as well as six administration and six logistics sites
have been certiﬁed for several years, with around 137,000 employees beneﬁting from this. The REWE sales
line’s focal areas in 2021 included:
!"Recertiﬁcation in the ﬁrst quarter
!"Strengthening and deﬁnition of the role of career and family mentor, i.e. contact persons for the topic of
career and family in the stores
!"Mobile working for store managers (preparation for pilot)

!"Inclusion of part-time store management in normal operations
!"Preparation of a regional maternity leave brochure
In 2021, the “Career and Family” web page was published under the REWE career pages, featuring many
best-practice examples on diﬀerent stages of life along with other useful information. This is a place where
employees from the stores can seek information digitally. Thanks to the close cooperation with our health
management team, we were also able to include other topics – such as self-help skills based on diﬀerent
stages of life (for more information, see Occupational Health and Safety Management).
In 2020, the REWE sales line carried out a pilot project on part-time work in management, which led to the
recruitment of part-time store managers. The general works agreement negotiated in 2021 has been
submitted to the Works Council for a decision in 2022 in order to establish ﬁxed regulations for part-time
management in sales. These regulations will then be extended to the entire sales force.
PENNY sales line
PENNY, with 28,550 employees working in the stores, logistics and administration, was the ﬁrst discounter
in Germany to be awarded the career and family audit certiﬁcate in 2018 – for its strategically designed
human resources policy that takes family and diﬀerent stages of life into account. After several workshops
and management discussions, PENNY was again awarded the career and family audit certiﬁcate during the
ﬁnancial year, valid for the next three years. In 2021, the PENNY sales line focused on the following topics:
!"Communication of best-practice examples
!"Development of part-time concepts in sales
!"Continuous external communication through the new employer campaign
!"Development of a national concept for part-time store managers in the regions and integration of this
concept into its corporate communications
REWE Group headquarters
Since 2012, the REWE Group’s headquarters in Cologne – with its 5,200 employees – has had “career and
family audit” certiﬁcation, and it was recertiﬁed in 2018. During the ﬁnancial year, the REWE Group
headquarters focused on the following topics:
!"Recertiﬁcation of the headquarters audit
!"Career and Family Reconciliation Week: In June 2021, employees at the Retail Germany headquarters,
the holding company, REWE Systems and the national administration of REWE and PENNY were oﬀered
20 events over three days to exchange ideas and provide impetus on the topic of reconciling work, family
and their private lives. A total of 427 employees from the central administration sites took part in the
Reconciliation Week.

!"Employee survey (see also section Employee Satisfaction): The results showed that employees rate the
work-life balance very positively. An especially positive rating was given in the category “My manager
oﬀers me the ﬂexibility to do my job in the oﬃce or at a diﬀerent place of work”.
toom Baumarkt DIY Stores sales line
The toom Baumarkt DIY stores, headquarters and logistics sites, which together have approximately 16,750
employees, have been certiﬁed since 2016 and recertiﬁed since 2019. A further recertiﬁcation is scheduled
to follow in 2022. The following activities were completed during the ﬁnancial year:
!"Production of a brochure on the topics of target agreement and performance
!"Production of videos for internal and external communications
!"Mobile working measures
!"Conclusion of a company agreement on the option of working remotely for up to three days after the
pandemic
REWE International Dienstleistung GmbH, Austria
REWE International Dienstleistung GmbH in Austria has held the certiﬁcate of berufundfamilie Service
GmbH since 2013, as have the Austrian sales lines BILLA (since 2015), BILLA PLUS (since 2016), BIPA
(since 2016) and PENNY (since 2018). The central units and BILLA PLUS were recertiﬁed in 2019 and BIPA
in 2020. The certiﬁcate was awarded in 2021. As a result, about 44,000 employees in Austria beneﬁt from
the certiﬁcation. Activities during the ﬁnancial year included:
!"Increased communication of work-life balance oﬀers to employees and managers
!"Piloting of part-time management in sales and discussion of the framework conditions for this among
employees and managers
!"Development of mobile working concepts for employees and managers on two days a week (or a
proportion of that time in the case of part-time employees)
!"Conclusion of written agreements on the number of remote work days after the pandemic
Awards
The REWE Group received the following awards during the ﬁnancial year:
!"REWE Group, PENNY, REWE: Top Employer 2021 (Top Employers Institute)
!"REWE Group, REWE: BEST PLACE TO LEARN (certiﬁcation of company training) 2019–2022

Employee satisfaction surveys
Regular employee surveys are a key component of the REWE Group’s respectful human resources management. They
reﬂect company morale and identify problem areas. The survey is directed at diﬀerent areas of the company each
year.
During the ﬁnancial year, 64 per cent of the more than 230,000 employees at the REWE Group’s stores,
administrative oﬃces and logistics sites took part in the survey. As a whole, they rated their satisfaction with the
workplace and their job as good. They also rated their overall well-being positively, despite the changes in the way
they work as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The aspects that received the highest ratings were identiﬁcation with
the company as well as transparency and clarity. The way the coronavirus pandemic has been handled, including the
provision of information and introduction of hygiene measures, was also perceived as very good. By contrast, the work
organisation was rated less favourably. Individual departments have been provided with diﬀerentiated evaluations so
that they can develop concrete measures on this basis together with the employees.
At the REWE Markt GmbH sales line, the survey of sales staﬀ and regional administrative staﬀ, which was designed
together with the HR departments, was carried out in two waves in a completely digital format for the ﬁrst time in
2021 in order to identify developments more quickly and achieve a higher participation rate.
!"The participation rate in the sales department increased by ten per cent compared to 2018, with
77,436 employees (59 per cent) out of a total of 130,445 taking part. The results of the survey were very positive
on the whole. Overall satisfaction in sales has improved in all regions since the last survey in 2018 (score 2021:
1.85, score 2018: 2.03). In future, the survey will take place annually.
!"At the regional administration sites, 2,143 employees (90 per cent) out of a total of 2,392 took part in the survey.
The assessment was generally positive. Work-life balance, the working atmosphere and leadership were rated as
very good (score 1.6). In comparison to 2016, there were improvements in the areas of work-life balance and
creative freedom.
Measures and projects for a good working relationship
The REWE Group implements measures and projects that promote an attractive working environment and make it
easier for employees to balance their professional and private lives. Employees are thus able to organise their working
day more individually and ﬂexibly – for example, through the possibility of working remotely, the elimination of core
working hours and an expansion of working hour windows. They can also reduce accrued overtime more ﬂexibly by
taking several consecutive days of compensatory time oﬀ, even before or after holiday days. These measures have
been incorporated in various company agreements to make them binding.
Mobile working
In 2021, the employees at the REWE Group’s central locations were asked to work remotely as far as possible until
the early summer and again from autumn onwards. The basis for this is a digital platform that enables them to work

together regardless of their location. Between June and September, employees were given the choice to return to the
oﬃce thanks to an occupational safety concept that exceeded the legal requirements.
CCoorroonnaavviirruuss  ppaannddeemmiicc  aanndd  tthhee  nneeww  wwoorrkkiinngg  wwoorrlldd::  RREEWWEE  DDNNAA
Since 2020, the REWE Group has been looking into how mobile working can be optimised and
institutionalised at its administration sites. For this purpose, it launched the “REWE DNA – Your New
Working World” project, whose ﬁrst step consisted in identifying concepts and conditions for the best
possible implementation of ﬂexible working. The results in 2021:
!"Flexible working is oﬀered up to two days per week (as an orientation). This is coordinated between
manager and employee, taking the nature of the job into account
!"Workshops were held with the managers in all Management Board departments
!"Team workshops took place at various levels
!"Virtual information and exchange formats for employees and managers were oﬀered on a regular basis
!"Learning opportunities were oﬀered to make managers and employees ﬁt for the new working world
!"Hybrid meeting rooms were provided
!"About 3,000 desks were replaced with height-adjustable versions in preparation for the introduction of
desk sharing at the headquarters in Cologne
!"Standardised technical equipment was introduced for work in the oﬃce and at home
!"Digital signature tools, digital whiteboards and telephony via Microsoft Teams were implemented
Many of these things became part of normal operations at the central locations at the end of 2021. The
project is continuing in particular as regards change support and communications on ﬂoor space planning
and technology.
At DER Touristik, too, mobile working formed part of everyday business during the ﬁnancial year, with remote work
becoming compulsory again in autumn 2021. All employees are gradually being equipped with laptops. The project is
scheduled to be completed by the end of the ﬁrst half of 2022, but delivery bottlenecks may cause some delays. A
company agreement on mobile working was concluded with the General Works Council of DER Touristik, oﬀering all
parties ﬂexibility and security for the time after the obligation to work remotely.

Childcare
To make it easier for employees to return to work after taking family leave, the REWE Group has expanded both its
corporate childcare services and cooperation agreements for kindergarten places in individual regions over the past
years. The REWELINOS company day care centres in Cologne, for example, have a capacity of 95 places. In Wiener
Neudorf, twelve places are available to employees of REWE Group Austria. DER Touristik has 23 allotted places at a
day nursery for children under the age of three. In individual regions of Germany and Austria, there are also
cooperation agreements for public kindergarten places and/or places in private kindergartens at reduced prices. The
REWE Group continuously works to expand this. What’s more, special parent-child oﬃces at all central locations
enable employees to take their children to work with them in an emergency.
In response to the lockdown from February to March 2021, the REWE Group also oﬀered a digital emergency
childcare service: via awo lifebalance (see next section), a free virtual childcare service with interactive programmes,
sing-alongs or games was set up at short notice for employees who had an urgent need for it. This service was booked
471 times.
AAccccoommpplliisshhiinngg  mmoorree  tthhrroouugghh  ccooooppeerraattiioonn::  aawwoo  lliiffeebbaallaannccee
The REWE Group has been working with awo lifebalance (formerly AWO ElternService) since 2008. This
partner oﬀers a wide range of advisory and referral services for childcare and nursing. Its services are
available to all employees at central and regional locations, stores and logistics sites in Germany. During the
ﬁnancial year, REWE and PENNY employees used the advisory service just over 100 times, with the number
of childcare and nursing enquiries evenly matched. In addition, the REWE Group oﬀers holiday camps
across Germany through awo lifebalance.
There are many other forms of support in Germany and Austria with regard to childcare during the holiday periods.
Following the cancellation of childcare services due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, these subsidised oﬀers
were able to take place again during the ﬁnancial year. The one- to two-week holiday camp programme during the
summer holidays was attended by a total of 292 children in Germany and 317 children in Austria. Participants could
choose between a kids’ camp, a sports adventure and an English action camp.
In addition, toom Baumarkt DIY stores support tutoring for the children of employees by oﬀering a gross monthly
salary supplement of 100 euros for a period of six months. The aim of this programme is to provide aﬀordable support
and ease worries about children’s grades. A total of 250 slots for employee children are available at the provider
Studienkreis. However, the tutoring slots were not used in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Austria, long-
term courses are available at heavily discounted rates, in cooperation with the organisations Schülerhilfe and
Lernquadrat.

Caring for relatives
It is becoming increasingly important for companies to provide support for employees who are caring for their
relatives. As a supplement to the German Family Caregiver Leave Act, the REWE Group has company agreements in
place that oﬀer various beneﬁts to employees. These include:
!"Long-term care and family care leave for employees of all companies, regardless of the number of employees. This
oﬀer was taken up by 152 employees in 2021
!"Two hours of paid time oﬀ from work to handle oﬃcial business and process necessary applications
!"The option for employees to return to their original jobs after the end of the care and family care leave, unless there
are compelling operational reasons against this
Sabbaticals
The REWE Group oﬀers a sabbatical from work and has met with a positive response: a total of 160 employees in
Germany took advantage of this oﬀer during the ﬁnancial year (2020: 131). Employees can take a sabbatical for up to
six months within a twelve-month period without having to give a reason. During the time oﬀ, they are paid a
correspondingly adjusted wage, thus allowing for continued social insurance coverage.
Partial retirement
In addition, the REWE Group provides its employees with a partial retirement programme that eases their transition
from the work world.
Part-time management: Promoting job sharing and co-leadership
In 2021, the Retail Germany headquarters developed a concept for promoting job sharing/co-leadership in order to
enable managers to work part-time (see section Career and Family Audit Certiﬁcation). The concept was
communicated to all managers by the end of the ﬁrst quarter of 2022 to make them aware of this possibility.
In addition, part-time management (with and without a tandem partner) was addressed during the 2021 Career and
Family Reconciliation Week by means of best-practice examples. The topic will continue to be discussed via suitable
platforms and channels in the future. The company has also set up a regular virtual Tandem Café for tandem partners
as well as interested part-time managers where they can exchange ideas and experiences. There are currently ﬁve
job-sharing tandems and three co-leadership tandems at the REWE Group’s Retail Germany headquarters.

GRI 401-1:
New employee hires and employee turnover
The turnover rate among REWE Group employees has been relatively stable for years, ranging between 17 and 22 per
cent. It increased from 19.1 per cent in 2020 to 21.1 per cent in 2021. The German industry average in 2020 was
29.2 per cent.* The hiring rate of new employees at the REWE Group fell from 21.7 per cent in 2020 to 21.3 per cent
in 2021. There were no mass layoﬀs during the ﬁnancial year.
* Information taken from the Federal Employment Agency’s report “The Labour Market in Germany 2020”, published in October 2021. The ﬁgure covers the
sectors of retail, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles.
New hires and departures
2021
Up to 30 years
31–50 years old
Older than 50
Female
Male
Diverse
Not speciﬁed
Germany
Austria
New hires
24,859
17,032
4,577
27,707
18,754
5
2
34,390
12,078
Departures
-21,876
-16,356
-7,728
-27,898
-18,057
-4
-1
-33,821
-12,139

2020
Up to 30 years
31–50 years old
Older than 50
Female
Male
Diverse
Not speciﬁed
Germany
Austria
New hires
24,858
16,252
4,369
26,187
19,284
3
5
34,858
10,621
Departures
-18,989
-13,891
-7,093
-23,945
-15,953
-1
-5
-29,705
-10,268

2019
Up to 30 years
31–50 years old
Older than 50
Female
Male
Diverse
Not speciﬁed
Germany
Austria
New hires
22,673
15,524
4,271
26,035
16,431
2
0
30,746
11,722
Departures
-19,989
-14,903
-6,708
-25,207
-15,452
-1
0
-29,756
-10,955
Personnel turnover based on business segment in per cent
Retail Germany
Retail International
DIY Stores
Travel and Tourism
Other
Total (scope of the sustainability report)
2019
19.7
25.6
14.7
15.4
8.2
20.4
2020
18.6
23.7
14.6
14.3
7.6
19.1
2021
20.2
27.9
14.2
20.01
6.1
21.1
1  The surge is due in particular to the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting uncertain business situation in the tourism industry.

Personnel turnover by gender and age in per cent
Turnover
– total
Turnover –
Women
Turnover
– Men
Turnover –
Diverse *
Turnover –
Not Speciﬁed
*
Turnover – age
group up to 30
yrs.
Turnover – age
group from 31 to
50 yrs.
Turnover – age
group from 50
yrs.
2019
20.4
18.2
25.4
–
–
40.5
16.4
11.0
2020
19.1
16.8
24.0
–
–
38.5
14.6
10.9
2021
21.1
18.9
25.7
–
–
42.7
16.5
11.4
*  Due to low absolute numbers, no meaningful rates can be reported.
GRI 401-3:
Parental leave
Employees of the REWE Group receive support both before and during parental leave – for example, through
information events on the subject of parental leave and returning to work.
The REWE sales line has a Stay-in-Touch programme for mothers and fathers working at its headquarters and stores,
which is designed to support and improve their return to work after taking a family break. The role of contact person
falls to the managers, with guidelines and a digital platform available as of 2022 to assist them in their tasks: for
example, if an employee is pregnant, the store manager will receive an appointment reminder and a conversation
guide, which can be used as the basis for a voluntary conversation. The guide will contain previously collected

information on the desired scope of the contact. In a ﬁrst step, the digital platform will be programmed, with a pilot
project scheduled for the second quarter of 2022.
The headquarters of Retail Germany communicated the updated Stay-in-Touch programme in February 2022 via the
intranet as well as via info sessions during the regular meetings between HR partners and managers. Furthermore,
the “Maternity Protection & Parental Leave” brochure was updated, which provides application forms, checklists and
other services for expectant mothers and their managers in digital form via occupational health management’s online
employee portal “Gemeinsam.Topﬁt” as well as the app of the same name.
In 2021, toom Baumarkt DIY stores likewise announced and implemented a Stay-in-Touch programme for mothers
and fathers at its headquarters and stores. Moreover, employees on parental leave can access internal learning
programmes and register themselves in the learning management system in consultation with their supervisors.
In Austria, BILLA employees receive not only information material on pregnancy, parental leave and returning to work,
but also a “BILLA baby box” with all kinds of information and baby products. During their parental leave, employees
are invited to what is known as a “Karenzjause” – an informal meeting sponsored by the employer that gives
employees on parental leave and their children a chance to meet and share a snack. Due to the coronavirus, however,
there was no such event during the past ﬁnancial year. At BIPA, expectant mothers are oﬀered an information
package as well as a personal conversation to discuss any further questions they may have. BIPA also supports the
“dad’s month” and leave for fathers. Diﬀerent part-time and job-sharing models support employees returning to work.
Return from parental leave
The REWE Group is an advocate of work-life balance and makes it as easy as possible for employees to return to their
jobs following parental leave. In 2021, 12,354 employees in Germany and Austria took parental leave. The group
consisted of 1,342 male workers and 11,012 female employees. During the reporting period, 4,498 employees
returned to work. A total of 88.5 per cent of employees who returned from parental leave in 2021 were still employed
by the REWE Group as of 31 December 2021. The right to parental leave is legally regulated in Germany and Austria.
Number of employees who took parental leave
2019
2020
2021
Female
10,426
10,492
11,012
Male
1,168
1,184
1,342
Diverse
0
0
0
Not speciﬁed
-
0
0
Total (scope of the sustainability report)
11,430
11,676
12,354

Number of employees who returned to work following parental leave*
2019
2020
2021
Female
3,139
3,170
3,272
Male
880
1,051
1,226
Diverse
0
0
0
Not speciﬁed
-
0
0
Total (scope of the sustainability report)
4,019
4,221
4,498
* Full-time, part-time or marginally employed in the context of parental leave.
Number of workers who continued to be employed at the company 12 months after returning from parental leave
(end of parental leave)
Total
as a percentage of all
male and female
employees who
returned from parental
leave in 2019
Total
as a percentage of all
male and female
employees who
returned from parental
leave in 2020
Total
as a percentage of all
male and female
employees who
returned from parental
leave in 2021
2019
2020
2021
Female
Departed
within 12
months
371
11.5
395
12.5
344
10.8
Still employed
at the
company after
12 months
2,610
87.6
2,772
87.5
2,827
89.2
Total number
of female
employees
2,981
3,167
3,171
Male
Departed
within 12
months
129
15.3
124
13.7
141
13.4
Still employed
at the
company after
12 months
714
84.7
783
86.3
909
86.6
Total number
of male
employees
843
907
1,050

Total
as a percentage of all
male and female
employees who
returned from parental
leave in 2019
Total
as a percentage of all
male and female
employees who
returned from parental
leave in 2020
Total
as a percentage of all
male and female
employees who
returned from parental
leave in 2021
2019
2020
2021
Total
Departed
within 12
months
500
13.1
519
12.7
485
11.5
Still employed
at the
company after
12 months
3,324
86.9
3,555
87.3
3,736
88.5
Diverse
0
0
0
0
0
0
Not speciﬁed
-
-
-
-
-
-
Total
3,824
4,074
4,221

Involving employees in decision-making processes is an important factor within companies – it can promote trustful
cooperation between employer and employees and thus strengthen the employees’ identiﬁcation with the company.
A focus on Employees is one of the four central pillars of the REWE Group’s Sustainability Strategy. Within this pillar,
the group of companies has deﬁned ﬁve areas of action: values and culture, training and development, health and
safety, career and stages of life, and diversity and equal opportunities.
GRI 402: Labour/Management relations
Management approach
Principles
The combine-wide Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices serve as a basis for our actions. They are based on
the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The Guidelines say: “We respect the right of employees to form free, independent employee organisations and to
conduct free negotiations regarding wages and employee rights.”
Implementation
Employee co-determination is very important at the REWE Group. Legal, collective bargaining and company
regulations are implemented jointly with the employee representatives in a spirit of trust and cooperation. Almost all
employees in the stores, in logistics and in administration are represented by works councils – an ideal structure for
chain store retailing. The works councils and management work together trustfully.
GRI 402
Labour/Management Relations

GRI 402-1:
Minimum notice periods regarding operational changes
Employee representatives are involved in almost all decisions at the REWE Group as elected representatives of the
works councils or supervisory boards. In observance of co-determination and other participation rights, employee
committees are provided with information in a timely manner, their views on issues are heard and agreements are
reached with them. The REWE Group maintains a dynamic, intense and trusting relationship with works councils.
Their representatives are involved in various bodies such as the IT Committee and the Logistics Committee.
Operational changes are jointly discussed at an early stage.
In the event of compulsory redundancies, the REWE Group works out redundancy programmes together with the
employee committees if necessary. These often contain schemes to help employees gain qualiﬁcations and ﬁnd other
employment.

Companies must make it a priority to ensure safe workplaces and to promote the health of their employees. This work
includes avoiding occupational accidents and providing preventive health measures. By doing so, the company not
only complies with the law, but can also protect its employees and prevent longer absences. To be as eﬀective as
possible in ensuring health and safety, it is necessary to integrate these aspects properly into the company’s
structures.
Health and safety is an area of action in the Employees pillar of the REWE Group’s sustainability strategy. With its
activities in this area, the REWE Group aims to guarantee occupational safety and to preserve and promote the health
of its employees.
GRI 403: Occupational health and safety
GRI 403-1: Occupational health and safety management system
GRI 403-2: Hazard identiﬁcation, risk assessment and incident investigation
GRI 403-3: Occupational health services
GRI 403-4: Worker participation, consultation and communication on occupational health and safety
GRI 403-5: Worker training on occupational health and safety
GRI 403-7: Prevention and mitigation of occupational health and safety impacts directly linked by business
relationships
Management approach
Principles
The REWE Group ensures a safe and healthy working environment. It takes care to abide by the legal principles and
requirements of social accident insurance institutions (employers’ liability insurance associations) for occupational
health and safety.
Responsibilities
Occupational Health and Safety is organised as an HR service unit that provides its services for PENNY, REWE, REWE
Digital, REWE Fulﬁllment, toom Baumarkt DIY stores and other small units. The department operates throughout
GRI 403
Occupational Health and Safety Management

Germany with six teams and around 45 occupational health and safety experts. National coordinators work to
continually update and improve occupational safety processes. In addition, there is a national ﬁre safety and
hazardous goods oﬃcer.
The responsibility for the REWE Group’s occupational health management at Retail Germany lies with the Health &
Innovation Centre of Expertise (CoE). This centre consistently works for the beneﬁt of the employees, not only in the
area of “traditional” occupational health and safety.
At REWE International AG (RIAG), occupational safety is coordinated by the Corporate Security department. Its
occupational health and safety experts look after the central units and commercial companies in accordance with the
legal requirements. Within the framework of a continuous development process, it identiﬁes possible areas of action,
regularly reviews focal points and coordinates their further development.
Implementation
The commercial company analyses and checks relevant work processes for potential health and safety risks and
takes appropriate measures to reduce hazards. For this purpose, the Occupational Health and Safety HR service
continuously develops occupational safety processes with the help of experts within the entire occupational safety
team. This is organised by a national coordinator for occupational safety processes. Expert working groups meet
regularly to oversee the analysis, organisation and further development of important topics such as risk assessments
and operating instructions.
The occupational safety experts regularly inspect workplaces, paying close attention to government and employers’
liability insurance association regulations. Their tasks also include performing systematic accident analyses and
evaluating occupational safety reports received from authorities such as the district government, trade supervisory
centres, the German Occupational Safety Agency or employers’ liability insurance associations. In addition, they hold
regular coordination meetings with responsible sales managers or experts from the construction department.
It is crucial to sensitise managers and employees to occupational safety as well as to work conditions and processes
that promote human health. Therefore, occupational safety experts also attend meetings of the Occupational Safety
and Health Committees in the business units at a regional or national level – in accordance with the management and
responsibility structures. In addition, they participate in regular meetings with the units involved, for example in
discussions with managers during site inspections. The business units’ communication systems are used to provide
written health and safety information, as well as e-learning programmes and targeted training for managers and
trainees. Notices are posted at the sites to announce occupational safety experts and company physicians as contact
persons for questions or suggestions.
The area of action of the national ﬁre safety and hazardous goods oﬃcer is currently being restructured. The relevant
ﬁre protection and dangerous goods processes are being reviewed and, if necessary, adapted to reﬂect a more
advanced management approach.

With Lekkerland, which was acquired at the end of 2019, there is a regular professional and strategic exchange at the
national level. The company has its own occupational health and safety organisation. Its occupational safety
committees meet four times a year. The Lekkerland companies and sites are overseen by occupational safety experts
and company doctors from the external service provider ias. They conduct regular inspections with regard to
ergonomics and safety in the workplace, prepare risk assessments and carry out all relevant examinations. The
company’s ﬁre protection measures are monitored and inspected by DEKRA. Employees at Lekkerland are sensitised
to the topic of occupational safety through company videos.
The REWE Group’s uniform occupational health care in Germany is oﬀered by a single cross-company service
provider for the sales lines REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY stores and DER Touristik. The service provider is
coordinated nationally by the CoE Health & Innovation on the basis of statutory operating hours. This is done in
agreement with the heads of the business units and occupational safety experts in a needs-based manner that
corresponds to strategic objectives.
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In 2021, the REWE sales line received the “Golden Hand” award for its commitment to occupational safety.
The prevention award of the employers’ liability insurance association Berufsgenossenschaft Handel und
Warenlogistik (BGHW) is the most important prize for safe and healthy workplaces in Germany in this area.
REWE won the main award for equipping its truck ﬂeet with safety lights: LED light strips on the side edges
of the tail lifts switch on automatically when opened and clearly indicate where the loading area ends. This
helps to prevent workers from falling oﬀ the folded-out tail lift when loading and unloading the truck in the
dark.
OObbjjeeccttiivveess
In terms of occupational health and safety, the REWE Group aims to reduce the number of accidents to 43.5
per 1,000 full-time equivalents by 2025.

DDeeaalliinngg  wwiitthh  tthhee  ccoorroonnaavviirruuss  ppaannddeemmiicc
Due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic in 2021 and the legal requirements that go hand in hand with
it, the Health & Innovation CoE has taken on a central role at the REWE Group alongside the Occupational
Safety department. As early as the beginning of March 2020, the commercial company entered into
dialogue with external bodies (e.g. Robert Koch Institute, Berufsgenossenschaft Handel und Warenlogistik
or the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Aﬀairs) as well as internal national and regional crisis teams in
order to agree on requirements and protective measures. Together with the departments and regions,
various concepts were devised and measures implemented during the reporting period – from the
procurement of protective goods and the erection of partition walls in the stores to regulations on how many
people may be present in a room.
Furthermore, the Occupational Health & Safety department and the Health & Innovation CoE developed and
implemented a dedicated strategy for some business units to conduct PCR tests themselves. In addition, a
process for mass testing was developed at the logistics sites of the REWE Group, and employees were
trained in how to carry out the tests. A general works agreement was adopted to organise and govern the
testing.
When the individual federal state regulations made vaccination campaigns possible from spring 2021
onwards, these were organised at the administration and logistics sites, with implementation supervised by
the company medical service. In winter 2021, there were additional booster vaccination campaigns at the
administration and logistics sites. To increase the willingness to be vaccinated, employees were granted
time credits for both the ﬁrst and second vaccinations in the summer and for the booster dose in the winter.
Besides organising the protection, testing and vaccination measures, the Health & Innovation CoE, together
with the company medical service, advised the various sales lines on all issues related to the pandemic
during the ﬁnancial year.
In Austria, 14,000 vaccinations were organised for employees and their families in 2021. The vaccinations
were administered at the Wiener Neudorf headquarters, at a training centre and via public vaccination lines
and private clinics.
Eﬃcient risk assessment
One of the success factors for systematically recording and evaluating hazards is an eﬃcient risk assessment. A
system is used to record and evaluate the main areas of risk and to draw up proposals for suitable implementation
measures. The electronic tracking of risks helps occupational safety oﬃcers with their work in this area. The
administration sites, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY stores and REWE Digital Fulﬁlment Services (as well as the logistics
sites belonging to these companies) use the “Online Risk Assessment” system of the Berufsgenossenschaft Handel
und Warenlogistik (BGHW) throughout their operations: An electronic checklist that contains relevant issues is
accessed using a tablet, laptop or a PC in the store in order to identify risks and develop appropriate measures. For

REWE Markt GmbH, further important steps were taken in 2021 to replace the existing, very individual risk
assessment systems and implement a uniform system. More activities are planned in this connection in 2022.
In 2021, the required risk assessments with regard to the coronavirus and the associated hygiene concepts had to be
regularly adapted to the current status. The “blueprint” to be used to document case numbers on site, which was
developed and agreed upon by the occupational safety experts, was checked and adapted on a recurring basis and
made available to the responsible managers for further processing. As a complementary measure, a speciﬁc risk
assessment for vulnerable risk groups (such as older employees, employees with pre-existing conditions or pregnant
women) was developed in 2020. This allowed the company to develop and agree on the necessary protective
measures for employees who are particularly at risk – for example, taking on a diﬀerent job, mobile working or a ban
on employment for their protection.
Mental risk assessments are carried out using either employee surveys or checklists, depending on the business unit,
with IT-based documentation wherever possible. In addition, staﬀ-oriented tools such as forums, (health) circles,
work situation assessments and other moderated workshop formats are used for speciﬁc target groups.
Lekkerland SE conducted a survey on psychological stress among its employees, which was devised with the support
of the service provider ias and completed by the end of 2021. In 2022, it will focus on evaluating the results,
identifying hazards and deriving measures to optimise the framework conditions for a healthy organisation.
Training in occupational health and safety
Since 2012, e-learning courses on the subject of occupational health and safety have been available as a basic tool
for instruction in all REWE and PENNY stores as well as in administration oﬃces. The content is revised at regular
intervals to reﬂect current requirements – most recently in May 2020, with further minor updates in 2021. Courses
are completed by all employees and managers (the latter with an additional module on responsibility). Annual reviews
are held to ensure that employees remember what they learned. Special topics, in particular local speciﬁcs as well as
the implementation and use of machines and equipment, are regularly discussed on site between the responsible
staﬀ members and users. More than 200 operating manuals are now available for this purpose, which can be used as
a basis for speciﬁc and target-group-oriented instructions. In addition, a checklist of subjects is being coordinated
with the sales department, which will be used to document the speciﬁc instructions.
In summer 2020, toom Baumarkt too developed a comprehensive e-learning programme for its DIY stores and made
it available in the course of the ﬁnancial year. Further speciﬁc information, such as on responsibility in the context of
occupational safety, on being an oﬃcial representative or on giving on-site instruction on machines and equipment,
can be found in a structured form on the process portal of toom Baumarkt.
PENNY uses the interactive training document “Azupoly” to instruct its trainees in a fun way. The programme has
developed into a standard annual activity that has since been rolled out to other sales lines such as REWE and toom
Baumarkt as well. In 2021, many classroom-based seminars were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. As an
alternative, relevant topics were discussed online via digital formats where possible.

In addition, all stores train ﬁre protection and evacuation oﬃcers as well as ﬁrst-aid providers as required by law.
REWE and PENNY qualify their ﬁre protection oﬃcers by means of speciﬁc e-learning courses, which are
supplemented by practical elements such as ﬁre extinguishing exercises. The ﬁrst-aid providers’ training is carried
out by certiﬁed providers, where possible in in-house training sessions or on a decentralised basis.
The REWE Group in Austria also oﬀers legally required occupational safety training and regularly inspects its
operating sites.
In addition, it provides safety training for cars and trucks on an ongoing basis. These courses must be completed by
all employees who have received a new company car.
GRI 403-9:
Work-related injuries
The accident statistics tracked by the REWE Group cover occupational accidents and the lost work days caused by
them. They also facilitate an evaluation by gender and work area. Like the statistics of the employers’ liability
insurance association, the ﬁgures represent reportable accidents per 1,000 full time equivalents (FTEs).
In 2021, the accident rate increased compared to 2020, rising from 48.3 to 48.8 accidents per 1,000 FTEs, thus
remaining above the goal of 43.5 accidents per 1,000 FTEs until 2025. The accident was fatal in one case. Sick leave
at the REWE Group rose slightly during the reporting period. The total was 7.3 per cent in 2021 (2020: 6.9 per cent).
Paid sick leave also went up slightly in the reporting period, reaching 4.5 per cent (2020: 4.3 per cent).
Target/KPI
2019
2020
2021
Status
Reduce accidents per 1,000 full-time equivalents to 43.5 by 2025
46.9
48.3
48.8
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
In addition to the accident statistics, an accident analysis dashboard was developed and tested in 2021. It was put
into live operation in January 2022. Occupational safety experts are thus able to systematically assess all reportable
occupational accidents (excluding commuting accidents) and to scrutinise and analyse them for possible causes as a
supplement to the descriptive accident report. The aim is to derive suitable preventive measures and to make it easier
to identify the main areas where action is needed.
Since 2008, the REWE Group has been producing a health report that covers all types of health insurance schemes
and is discussed in various committees. The report summarises the cases of incapacity to work reported to the main
health insurance providers in the REWE Group. Data on occupational illnesses is not documented. Experience shows
that recognised occupational illnesses only occur to a limited extent at the REWE Group.

Like in the entire retail business, robberies remain an issue at the REWE Group. The employees aﬀected can suﬀer
both physical and mental damage, which can lead to longer periods of absence. The REWE Group follows a policy of
acute intervention after traumatic events in the form of professional psychological counselling. One thing that has
been observed throughout the retail sector in connection with the coronavirus pandemic is that there has been an
increase in aggressive behaviour in the stores. This, too, is something that the REWE Group sees as an area of action
in connection with traumatic events. The HR departments of PENNY and REWE are currently working together with
the works councils and occupational safety experts to examine and develop measures and processes that ensure
acute intervention following not only physically but also psychologically traumatic events and that also oﬀer support
in preventing such events. This includes, among other things, special instructions on how to prevent physical and
psychological assaults as well as seminar modules.
In 2021, 168 employees in Germany and Austria were aﬀected by robberies or assaults, two fewer than in the
previous year. Assaults (such as verbal or physical attacks, for example when checking compliance with hygiene rules
in the stores) were recorded and included in this category for the ﬁrst time in 2021.
REWE Group service providers are generally independent decentralised contract partners. Data on accident rates,
sick leave and fatalities in relation to external service providers is therefore not currently recorded.
Accidents, robberies and assaults, and fatalities
Total (scope of the
sustainability report)
Germany
Austria1
Type
Gender
2019
2020
2021
2019
2020
2021
20193
2020
2021
Accidents per 1,000 FTEs2,3
Female
44.5
45.3
45.8
47.9
49.4
51.0
32.3
30.8
26.4
Male
51.2
53.1
53.6
54.4
57.5
58.0
34.9
29.9
28.9
Diverse
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Not
speciﬁed
–
0
583.8
–
0
583.8
–
0
0
Total
46.9
48.3
48.8
50.4
52.6
53.8
33.1
30.5
27.2
Number of employees involved
Female
4,863
5,074
5,277
4,082
4,325
4,631
781
749
646
1 Austrian law does not require a distinction to be made between occupational and commuting accidents. For this reason, this distinction is not
available in the systems and cannot be evaluated. Only the total number of accidents (both occupational and commuting accidents) is reported for
the REWE Group in Austria. As a result, the ﬁgures for Austria are not included in the total for the area of application of the Sustainability Report in
the columns occupational accidents and commuting accidents. Since the accident ﬁgures in Austria are not broken down by gender, but are
included in the total, there may be discrepancies between the total and individual values.
2 FTE = full-time equivalent
3 The increase in occupational accidents at the REWE Group in Austria is due to the fact that all non-manual workers have had their own occupational
accident absence account since 2019 as a result of the harmonisation of the status of manual and non-manual workers. As a result, non-manual
workers’ occupational accidents are now clearly recorded.
4 For the ﬁrst time, the category of robberies also includes assaults (such as verbal or physical attacks).

Total (scope of the
sustainability report)
Germany
Austria1
Type
Gender
2019
2020
2021
2019
2020
2021
20193
2020
2021
1 Austrian law does not require a distinction to be made between occupational and commuting accidents. For this reason, this distinction is not
available in the systems and cannot be evaluated. Only the total number of accidents (both occupational and commuting accidents) is reported for
the REWE Group in Austria. As a result, the ﬁgures for Austria are not included in the total for the area of application of the Sustainability Report in
the columns occupational accidents and commuting accidents. Since the accident ﬁgures in Austria are not broken down by gender, but are
included in the total, there may be discrepancies between the total and individual values.
2 FTE = full-time equivalent
3 The increase in occupational accidents at the REWE Group in Austria is due to the fact that all non-manual workers have had their own occupational
accident absence account since 2019 as a result of the harmonisation of the status of manual and non-manual workers. As a result, non-manual
workers’ occupational accidents are now clearly recorded.
4 For the ﬁrst time, the category of robberies also includes assaults (such as verbal or physical attacks).
in accidents3 (occupational
and commuting accidents)
Male
3,249
3,615
3,829
2,886
3,293
3,514
363
322
315
Diverse
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Not
speciﬁed
–
0
1
–
0
1
–
0
–
Total
8,112
8,689
9,107
6,968
7,618
8,146
1,144
1,071
961
Number of employees involved
in accidents (occupational
accidents)
Female
3,478
3,749
3,912
3,478
3,749
3,912
–
–
Male
2,546
2,920
3,050
2,546
2,920
3,050
–
–
Diverse
0
0
0
0
0
0
–
–
Not
speciﬁed
–
0
1
–
0
1
–
–
Total
944
949
1,183
944
949
1,183
–
–
Number of employees involved
in accidents (commuting
accidents)
Female
604
576
719
604
576
719
–
–
Male
340
373
464
340
373
464
–
–
Diverse
0
0
0
0
0
0
–
–
Not
speciﬁed
–
0
–
–
0
–
–
–
Total
6,024
6,669
6,963
6,024
6,669
6,963
-
-
Employees aﬀected by
robberies and assaults4
Female
94
96
79
94
96
79
–
–
Male
53
68
76
53
68
76
–
–
Diverse
0
0
0
0
0
0
–
–
Not
speciﬁed
–
0
–
–
0
–
–
–
Total
165
170
168
147
164
155
18
6
13

Days lost due to accidents
Total (scope of the
sustainability report)
Germany
Austria1
Type
Gender
2019
2020
2021
2019
2020
2021
20193
2020
2021
1 Austrian law does not require a distinction to be made between occupational and commuting accidents. For this reason, this distinction is not
available in the systems and cannot be evaluated. Only the total number of accidents (both occupational and commuting accidents) is reported for
the REWE Group in Austria. As a result, the ﬁgures for Austria are not included in the total for the area of application of the Sustainability Report in
the columns occupational accidents and commuting accidents. Since the accident ﬁgures in Austria are not broken down by gender, but are
included in the total, there may be discrepancies between the total and individual values.
2 FTE = full-time equivalent
3 The increase in occupational accidents at the REWE Group in Austria is due to the fact that all non-manual workers have had their own occupational
accident absence account since 2019 as a result of the harmonisation of the status of manual and non-manual workers. As a result, non-manual
workers’ occupational accidents are now clearly recorded.
4 For the ﬁrst time, the category of robberies also includes assaults (such as verbal or physical attacks).
Fatal accidents
Female
3
4
0
3
4
0
0
0
0
Male
4
1
1
2
1
1
2
0
0
Diverse
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Not
speciﬁed
–
0
–
–
0
–
–
0
0
Total
7
5
1
5
5
1
2
0
0
Gender
2019
2020
2021
Total (scope of the sustainability report)
Female
112,342
105,857
120,290
Male
58,686
60,219
64,131
Diverse
0
0
0
Not speciﬁed
–
0
5
Total
171,028
166,076
184,426
Germany
Female
98,597
91,478
105,326
Male
52,997
54,827
58,367
Diverse
0
0
0
Not speciﬁed
–
0
5
Total
151,594
146,305
163,698
Austria
Female
13,745
14,379
14,964
Male
5,689
5,392
5,764

Sick leave
2019
2020
2021
Region
%
%
%
Total (scope of the sustainability report)
Female
7.4
7.6
8.1
Male
5.7
5.7
6.0
Diverse
2.4
4.2
6.7
Not speciﬁed
–
23.9
6.6
Total
6.8
6.9
7.3
Germany
Female
8.1
8.3
8.7
Male
6.1
6.1
6.3
Diverse
2.4
4.2
6.7
Not speciﬁed
–
23.9
6.6
Total
7.3
7.4
7.8
Austria
Female
5.3
5.2
5.7
Male
4.2
4.1
4.3
Diverse
0
0
0
Not speciﬁed
–
0
–
Total
4.9
4.9
5.2
There is no evidence of employees having a high sickness rate or risk of sickness due to their job.
Diverse
0
0
0
Not speciﬁed
–
0
–
Total
19,434
19,771
20,728

GRI 403-6:
Promotion of worker health
Principles
With regard to occupational health management, Retail Germany deﬁned four areas of action in 2021 as part of a
national occupational health management strategy in cooperation with the regions:
1. Optimised use of resources (e.g. drawing up key ﬁgures, process for annual action planning)
2. Increasing the reach and penetration rate (communication concepts for employees and managers)
3. Compliance with legal requirements
4. Prevention and occupational health-promotion programmes
The occupational health-promotion programmes at the REWE Group in Austria are based on three areas: physical,
social and mental/well-being. There are programmes in place both in the stores and at the headquarters of the
commercial companies to promote this holistic approach to biopsychosocial health.
OObbjjeeccttiivveess
Within the framework of health management, the REWE Group wants to sustainably promote the health of
its employees and prevent illnesses, thus improving the health rate in the company. To achieve this
objective, the Health & Innovation CoE, among other units, is developing concepts and coordinating projects
as well as oﬀers for the individual sales lines and their employees.
Projects and measures
In Cologne, occupational health management oﬀers prevention courses under the name Fit.Netz. A total of
3,362 participants enrolled on these courses between 2018 and 2021 – including just 532 participants in the
ﬁnancial year under review due to the coronavirus pandemic. After some course phases had to be cancelled in 2020
due to the pandemic, three course phases and a summer holiday programme were able to take place again in 2021.
Most courses were oﬀered online.
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the REWE Group organised various online seminars for its employees in 2021 in
cooperation with B-A-D Gesundheitsvorsorge und Sicherheitstechnik GmbH. The subjects included dealing with
insecurity and fears, addiction, resilience for managers, skin screening as well as sleep and mindfulness (for more
information, see section Other Examples of the Health-Promotion Programmes Oﬀered by the REWE Group in the
Financial Year). A new general works agreement was concluded in 2021 with regard to support for people suﬀering
from addiction.

At the store level and in logistics, as in the previous year, the focus was on ergonomics at the workplace, as repetitive
movements and incorrect lifting, carrying and standing often cause pain and days lost. For this reason, the company
provides ergonomics training on proper lifting and carrying and on the correct ergonomic adjustment and design of
workplaces, as well as, for example, campaign days on the topic of back health.
In addition, the sales lines oﬀer a variety of preventive services at the regional level, such as consultation hours for
personal counselling at all administration sites, psychosocial telephone counselling in all regions, as well as health
days, ﬁtness checks, cancer check-ups (skin screening), ﬂu vaccinations, dietary and non-smoking courses,
massages at the workplace, individual courses and workshops or online coaching courses in cooperation with DAK
Gesundheit.
At the beginning of 2021, the REWE Group ran campaign weeks on the topic of a healthy diet. The online platform
“Gemeinsam.topﬁt” featured content on healthy cooking, mindful eating, nutrition trends and sustainability. 112
employees took part in nutrition consultations and 450 in the prize draw. A brochure was also available, as well as
measures, seminars and workshops in a digital health management toolbox, which the regions could access and
realise as they wished – supported by the Health & Innovation CoE.
The health-promotion programme at the toom Baumarkt DIY stores is organised on a decentralised basis. It includes
seminars on the topic of healthy management and a Health Olympics event in individual DIY stores. In addition,
addiction counselling with trained counsellors is available in all regions.
At the REWE Group in Austria, the activities for employees and managers are divided into the aspects of ergonomics
at the workplace, diet, psyche/relaxation, sports/exercise, preventive care and more ﬂexible working hours. For
example, the programme includes individual ﬁtness classes or lectures to strengthen health awareness. Another
focus is on sensitising employees to physical and mental health factors. At the store level, preventive check-ups and
screenings are promoted through paid time oﬀ work for the duration of the check-up. In addition, the REWE Group in
Austria oﬀers training on proper lifting and carrying as well as ergonomic footwear.

GGeettttiinngg  aanndd  ssttaayyiinngg  ﬁﬁtt  wwiitthh  tthhee  ““GGeemmeeiinnssaamm..ttooppﬁﬁtt””  oonnlliinnee  ppllaattffoorrmm  aanndd  aapppp
Since 2019, the REWE Group has been helping its employees to live a healthy lifestyle by means of an online
platform, an app, print material, an e-learning course and a ﬁlm: the “Gemeinsam.topﬁt” programme gives
employees access to various oﬀers ranging from stress management to nutrition tips. Besides video and
audio courses, recipes and other content, there is a Job.Fit module that provides employees with valuable
tips for their daily work and physical activities such as lifting and carrying heavy goods, stocking shelves or
sitting at the checkout. During the ﬁnancial year, the app was redesigned and enhanced with new features
such as a dashboard and a status screen for appointments and challenges. Courses, appointments with
company doctors and vaccinations can now also be booked directly via the app. Because of the coronavirus
pandemic, home exercise sessions have also been made available. More than 70,000 employees in
Germany (REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt, DER Touristik, Lekkerland) have registered for the
“Gemeinsam.topﬁt” app (as of January 2022), 60 per cent of whom are regular users.
Other examples of the health-promotion programmes oﬀered by the REWE Group in the ﬁnancial year:
!"All regions oﬀered ﬂu vaccinations as well as relevant consultations at the administration and logistics sites. Where
vaccinations could not be administered (especially in the stores), employees received time credits for the
vaccinations they got.
!"The “You are important” initiative was continued for all employees throughout Germany. Employees were credited
one hour for participating in cancer screenings.
!"All employees of the REWE Group were able to take part in a virtual running event as a substitute for various
traditional runs.
!"In the REWE Region South, health days and a variety of seminars were organised, including topics such as
“Dealing with Diﬃcult Customers”, “Healthy and Eﬃcient During the Pandemic”, “Healthy Leadership from
Home”, “Customers Suﬀering from Addiction or Dementia in Retail” and “De-escalation when Speaking with
Customers”.
!"The REWE Region Southwest oﬀered ergonomic advice at the workplace, skin screenings, medical checks and ﬂu
vaccinations. In addition, employees had the chance to take part in online seminars on dealing with fears and
worries.
!"REWE West oﬀered online workshops on “Resilience for Managers” and “Life Balance when Working from Home”,
as well as ergonomic advice and active breaks. In addition, employees were able to undergo a skin cancer
screening and an intraocular pressure measurement.
!"Employees of the REWE Region Central were able to take part in online lectures on subjects such as “Fit at Home”,
“Self-organisation and Mobile Working” and “Leading Virtual Teams” as well as webinars on sleep and
mindfulness. There was also a seminar on getting a healthy night’s sleep despite times of crisis.

!"Employees at REWE North were given the opportunity to participate in a skin cancer screening and in lectures on
mental health.
!"The REWE Region East oﬀered stress counselling sessions.
!"JobRad – an oﬀer to purchase a company bicycle under a deferred compensation model – has been used by
REWE Group employees more than 8,000 times since the end of 2016.
!"In 2021, the REWE sales line introduced a trainee health day called “Fit on the Job”. Held in the ﬁrst year of
training, it aims to promote health awareness among trainees at an early stage and with lasting eﬀect. Topics
include healthy eating habits, exercise and ergonomics, addiction and mental health.
!"Experts and doctors regularly give health tips for employees on PENNY LIVE (radio in the stores) before the stores
open. The topic of health is also discussed by the in-store radio oﬀered by BILLA, BILLA PLUS and PENNY in
Austria:
Measures oﬀered by the REWE Group in Austria include the management academy, which is mandatory throughout
the group, with one module focusing on “healthy management” and the BILLA Burnout Prevention Curriculum. In
addition, individual coaching for managers and occupational psychology coaching for employees are also available.
For its high level of commitment in the area of health promotion, the REWE Group in Austria has already received the
“company health promotion” seal of approval a number of times.
TTeenn  yyeeaarrss  ooff  ““LLooSS!!  ––  LLiiffee  PPhhaassee--OOrriieenntteedd  SSeellff--HHeellpp  SSkkiillllss””
Back in 2011, the REWE Group launched a project called “LoS! – Life Phase-Oriented Self-Help Skills”. The
project focuses on dealing with stress and psychological strain in the interest of preventive health care, as
both can have serious eﬀects on the employability, motivation and work performance of employees. An
important part of the project are the “LoS! multipliers”: these employees – of which there are now 216 – are
trained as ﬁrst-line counsellors for their colleagues and act as contact persons in critical phases of their
lives. In 2021, the tenth anniversary of the project was celebrated with the LoS! anniversary days, during
which the multipliers were able to attend lectures on conversation skills, self-care and mental health over
the course of one week. The company regularly develops new aids to support them in their voluntary work –
in the ﬁnancial year, for example, in relation to the topics of LGBTIQ and stillborn babies.
Easing employees back into work: Company integration management
Company integration management assists employees who return to work after long health-related absences. It
focuses on legal regulations and takes account of company conditions like location and employee structures. A new
general works agreement on company integration management was concluded in 2021. Company integration
management (part-time reintegration) was introduced in Austrian law in 2017.

The labour market is currently in a state of constant change: Digitalisation is altering the work world, and the
demographic shift has created a shortage of skilled workers. Promoting training and education is therefore a
particularly relevant issue for companies, since it allows them to build up missing knowledge, qualify their employees
accordingly, meet new challenges such as digitalisation and thereby position themselves for the future.
All of the education and training programmes at the REWE Group take place within the framework of the “Training
and Development” area of action – which is part of the Employees pillar in the REWE Group’s Sustainability Strategy.
The company’s goal in this context is to position itself as an attractive employer in order to attract talent to the
company. As many skilled workers and managers as possible are to be recruited internally so that qualiﬁed and
motivated employees can be tied to the company in the long term.
GRI 404: Training and education
Management approach
Principles
The REWE Group oﬀers all employees and managers a comprehensive internal education and training programme
that is geared towards the development of both personal and professional skills.
The topic of sustainability plays a role here too because trainees, employees and managers at the REWE Group gain
insights into general and speciﬁc sustainability aspects within the framework of training courses and projects.
Responsibility
The responsibility for training and education lies with the HR department of the respective sales line.
Implementation
In principle, further education programmes are developed speciﬁcally for each sales line in order to meet varying
requirements and at the same time take account of the individual needs of the employees. In addition, there are some
human resources development programmes and further education courses that are oﬀered to employees and
GRI 404
Training and Education

managers from all sales lines. This helps to promote group-wide networking and gives participants an insight into
other sales lines.
The REWE Group oﬀers about 25 diﬀerent training options, in such areas as retail or wholesale, foreign trade, food
production, IT, logistics and tourism. REWE Markt GmbH oﬀers trainees who perform well a guaranteed job after they
have completed their training. In total, the REWE Group has 9,345 trainees in Germany and Austria (scope of the
sustainability report).
OObbjjeeccttiivveess
One objective is to increase the share of internal appointments to management positions to 80.0 per cent by
2025. In the ﬁnancial year, the rate stood at 75.1 per cent (2020: 72.4 per cent).
The REWE Group also intends to increase the training percentage or, at the least, to maintain it at the level
of 5.4 per cent. At 5.6 per cent, the percentage of trainees in the workforce was above the target of 5.4 per
cent in the ﬁnancial year.
Measures and projects in the areas of training and study
The REWE Group implements a variety of measures and projects aimed at providing additional support in the context
of training and studies. Especially in sales, the REWE Group’s individual sales lines attach great importance to
retaining employees after they have completed their training and to providing them with further training and support
through targeted programmes. Depending on the sales line, it takes between two and three years to prepare for a
management position in a store.
Providing targeted support for trainees – Also digitally during the pandemic
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, digital learning concepts have gained considerable importance in 2020 and
2021. For example, the REWE Group made a lot of additional learning content available online and conducted virtual
training sessions.
Goals
2019
2020
2021
Status
Increase the level of internally staﬀed management positions to 80.0% by 2025
74.4%
72.1%
75.1%
Keep the trainee ratio (trainees as a percentage of the total workforce in full-time
equivalents) at 5.4 % until 2025
5.3%
5.3%
5.6%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained

REWE Markt GmbH, as part of the “Trainee Strategy” project, revised its seminar and training structure for the start
of the 2021 training year and added new virtual and classroom seminars. It also incorporated the concept of blended
learning, in which both variants can be combined to complement each other. In addition, the company training plan
was digitalised: The trainees’ deployment structure in the stores was aligned with the new seminar structure so that
they can immediately apply everything they have learned in practice. To compensate for seminar cancellations due to
the pandemic, various target group-speciﬁc interim concepts were developed for trainees of all apprenticeship years.
Besides digital learning modules, these concepts also include online training and practical transfer tasks. Some 75
per cent of the classroom seminars within the training programme were digitalised.
In 2021, trainees at REWE were again able to prepare for their exams or acquire merchandise knowledge at any
location using the learning app “Frisches Wissen” (fresh knowledge), which was last updated in 2020. Diﬀerent
formats such as quizzes, ﬂashcards and a glossary oﬀer a varied learning experience.
Regional projects
REWE runs special trainee development projects in the individual regions, which are also designed to showcase the
diversity of the training. A selection is presented below:
TTrraaiinneeee  pprroojjeecctt::  FFaaiirr  SSuuppeerrmmaarrkkeett  TTrraaiinn
To help trainees gain independence and practical experience, the REWE Region Central opened a “Fair
Supermarket Train” together with Fairtrade Germany at the end of 2021: The supermarket aboard a special
train carried around 3,000 products across three carriages and called at six stations, where it opened for
business for two days each. At each station, the store was run by a diﬀerent team of 30 trainees from the
respective sales area, who also operated the on-board bistro. The project not only highlighted the topics of
regionality and sustainability, but also showed the outside world how diverse REWE’s training programme is.
Moreover, the participating trainees were able to experience and manage all the processes of a new
opening.
At PENNY, trainees can prepare for their ﬁnal exams with Prozubi, an online learning platform for trainees in
commercial professions. The quiz questions are based on the examination questions of the German Chamber of
Industry and Commerce. In 2021, PENNY updated its training programmes to include topics such as sustainability
(see section Sustainability in Training) and introduced the PENNY learning app. There was also a pilot project on
using tablets for remote training and meetings, which was successfully completed. The rollout took place in January
2022. Trainees who are looking to become oﬃce managers and those who hold secondary school diplomas receive
digital soft skills training on topics such as online etiquette or time management at PENNY.
As part of REWE International AG’s Career Forge, trainees in Austria are also oﬀered a learning app. The app
supplements training opportunities and exam preparation with special events and current content.

A new element introduced in 2021 as a ﬁxed component of apprenticeship training in Austria are one- or two-day
personal development seminars for trainees, where they can expect a diﬀerent thematic focus during each year of
their training. The ﬁrst year focuses on self-motivation and learning techniques, the second year on tips for
communication and sales professionals, and the third year on time and conﬂict management.
TThhee  bbeesstt  ttrraaiinniinngg  ffoorr  ttrraaiinneerrss
In January 2021, BILLA launched “Apprenticeship Training Full of Life”, a project for training companies
that is funded by two Ministries of Austrian. Its goal is to break down gender stereotypes in dual education.
Additionally, it aims to qualify and promote apprenticeship trainers, who are the basis for high-quality
apprenticeship training. After an extensive analysis phase in 2021, the training of apprenticeship trainers
was redesigned and the certiﬁed course was expanded by three additional modules. There are also two
additional e-learning courses on “Sexual harassment at the workplace” and “Equal treatment instead of
discrimination”. The project runs until June 2022.
At DER Touristik, learning mentors support the training. Because they were partly on short-time work due to the
coronavirus pandemic, additional digital learning formats were created to compensate for cancelled internal training
classes. 2021 also saw the development of a digital training plan for all apprenticeship years in the travel agency
sector. Between one and three training classes a week were generally held in the ﬁnancial year.
At the Lekkerland sales line, trainees and dual studies students at the corporate headquarters beneﬁt from a Web-
based training series called JUMP.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, JUMP took place virtually in 2021.
Attracting trainees
Since 2012, trainee marketing – an area that is becoming increasingly important and fast-moving – has been
handled entirely by the individual sales lines. This allows them to recruit in a targeted manner to meet their demand
for skilled workers.
REWE Markt GmbH’s training campaigns are primarily conducted in the social networks Instagram, YouTube and
Facebook. Ads are posted both on the company’s own career channels and on target group-speciﬁc training websites.
This is sometimes complemented by radio and print campaigns, school cooperations, applicant training, articles in
career magazines or participation in trade fairs. Advertising eﬀorts are intensiﬁed twice a year – when apprenticeship
places are ﬁrst publicised and when the target group enters the application phase.
In July 2021, REWE Karriere opened another social media channel on the TikTok platform in order to have a presence
where the target group is active. In addition, it launched a campaign called “Get into the game – as a trainee at
REWE”, which is designed to appeal to gamers. In three high-quality short ﬁlms on a specially created landing page,

the work of young trainees is transformed into a kind of computer game in which they have to master all kinds of
challenges. The high-budget media campaign was supported by gaming inﬂuencers who are well-known to the target
group. In addition, the REWE careers website was revamped and brought into line with the changed user behaviour of
the target group – 75 per cent of page hits are made via mobile devices. Various new modules provide interested
parties and job applicants with more transparency about available career paths and training occupations.
PENNY too runs online campaigns on Facebook and Spotify Ads, as well as job adverts on Instagram. In 2021, it also
launched the multimedia employer campaign “You can be anything but irrelevant”. The idea being conveyed here is
that at PENNY, every employee counts. One focal point was the target group of trainees.
DER Touristik continued its “DER sucht Dich” (DER wants you) campaign on Instagram. Additionally, trainees
support the recruitment of new trainees in their role as training ambassadors.
At Lekkerland, the campaign has focused on logistics since 2020, with mailshots being sent to schools and youth
centres, for example. The company also advertises its training positions online on various student portals.
The sales lines in Austria also favour social media channels in order to optimally reach trainees. During the ﬁnancial
year, BILLA launched recruitment campaigns on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.
Sustainability in training
The REWE Group integrates the topic of sustainability into face-to-face training for trainees. The trainees in all sales
lines manage small projects independently, carrying full responsibility for them.
!"REWE trainees in the area of wholesale and foreign trade (administration) each spend 40 hours working in charity
facilities.
!"The trainees at the REWE Group headquarters carry out compulsory sustainability projects in their ﬁrst year of
training.
!"All trainees at PENNY receive annual training on the topic of sustainability.
During the ﬁnancial year, many of the projects had to be cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

PPrroommoottiinngg  yyoouunngg  ttaalleenntt  wwiitthh  tthhee  RREEWWEE  GGrroouupp  SSttaarr
The group-wide competition REWE Group Star is intended to motivate trainees and junior staﬀ to live
sustainability – and thus strengthen the spirit of sustainability within the company. The employees work in
teams to identify sustainability issues that they want to promote. They then plan concrete projects and
implement them on their own responsibility. In 2021, 41 teams submitted their projects (2020: 7). On
account of the coronavirus, the winners were recognised at a digital awards ceremony. First place went to
the “Nordlichter” project submitted by ﬁve trainees from the toom Baumarkt sales line in the Hamburg
region. They sold bread bags they had personally sewn from old clothes, with the proceeds beneﬁting one of
their colleagues.
Supporting scholarship holders
In 2021, the REWE Group continuously supported 17 beneﬁciaries through the Germanystipendium scholarship
programme. Selected economics students from the University of Cologne and TH Köln – University of Applied
Sciences receive ﬁnancial aid. Through this as well as through excursions to production sites and warehouse
locations and regular mentoring meetings, the scholarship holders get to know the REWE Group as an attractive
company for a potential career start.
Study with the REWE Group
In addition to traditional trainee occupations, the REWE Group gives people an opportunity to take part in dual studies
programmes or programs for working professionals, together with such institutions as the European University of
Applied Sciences (EUFH) in Brühl, the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Mannheim,
Ravensburg and seven other locations or the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR). The degree programmes
cover the ﬁelds of retail, tourism and event management as well as business informatics. A total of 183 students were
enrolled in the reporting period (2020: 242).
In addition, the REWE Group oﬀers employees with a Bachelor’s degree a tailor-made part-time Master’s programme
leading to the degree “M.A. International Retail Management” in cooperation with the ESB Business School at
Reutlingen University. The degree provides key qualiﬁcations in national and international retail management.
Students are released from work during the face-to-face phases of the degree. The majority of the costs are borne by
the REWE Group, with the participants also making a ﬁnancial contribution. In October 2021, ten employees from the
various national and international sales lines began the degree. Twelve employees completed their studies in the
ﬁnancial year. Most of the classroom events originally planned for the students took place virtually.
Trainee programmes as entry opportunities for university graduates
The trainee programmes at the REWE Group oﬀer university graduates from various disciplines an interesting and
varied start to their careers. During the 18- to 24-month programmes, they are mainly deployed in their respective
area of specialisation. In addition, they also spend time working in relevant interface areas, including abroad. During
the reporting period, 27 university graduates began their on-the-job training (2020: 28). In Austria, seven trainees

took part in the management trainee programme and in speciﬁc trainee programmes, for example in the products or
IT departments, during the ﬁnancial year (2020: nine).
In 2016, a retailer trainee programme was launched, which consists of a 24-month training phase followed by a 12-
month assignment as a store manager. The programme is aimed at university graduates who have a strong interest in
retail and wish to become self-employed. The goal is for them to become self-employed as REWE independent
retailers. Besides the main focus on assignments in various stores, the training also includes work in the ﬁeld service
of the respective regional headquarters and at the company headquarters in Cologne. Five trainees began their
training in 2021 (2020: four), with more scheduled to start in 2022.
In 2021, BILLA relaunched the sales ﬁeld service training programme for fresh produce managers and sales
managers. There are currently seven trainees on the 13-month programme, who receive coaching and are mentored
by experienced colleagues. This allows them to network with each other and with managers who have more
experience. In addition, there are networking opportunities within the framework of projects such as “Lernen macht
Schule”, an initiative by Caritas in cooperation with the Vienna University of Economics and Business under the motto
“Culture and Diversity Competence”.
GRI 404-2:
Programmes to improve the skills of employees
The REWE Group uses various concepts and programmes to speciﬁcally promote the training and education of its
employees.
Human resources development programmes
Each sales line oﬀers target group-speciﬁc programmes designed to promote systematic human resources
development. These programmes provide sales, logistics and administration staﬀ with important skills for their
respective areas of activity, preparing them for more advanced tasks or for the role as a manager in a store, in sales or
at headquarters.
In 2019, REWE Markt GmbH developed a new further education environment, the REWE Academy for Managers.
Because of the pandemic, only 30 per cent of the sales and logistics training classes in 2021 took place in a face-to-
face setting and under strict hygiene regulations. The remaining 70 per cent were held virtually in order to give all
prospective managers the support and development opportunities they needed, even during the coronavirus
pandemic. Since the ﬁnancial year under review, skilled workers in the service as well as fruit and vegetable ﬁelds
have also had access to an academy. This specialised further training of employees in the form of four-stage
programmes is the basis for staﬃng sales positions internally and giving employees development prospects. It also
helps REWE to actively address the shortage of skilled workers. The academies are supplemented by region-speciﬁc
oﬀers.

At REWE Markt, tomorrow’s retailers are accompanied on their way to self-employment with Junior Campus training
courses.
At REWE, the REWE Group headquarters and PENNY, trainers have the opportunity to participate in the “Train the
trainer” program of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) as well as in regular trainer workshops.
PENNY additionally promotes the development of new and aspiring store managers at the store level: The DISCOUNT
executive development programme prepares them for this position both professionally and personally. Aspiring
district managers are trained in the entry-level programme. Logistics managers are also instructed in a logistics
programme (FEL).
Lekkerland promotes the development of functional managers in logistics through its Team Manager Programme and
prepares prospective functional managers for their tasks in the High Potentials Programme. New line managers are
promoted through the First Leadership Programme.
In 2020, toom Baumarkt launched a new personal development programme for its employees. Many seminars took
place digitally in the ﬁnancial year under review.
Human resources development programmes for managers across various sales lines
Senior managers are oﬀered programmes that focus not only on qualiﬁcation but also on networking and international
exchange. These programmes are conducted with participants from all sales lines.
Since 2018, middle managers across the group have access to special training courses and the “Future Journey”
programme. Members of this important target group thus receive both programme-based and individual training that
prepares them for future challenges in their professional lives with regard to innovation and leadership and helps
them to network more closely with others. Around 105 participants have completed the programme so far.
At the Management Academy, managers gain further professional skills and are prepared for tasks in top
management. Among the main focal points here are the topics of leadership, self-reﬂection and strategic alignment.
Sustainability is also an important cornerstone – both in terms of questioning and discussing one’s own attitude and
in practical terms during excursions. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the programmes were largely conducted
digitally.
Further training and development
All employees of the REWE Group have access to a wide range of seminars, which are centrally managed via a
learning centre at the Cologne location. The learning catalogue contains more than 150 training courses that can be
booked in the Learning Management System. In addition, there are separate seminars for all regions and for sales.
Additional subject-speciﬁc academies for the Human Resources, Real Estate, Accounting, Products and IT
departments round oﬀ the range of qualiﬁcations on oﬀer. Seminars are continuously adapted to the needs of the
relevant target group. Due to the pandemic, the seminars during the ﬁnancial year were held almost exclusively
online; classroom training was conducted under the applicable hygiene regulations.

Since November 2021, the DNAble Academy has oﬀered almost 60 digital learning options on the new working world
for all target groups – covering topics such as remote leadership, virtual collaboration or use of digital tools. Since
spring 2022, the training courses have been conducted both face-to-face and using the blended learning or live-
online formats. The live-online seminars received very positive feedback in the course of the pandemic.
Onboarding
Familiarising new employees with the company is also an important item on the agenda of all sales lines. The majority
of them are provided with onboarding and/or check-in days, mentoring by colleagues and additional induction plans.
Moreover, relevant e-learning courses on subjects such as data protection, security awareness, compliance, antitrust
law or occupational health and safety are assigned to them in the learning management system when they start.
In 2021, REWE’s welcome website was expanded to cover the employees of independent retailers. Here, new
employees can ﬁnd detailed information about their employer from the moment they sign their contract.
Since 2019, BILLA in Austria has had 24 training stores where new employees are familiarised with the checkout,
delicatessen and fruit and vegetable areas. They are also provided with a welcome folder on the intranet.
Furthermore, BILLA holds a welcome day for new employees several times a year, where it introduces the diﬀerent
departments. In 2020 and 2021, this format was implemented virtually. BILLA and BILLA PLUS also used digital
methods for the onboarding of trainees due to the coronavirus pandemic.
BIPA introduced two new onboarding formats in 2021: #wissenswert for store employees and “Virtual Starter” for
trainees as on-the-job training. The content of both formats is adapted to the respective target group.
Targeted further education for managers
In addition to a wide range of further education opportunities for all REWE Group employees, the company oﬀers
special further education programmes for middle managers and senior executives (see also section Human
Resources Development Programmes).
The middle management seminars aim to strengthen managers in their role, prepare them for tomorrow’s challenges
and promote international networking. They cover the topics of leadership, entrepreneurship and personal
development. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of these formats were implemented in virtual form in the
ﬁnancial year.
The ambitious internal further education programme myCampus provides needs-based knowledge and cross-
company networking for the senior management levels. The programme comprises classroom training, lectures and
coaching to foster skills development. A lot of this was also implemented virtually in 2021.
Digital learning
As with trainees (see section Providing Targeted Support for Trainees – Also Digitally during the Pandemic), the
REWE Group is increasingly relying on digital learning and blended learning concepts to strengthen the skills of its
employees – as an eﬃcient method of reaching all members of staﬀ and oﬀering them the opportunity to learn from

home. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft Teams was implemented as a new collaboration platform in
2020. Since then, it has been used to run the live online seminars. In summer 2021, REWE and PENNY stores began
to be equipped with tablets to make it even easier for sales staﬀ to participate in virtual meetings and training classes.
The training portfolio includes around 190 e-learning modules, digital nuggets (training units of less than ﬁve
minutes) and mini training courses throughout the company. Some of these cover legally required content, such as
hygiene, infection control or occupational safety. The portfolio also includes voluntary courses for employees, for
example on career and succession planning. The aim of e-learning is to impart practically relevant knowledge, often
in a playful way. The engaging and interactive training units serve to support and educate employees through an
intuitive learning format.
REWE and PENNY, the central departments in Cologne and the regions, as well as other sales lines have a cloud-
based IT platform containing the “Learning” module. There are separate e-learning platforms for toom Baumarkt DIY
stores, DER Touristik, Lekkerland and for Austria.
Overview of participants in online and classroom training courses 2021
Sustainability training
All procurement staﬀ at REWE Far East and in the non-food sector are briefed on relevant sustainability topics. This
includes training on the Code of Conduct of the amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative (amfori BSCI), on raw
materials such as ﬁsh, palm oil and soy – topics for which the REWE Group has drawn up guidelines – and on special
topics of concern to the REWE Group, such as avoiding environmentally harmful chemicals.
Completed online
courses
Completed classroom training courses (partly digital
due to the coronavirus)
Germany
REWE1
972,153
60,624
PENNY
241,798
9,130
toom Baumarkt2
1,907
1,395
Retail Germany HQ, production operations3, REWE
Digital and small sales lines
57,187
7,848
Lekkerland
6,800
1,385
Austria
All sales lines
309,610
7,075 (training days)
1 Including PETZ REWE and REWE To Go.
2 There were no further education courses in the 1st half of the year during short-time work.
3 Glocken Bäckerei and quality butcher Wilhelm Brandenburg

All employees at the central locations as well as at REWE and PENNY stores have the opportunity to explore the topic
of sustainability via a continuously updated e-learning tool. In addition, the topic of sustainability is integrated into the
training courses for trainees at PENNY and the company headquarters.
At the REWE Group in Austria, all new employees of the central departments as well as all trainees are instructed on
sustainability topics at regular intervals. Managers can also ﬁnd out about current trends and developments through a
variety of event formats.
GRI 404-3:
Employees receiving regular performance and career development
Systematic career and succession planning (CSP) is a key part of the REWE Group’s company-wide talent
management. The aim is to foster the development of skilled workers and managers from within the company’s own
ranks: High achievers and staﬀ members with strong potential are to be identiﬁed at an early stage and tied to the
company in the long term. To this end, the sales lines and headquarters conduct regular performance and potential
appraisals, potential conferences and individual development meetings. REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY stores,
the various headquarters and some smaller sales lines are all connected to the same platform. At DER Touristik and
the REWE Group in Austria, the appraisal process is not yet carried out digitally.
Each sales line and the company headquarters start the CSP process with a review of the tasks in the job description.
Managers assess the performance of their employees on the basis of task fulﬁlment and skills from the REWE Group
skills model. These appraisals and the employees’ self-assessments are then discussed by the management team
during what is referred to as a potential conference. At these conferences, managers of a particular hierarchical level
or within a division or department talk about the employees directly assigned to them. The aim is to develop joint
standards for judging performance and potential, to set up targeted and eﬀective development planning and to create
the basis for systematic succession planning. Potential conferences for senior management and the management
levels immediately below take place annually, while potential conferences for the other management or staﬀ levels
are held every two years. In annual strategic portfolio meetings, HR partners discuss the potential and development
prospects of individual employees with their superiors.
The subsequent annual development interviews between direct superiors and their employees ensure that feedback
on task fulﬁlment, aspects of cooperation and questions regarding further personal and professional development are
discussed, documented and pursued in a targeted manner.
In 2021, the CSP process was conducted for 31,188 employees and managers at the various headquarters as well as
for managers in sales and logistics at PENNY, REWE and toom Baumarkt (2020: 31,330); in Austria, around 3,000
employees and managers received feedback (2020: 2.650). At REWE Markt GmbH, the development interview
extends to all 78,000 sales staﬀ and is also documented in the system.

The digital platform to which REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt, the various headquarters and a number of smaller sales
lines are connected brings the topic of integrated talent management into focus. In addition, it interlinks the
recruiting, learning and talent management processes with each other – with the aim of simplifying talent
recruitment, internal staﬃng and employee development.

The demographic shift, globalisation, a process of individualisation and a fundamental shift in values are creating an
increasingly diverse society. Diversity produces added value for companies in particular – collaboration fuels
ingenuity and adaptability. For this reason, equal opportunity at the company is needed more than ever before. The
promotion of diversity in the company is now a critical factor in its business success.
Diversity and equal opportunity are one area of action in the pillar called Employees that is part of the Sustainability
Strategy of the REWE Group. The REWE Group’s activities in this area of action are designed to maintain the
company’s adaptability and foster fair interaction among employees.
GRI 405: Diversity and equal opportunity
Management approach
Principles
For many years now, people from around 150 countries have been working harmoniously and respectfully with one
another at the REWE Group. The REWE Group would be unable to remain in business without the many thousands of
employees who come from such a wide range cultures. By bringing diversity to life, the company improves its ability to
adapt to changing market conditions and bolster its competitiveness in the race to recruit qualiﬁed skilled employees.
With this in mind, the REWE Group focuses its personnel management activities on fostering a diverse employee
structure and on maintaining a discrimination-free workplace for employees irrespective of their gender, age, religion,
sexual identity, origin or disability. At the same time, the company takes steps to ensure that it provides an equal
opportunity to all employees. One of the ways it does so is to oﬀer the same pay to all genders. 
The commitment to the discrimination-free formulation of company human resources policies is a fundamental part
of the Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices at the REWE Group. It is also a fundamental component of the
Code of Conduct that applies to all employees and managers. Additionally, at the beginning of 2017, the REWE Group
became a signatory to the Diversity Charter, a voluntary commitment by the German business community to diversity
management. 
GRI 405
Diversity and Equal Opportunity

Responsibility
The issue of diversity and equal opportunity is overseen by the HR and sustainability departments of the company’s
sales lines. It is included in some of the behavioural anchors contained in the REWE Group’s expertise model for
managers in these departments. It is part of their performance reviews as a result. The expertise model serves as a
basis for evaluating employee performance in all sales lines. Incentive systems are used as part of this eﬀort as well. 
Implementation
In its work to foster diversity and equal opportunity, the REWE Group drew on the Diversity Charter in 2021 and
deﬁned the following ﬁve diversity issues as focal points of the area of action: 
!"Gender and gender identity: The REWE Group promotes gender equality as part of the assignment of areas of
responsibility and the acceptance of all gender identities. It endeavours to achieve a balanced gender ratio in all
management positions (see section Diversity of Governance Bodies and Employees).
!"Social-cultural background (combines the areas of ethnic origin, religion, ideology and social background): No
discrimination based on religion or language, cultural and/or social background should ever occur at the REWE
Group.
!"Sexual orientation: The group of companies fosters an open corporate culture for all sexual identities and
orientations.
!"Generations: The company provides opportunities and (working) conditions as well as support and advisory
programmes for all phases of life.
!"Physical and mental capabilities: The REWE Group oﬀers all of the support needed to assist employees who have
limited capabilities. 
The sales lines in Retail Germany have developed a work-group structure to address questions related to this issue:
The Diversity Network was set up during the ﬁnancial year under the motto of “Vielfalt.Gemeinsam.Leben”
(Jointly.Living.Diversity.). The network is composed of employees from a range of diﬀerent departments and sales
lines who serve as diversity ambassadors and promote the issue in the sales lines and departments. Working with
Corporate Communications, they talk about company-wide issues like gender-neutral language and unconscious bias
and raise employees’ awareness levels about them. 
All diversity and equal-opportunity programmes that the REWE Group implements are developed and coordinated
each year as part of the company’s HR and sustainability strategy and its annual target planning. Implementation is
reviewed and modiﬁed where necessary during the annual target planning. The management approach was
conﬁrmed during the ﬁnancial year. No adjustments were made. 
Each sales line has a contact partner to whom employees can turn in cases of discrimination. These advisers are
found in compliance departments, the Works Council and the di.to network (diﬀerent together; see the section
Diﬀerent together: The LGBTIQ network is growing in spite of the pandemic). Employees can also turn to managers,

the chairman and the HR department. Information about discrimination will be systematically investigated. Each case
will be handled conﬁdentially. A face-to-face meeting will be held with aﬀected individuals, and the Works Council will
be brought in. REWE Group Germany has set up a network of regional contact partners to whom employees can turn
in cases of discrimination. No standardised complaint mechanism like the one in REWE Group Austria has been
created. 
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In 2022, the German Retail Association, the auditing and consulting ﬁrm PwC Germany and Google
Germany prepared a study titled “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – How Mature is the Retail Industry?” The
study identiﬁed the REWE Group with its Diversity Network as a best-practice example for retailers. It noted
that the group of companies has taken a holistic approach to the issue, is actively promoting it on its highest
managerial level and is networking employees in order to foster dialogue and an understanding for one
another.
Policies and projects to promote diversity and equal opportunity
The REWE Group is actively carrying out a range of projects and implementing various policies to encourage diversity
and equal opportunity at the company. 
Inclusion
The REWE Group Germany is working to ensure that all employees have an equal opportunity. The 7,899 people with
disabilities and people at risk of disability at the company (as of 2021, Scope Sustainability Report) can turn to the
REWE Group’s representative for the disabled and inclusion oﬃcers at any time. The representative for the disabled
helps individuals to prepare applications for the German Oﬃce for Social Services, rejoin the work world following a
long absence due to illness and ﬁnd answers to all other legal questions. The representative also helps the employer
with inclusion of new employees. To enable individuals with disabilities to work in administrative positions and in its
stores, the REWE Group oﬀers barrier-free workplaces – for example, in the form of checkout stations for employees
in wheelchairs. 
Small aides like magnifying glasses and signals as well as the opportunity to use a seeing-eye dog in stores have been
provided by some retailers in their stores. In Germany, the websites of the REWE Group and the career pages of
PENNY and REWE can be used in accordance with barrier-freedom standards. 
Since 2017, the REWE Group has been part of a strategic partnership with Aktion Mensch, a German charity that
assists people with disabilities. As part of the partnership, a range of inclusion projects and programmes to assist
children and young people is being jointly carried out. During the ﬁnancial year, a day-care and school inclusion
assistance service was created, and its equipping, including playgrounds, was supported (see segment Social

Commitment – Projects and Sponsorships). 
The REWE and PENNY sales lines participated in the talent programme of myAbility during the ﬁnancial year.
Students who suﬀer from chronic illnesses or have disabilities, the myAbility talents, are coached in the areas of
career planning and soft skills for an entire semester. They also make connections to companies as potential
employees and are given an opportunity to take part in job shadowing – that is they accompany an employee at work
– and trial internships. Such activities foster an open approach to disabilities in the company. Preparations for the
programme began in autumn 2021. The application phase was extended to March 2022 due to the low number of
applications submitted by students as a result of the pandemic. The trial internships are being provided between June
and August 2022. 
toom Baumarkt DYI stores have also made respectful and responsible interaction among employees a permanent
part of their corporate culture. toom Baumarkt DYI stores have been working with the Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe
e. V., a German association that assists individuals with disabilities, since 2014. The focal points of this work include
active diversity and respectful interaction among people with and without disabilities. These goals are achieved
during joint projects conducted as part of local partnerships, practicums and Lebenshilfe workshops that are set up in
toom stores. A total of 21 workshop jobs were ﬁlled in 2021 (see the segment Social Commitment – Projects and
Sponsorships). 
REWE Group Austria employs a holistic concept to the issue of disabilities. Its vision is: “We think barrier free, and we
give our employees and partners the same opportunity.” One aim of this programme is to increase the number of
employees with disabilities who work at the company. The eﬀort has led to the hiring of deaf employees in stores and
of individuals with autism in headquarters units. Barrier freedom has also been added to the websites of REWE Group
Austria. As a result of this commitment, the job portal of the BILLA sales line in Austria was recognised as barrier free
by the Web Accessibility Certiﬁcate Austria (WACA) in 2020. The ﬁrst independent certiﬁcate in Austria aﬃrms the
accessibility of all people to professionally evaluated websites. 
REWE Group Austria reviewed its disability strategy in 2020 and reworked it for the period of 2020 to 2025. It also
introduced a programme called Diversity to go in 2019 and created an app that informs employees about it. In one
other aspect of this programme, the company prepared short videos with experts who discussed such topics as
discrimination, feminism and gender identity. In 2021, REWE Group Austria joined forces with the Centre for
Dementia Studies at the University of Continuing Education Krems to raise employee awareness levels about this
condition as well. As part of the eﬀort, employees who work in stores operated by BILLA, BILLA PLUS, BIPA and
PENNY learned how they can help customers who suﬀer from dementia to do their shopping. The course was based
on a training video that the company produced itself. 
BIPA stores and the company’s headquarters also intensiﬁed their use of disability recruiting to attract individuals
with disabilities to the company. In 2021, the job proﬁle “employee for supporting activities” was introduced in stores
for applicants with disabilities. Managers in BIPA’s health and beauty stores also learned more about this issue on an
internal online dialogue forum and during a presentation made by Specialisterne, a Danish company that supports the
autistic and helps them to ﬁnd jobs. BIPA also participated in the Purple Light Up Day, the international day for

people with disabilities, in December 2021. To celebrate the occasion, a purple BIPA logo was displayed on the
company’s social media channels, and two of its stores in Vienna were bathed in purple light. 
A number of BILLA stores have also done their part to facilitate barrier freedom under the motto of BILLA Without
Borders. Changes introduced as part of this eﬀort include wheelchair-accessible scales for fruit and vegetables, a
baked goods dispenser whose height has been adapted for use by wheelchair users and extra-wide checkout lanes.
The BILLA sales line now employs colleagues with a number of diﬀerent disabilities including learning diﬃculties and
chronic illnesses in its headquarters, stores, online shop and logistics operation. The sales line also actively recruits
people with disabilities in its job ads. BILLA is currently training 220 inclusive individuals. 
Integration of refugees
The REWE Group is doing its part to help refugees to become integrated into society and the work world. As part of
these eﬀorts, young refugees have been given practicums across Germany. The acceptance of refugees into training
programmes – particularly in sales and logistics – occurs following a period of intense recruitment that includes trial
workdays and practicums. As a rule, refugees initially enter a six- to 12-month language and cultural orientation
programme. They begin their training after completing these courses. 
The integration initiative called KIMAT that is being conducted by the REWE Region South helps immigrants to
become better integrated into the job market and foster intercultural interaction. The project builds a bridge between
the backgrounds and the future of refugees in particular. Many of them are now REWE trainees. Others are preparing
for their training programmes by attending language courses, among other things. 
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The REWE Group has forged a strategic partnership with JOBLINGE, a non-proﬁt employment organisation.
The initiative supports two of the organisation’s programmes in particular: JOBLINGE Klassik, which is
aimed at socially disadvantaged young people, and JOBLINGE Kompass, which is designed for young
refugees. The aim of both programmes is to help these individuals to qualify for the job market and to
become integrated into it. Employees of REWE, DER Touristik and PENNY can serve as volunteer mentors as
part of a project called “Ehrensache” (Act of Honour). Today, the company has 80 mentors and nearly 180
mentor tandems. JOBLINGE participants have explored the work world during around 700 diﬀerent
practicums. About 240 young people have entered training programmes or received full-time jobs. 
REWE Group Austria systematically recruits refugees. In addition to a large number of practicums, a range of training
positions has been given to young refugees.

Integration of the long-term unemployed
The REWE Group works to integrate the unemployed and long-term jobless individuals who are older than 25 in the
job market. The programme called Partial Qualiﬁcations in About 58 Weeks is a certiﬁed initiative conducted by a
company called the Entwicklungszentrum für beruﬂiche Qualiﬁzierung und Integration GmbH in Dortmund (EWZ). It
prepares selected job-seekers over a period of about 58 weeks to take the examination for sales assistant, focal point
service, that is administered by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The participants are employees of a
REWE store and are paid by the store. The store is then reimbursed by the German Employment Agency and the Job
Centre until the individuals have earned their qualiﬁcation. The ﬁrst partial qualiﬁcation programme started in
December 2019 with 23 participants. Thirteen of them passed the examine in January 2021 with an average score of
2.1 (or B) and received an employment contract from a REWE store. The second partial qualiﬁcation programme
began in November 2021 with 13 participants. It is expected to continue until June 2023. 
Promotion of women
Like many companies, the REWE Group is wrestling with an imbalance between male and female managers. The
REWE Group is tackling this challenge in projects being conducted as part of the initiative named Diversity in the
REWE Group. The programme called Women’s Drive has led to the promotion of more than 100 participating female
employees to managerial positions since 2017. The programme consists of three seminars and an associated
mentoring component that incorporates internal managers. It lasts six to eight months. 
The REWE Group has also been a partner in the Cologne-based alliance called Mit Frauen in Führung (With Women in
Management) since 2016. In this network, 14 Cologne-based companies conduct a wide range of activities designed
to help women to obtain managerial positions. In addition to regular discussions with network members, the REWE
Group regularly takes part in a cross-mentoring programme. 
In 2019, the REWE Group gained its own network for women, f.ernetzt. Today, nearly 350 female managers and
experts discuss such issues as leadership, new work, personal growth and work/life balance as part of this network.
Virtual events that provided collegial support were also oﬀered during the reporting year. 
REWE and PENNY organised workshops on the topic of Diversity in Management for female employees in all regions
during the reporting year. During these workshops, proposals designed to promote gender diversity in managerial
positions in sales were developed. 
In 2021, gender-neutral language was introduced on the company’s website and in its sustainability and annual
reports and internal communications. Similar changes will also be made soon on the career page and in all internal
and external communication channels. 
To help to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, REWE Group Austria added
emergency hotline numbers to store receipts, the POS and employee screens. 
The Austria sales line BIPA received the quality seal equalitA in 2020. This seal recognises companies that promote
women and their careers and encourage gender equality.

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di.to (diﬀerent together) is a Germany-wide LGBTIQ network that helps all employees, regardless of their
sexual orientation, to feel comfortable in their jobs at the REWE Group. Since being created in 2013, the
network has attracted about 300 members and more than 1,300 followers on social media channels. The
network is designed to help employees to network in the work world and promote dialogue outside their own
sales lines. As part of these eﬀorts, a national virtual network meeting has been held several times a year
since 2020 to foster discussions by internal and external guests about queer, political and job issues. In
addition, di.to joined the “PEPP – PROUT EMPLOYER PARTNER PROGRAMME” network in 2020. It works
to create a diverse work culture. 
The spokespersons of the six regional di.to groups act as a steering committee that focuses on expanding
the network and network meetings, among other things. It also provides support in the form of cash and
non-cash donations as well as its participation in many events held by the community. With the help of its
successful rainbow sticker campaign, di.to also motivated all REWE and PENNY stores, toom Baumärkte
DYI stores and DER travel agencies to promote tolerance and diversity by displaying the symbol on the doors
to their facilities. Acting in response to the network’s request, a large number of REWE Group stores raised
more than 3,000 rainbow-coloured ﬂags across Germany in May 2021 to mark the International Day Against
Homophobia (IDAHBOT). This action generated a large amount of regional and national media coverage.
Cologne’s Christopher Street Day parade resumed in 2021, albeit in smaller form. Nonetheless, it created a
feeling of belonging between employees and the Cologne community. 
The PENNY sales line provided ﬁnancial support for 20 mentorings to the training and empowerment
network Queermentor in 2021. The digital diversity training platform helps LGBTQIA young people who are
at least 16 years old to develop the mindset of “I am ﬁne just the way I am”. The focal points of the
Queermentor programmes are one-on-one mentoring sessions with experts from a range of industries,
online training courses for career success, soft-skills development and strengthened mental health.

GRI 405-1:
Diversity of governance bodies and employees
To foster diversity in its governance bodies and among its employees, the REWE Group has committed itself to goals
regarding a balanced gender ratio and employment of individuals with disabilities that extend beyond regulatory
requirements. The REWE Group has set the goal of achieving a balanced gender ratio in managerial positions
(managers and top management) by 2025. 
Women made up 66.1 per cent of the total workforce of the REWE Group in 2021(2020: 66.2 per cent). The share of
women in top management was 9.8 per cent (2020: 10.9 per cent). About 45.7 per cent of all managers at the
company are female (2020: 46.0 per cent).
The Supervisory Board of REWE-Zentral-Aktiengesellschaft (RZAG) had 18 ordinary members (16 men and two
women) on 31/12/2021. The Supervisory Board of REWE-ZENTRALFINANZ eG (RZF) had 20 ordinary members
(16 men and four women) in the ﬁnancial year. No women were on the Management Board in 2021. No women were
members of the Management Board or the Supervisory Board of REWE International AG.
The REWE Group has set itself the goal of keeping its employment rate of individuals with disabilities by headcount*
at a level of at least 3 per cent up until 2025. 
The REWE Group measures the employment rate for individuals with disabilities on the basis of section 2 of the
German Social Welfare Code (Sozialgesetzbuch) and on the Austrian Disabled Persons Employment Act
(Behinderteneinstellungsgesetz). Under these deﬁnitions, the employment rate of individuals with disabilities at the
REWE Group was 3.0 per cent in 2021 (2020: 3.1 per cent).
Objective
2019
2020
2021
Status
Achieve a balanced gender ratio in management
positions by 2025
45.4 %
female
45.6 %
female
45.3 %
female
54.6 %
male
54.4 %
male
54.7 %
male
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained

In Germany, no comprehensive reporting requirement applies to people with disabilities. For this reason, all
employees with registered disabilities are considered in the analysis.
Share of employees by category 2021
Top executives
Women
9.8%
Men
90.2%
Diverse
0%
Not Speciﬁed
0%
Managers
Women
45.7%
Men
54.3%
Diverse
0%
Not Speciﬁed
0%
Employees
Women
66.1%
Men
33.9%
Diverse
0.0024%
Not Speciﬁed
0.00012%
Objective
2019
2020
2021
Status
Keep the employment rate of individuals with disabilities
at a level of at least 3.0% until 20251
3.2%
3.1%
3.0%
 In progress
 Goal attained
 Not available
 Goal not attained
1 The rate of individuals with disabilities is calculated by headcount. As a result, it has a diﬀerent calculation basis than the mandatory share of
employed individuals with severe disabilities under section 154 of the Social Welfare Code IX in Germany. The decision to calculate the employment
rate of people with disabilities by headcount was made in order to be able to determine a uniform key ﬁgure for all countries (Germany and Austria).
Individuals with disabilities are deﬁned according to Section 2 of the German Social Welfare Code and the Austrian Disabled Persons Employment
Act (BEinstG).

Composition of employees by employee category
Employees
Managers
Top executives
Region
2019
2020
2021
2019
2020
2021
2019
2020
2021
Total headcount
Total
229,125
249,016
248,678
14,975
15,154
15,158
206
211
204
Germany
190,309
209,644
209,163
9,771
9,999
10,107
174
179
171
Austria
38,816
39,372
39,515
5,204
5,155
5,051
32
32
33
Women in %
Total
67.9
66.2
66.1
45.9
46.0
45.7
10.2
10.9
9.8
Germany
66.5
64.7
64.6
35.0
35.5
36.1
9.8
10.6
9.4
Austria
74.8
74.2
73.9
66.4
66.5
65.1
12.5
12.5
12.1
Men in %
Total
32.1
33.8
33.9
54.1
54.0
54.3
89.8
89.1
90.2
Germany
33.5
35.3
35.4
65.0
64.5
63.9
90.2
89.4
90.6
Austria
25.2
25.8
26.1
33.6
33.5
34.9
87.5
87.5
87.9
Diverse in %
Total
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Germany
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Austria
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Not speciﬁed in %
Total
-
0.0
0.0
-
0.0
0.0
-
0.0
0.0
Germany
-
0.0
0.0
-
0.0
0.0
-
0.0
0.0
Austria
-
0.0
0.0
-
0.0
0.0
-
0.0
0.0
Up to 30 years old in %
Total
30.6
31.9
30.8
13.5
12.0
11.4
-
-
0.0
Germany
30.0
31.5
30.3
12.8
11.3
10.4
-
-
0.0
Austria
33.6
33.9
33.6
14.6
13.5
13.4
-
-
0.0
31– 50 years old in %
Total
39.4
38.9
39.4
59.8
60.4
60.6
44.2
44.1
45.1
Germany
38.3
37.9
38.4
60.3
61.4
62.1
43.7
43.0
45.0
Austria
45.0
44.3
44.3
58.8
58.4
57.6
46.9
50.0
45.5
More than 50 years old in %
Total
30.0
29.2
29.8
26.8
27.6
28.0
55.8
55.9
54.9
Germany
31.7
30.6
31.3
26.9
27.3
27.5
56.3
57.0
55.0
Austria
21.4
21.8
22.1
26.6
28.1
28.9
53.1
50.0
54.5
Rate of individuals with disabilities
by headcount*
Total
3.3
3.2
3.1
1.9
1.8
1.6
0.9
0.5
1.0
Germany
3.6
3.5
3.3
2.2
2.0
1.8
0.6
0.6
1.1

Composition of leading governance bodies
Employees
Managers
Top executives
Region
2019
2020
2021
2019
2020
2021
2019
2020
2021
Austria
1.6
1.7
1.9
1.3
1.3
1.4
3.1
-
-
* The rate of individuals with disabilities is calculated by headcount. As a result, it has a diﬀerent calculation basis than the mandatory share of employed
individuals with severe disabilities under section 71 of the Social Welfare Code IX in Germany. The decision to calculate the employment rate of people
with disabilities by headcount was made in order to be able to determine a uniform key ﬁgure for all countries (Germany and Austria). Individuals with
disabilities are deﬁned under section 2 of the German Social Welfare Code and the Austrian Disabled Persons Employment Act.
Year
Number
Women
%
Men
%
Up to 30 years
old %
31– 50 years
old %
More than 50 years
old %
Management Board
2019
4
0
100
0
25
75
2020
4
0
100
0
25
75
2021
4
0
100
0
25
75
Supervisory Board Germany
2019
31
16
84
0
22.6
77.4
2020
32
25
75
0
31.3
68.7
2021
32
25
75
0
25
75
RIAG Management Board
(Austria)
2019
6
0
100
0
50
50
2020
5
0
100
0
60
40
2021
4
0
100
0
100
0
Supervisory Board (Austria)
2019
5
0
100
0
40
60
2020
4
0
100
0
50
50
2021
4
0
100
0
50
50

Share of non-German employees
GRI 405-2:
Equal pay for equal work
Equal pay for equal work is a high-priority goal at the REWE Group. Much of the compensation employees earn is set
by collective bargaining agreements – in such cases, pay is based on remuneration groups and is not inﬂuenced by
gender or other factors. A total of 98.4 per cent of the REWE Group’s employees are covered by collective bargaining
agreements and/or labour-management agreements. In terms of the scope of the Sustainability Report including
independent retailers, the ﬁgure is 71.7 per cent. Collective bargaining coverage for REWE retailers is generally
created when a company joins an employers’ association.
The German Remuneration Transparency Act took eﬀect in 2017. It is designed to promote equal pay for women and
men for the same type of work. Twenty-two employee queries about this issue were submitted in the ﬁnancial year.
Employees can submit their questions about equal pay to the headquarters department Compensation & Beneﬁt.
This process is coordinated with works councils.
Employees
Managers
Top executives
Region
2019
2020
2021
2019
2020
2021
2019
2020
2021
Total headcount
Total
229,125
249,016
248,678
14,975
15,154
15,158
206
211
204
Germany
190,309
209,644
209,163
9,771
9,999
10,107
174
179
171
Austria
38,816
39,372
39,515
5,204
5,155
5,051
32
32
33
Headcount of foreign nationalities
Total
33,885
38,767
40,804
1,497
1,584
1,699
14
17
19
Germany
23,449
27,732
29,177
615
659
726
5
7
8
Austria
10,436
11,035
11,627
882
925
973
9
10
11
Share of foreign nationalities in %
Total
14.8
15.6
16.4
10.0
10.5
11.2
6.8
8.1
9.3
Germany
12.3
13.2
13.9
6.3
6.6
7.2
2.9
3.9
4.7
Austria
26.9
28.0
29.4
16.9
17.9
19.3
28.1
31.3
33.3

Discrimination means disadvantaging persons or groups of persons on the basis of certain characteristics. Non-
discrimination is deﬁned as a human right and forms the basis for respectful cooperation. Companies, in particular,
attach great importance to ensuring that all employees are treated equally.
Activities related to equal treatment are assigned to the “Diversity and Equal Opportunity” area of action, which is
part of the Employees pillar of the REWE Group’s Sustainability Strategy.
GRI 406: Non-discrimination
Management approach
Principles
The corporate culture of the REWE Group is characterised by a trusting and respectful relationship among customers,
employees and business partners. This commitment is laid down in the company’s fundamental values. In addition,
all employees and business partners are bound by the Guidelines on Sustainable Business Practices, which explicitly
state that discrimination is prohibited: “We do not tolerate discrimination in the workplace on any grounds, whether it
be gender, skin colour, religion, ethnic origin, age, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, social
background or political opinion.” This applies to the recruitment of new employees, to employees in existing
employment relationships and to business partners.
Implementation
All sales lines have contact persons to whom employees can turn in the event of discrimination. These contacts can
be found, for example, in the Compliance department, on the works council as well as in the di.to network (diﬀerent
together; for more information, see the section Diversity and Equal Opportunity). Employees can also approach their
managers or the HR department. Any reports of discrimination are followed up thoroughly, with conﬁdential
treatment guaranteed as a matter of course. Personal conversations are held with the aﬀected employees, and the
works council is involved.
GRI 406
Equal Treatment

GRI 406-1:
Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken
The REWE Group consistently investigates all reports of discrimination and takes disciplinary action and, where
appropriate, personnel measures if they are found to be true. At present, cases of discrimination are not recorded
centrally within the group of companies in Germany, but the regional contact persons take all necessary measures.
In Austria, 19 employees consulted their contact partners in the works council or the HR department regarding sexual
discrimination. In two cases, the perpetrator was a customer, with one case reported to the police. There were nine
internal cases where the discriminators were dismissed; the remaining cases resulted in transfers and warnings. One
incident of discrimination was on religious grounds and one on the grounds of sexual orientation. Three other cases
could not be classiﬁed as discrimination or sexual harassment.
The REWE Group in Austria launched a campaign that translates to “Sexual Harassment and Discrimination – NO
thanks!”, which is designed to inform employees about their options in response to such incidents. The campaign
includes a poster that was sent to all stores and locations as well as accompanying information material. A workshop
on the topic of sexual harassment and discrimination was held for selected works council members in cooperation
with the Ombud for Equal Treatment. Specially trained staﬀ members are available to assist aﬀected persons in the
company – whether through anonymous conversations or by actively taking action. In addition, the works council
provides information on the topic of “Non-discrimination – no opportunity for discrimination” in a brochure. In 2021,
the REWE Group in Austria introduced a new e-learning course on the topic of sexual harassment, which is mandatory
for all managers and recommended for employees.

In its role as a reliable partner, the REWE Group commits its resources to areas where it does business and to the
world’s more destitute regions. The company works with strong partner organisations who can draw on their local
experience and provide eﬀective support. A special issue in this regard is the development of long-term partnerships
that all sides can count on. The REWE Group's strategic partners include the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation
Union (NABU), the funding organisation Aktion Mensch e. V., Tafel Deutschland e. V. and Kindernothilfe e. V. Where
possible, the REWE Group involves its customers and employees in projects. This approach strengthens the sense of
community and expands the projects' reach.
Principles
The REWE Group is actively involved in causes such as the development of children and adolescents. It aims to
improve their educational opportunities, and promotes equal opportunity in Germany. In this work, the company
helps socially disadvantaged young people while they are attending school and taking steps to enter the work world.
The REWE Group is also committed on an international level to access to education, for example in school
construction projects around the world. The REWE Group also values projects designed to inform children and
adolescents at an early age about the need to get plenty of exercise and eat balanced meals.
For the concept of sustainability to take root in society, we need well-informed consumers. And it is easy to
understand why: They will be the ones to explore the issue and integrate it into their shopping decisions. For this
reason, the REWE Group strives to raise the awareness levels of adults and children about more sustainable
consumption and more balanced diets. The company also integrates them into its involvement in biodiversity and
environmental protection. The REWE Group draws on a wide range of formats in this process to reach numerous
customers and raise awareness of a more sustainable lifestyle – from participatory events and informative action
weeks to fund-raising drives conducted through the sale of selected products. For more information, see Promoting
Sustainable Consumption. Also, as part of its membership with the consumer group Deutsche Stiftung
Verbraucherschutz, the REWE Group promotes projects targeted at providing children and adolescents with key
consumer skills.
Social Commitment

Areas of action
In the pillar Social Commitment within the REWE Group's Sustainability Strategy, the company has identiﬁed the
following four topics as areas of action: conscious nutrition and exercise; opportunities for children and adolescents;
vigilant approach to food; and biodiversity and environmental protection. The areas of action apply to the whole of the
REWE Group. Every sales line covers at least two of these areas with its involvement.
Responsibility
All areas of action are monitored by the “Social Commitment” project group, a team that has been led by Dr Daniela
Büchel (Divisional Board Member of Retail Germany – HR and sustainability areas) since mid-2016.
Key ﬁgures
As a way of measuring the progress being achieved in the pillar Social Commitment, the REWE Group records key
ﬁgures for selected projects in the respective areas of action. All projects using at least 30,000 euros in funds, or of
particular relevance for a sales line, are included in the reporting. The overall key ﬁgure recorded is the percentage of
projects running for at least two years, since a high degree of eﬀectiveness can especially be expected in long-term
projects.
Area of action: conscious nutrition and exercise
The number of children and adolescents reached through three projects during the ﬁnancial year were recorded. In
particular, these projects involved nutrition workshops with children in day-care centres and football clubs and the
provision of healthy food for school classes. Due to school and day-care centre closures caused by the pandemic, the
projects had to be temporarily suspended.
Key ﬁgure
Status in
2019
Status in
2020
Status in
2021
Measures
Percentage of long-term projects
(> two years)
88%
88%
94%
See Projects and Sponsorships

Area of action: opportunities for children and adolescents
The number of children and adolescents reached through twelve projects during the ﬁnancial year were recorded.
This has more than doubled compared with the previous year, with the number of organisations receiving support
through the projects remaining the same at 123. In 2021, however, these included more institutions with a very wide
reach, such as large associations. The focus of projects in the area of action “opportunities for children and
adolescents” is on improving future opportunities. Therefore, they particularly target supporting socially
disadvantaged children and adolescents with learning and vocational training, improving their life circumstances, as
well as constructing and renovating schools around the world.
Area of action: vigilant approach to food
In total, four projects contributing to a more vigilant approach to food were recording during the ﬁnancial year. The
focus of these were consumer education and cooperation with food banks. Around 80-90 per cent of REWE and
PENNY stores in Germany and Austria work with food banks and/or other organisations such as, for example,
Foodsharing. By doing so, they help to avoid food waste. As part of the project “Tafel macht Zukunft” (Tafel creates
the future), the aim in the future is to establish an exact recording of the cooperations and the food quantities
delivered. As participants and sponsors of this project, REWE and PENNY in Germany are also helping to make the
collection and distribution of food donations from stores and producers eﬃcient and customised using digital
solutions – in order to be able to pass on even more donations to people aﬀected by poverty.
Key ﬁgure
Status in
2019
Status in
2020
Status in
2021
Measures
Number of children
and adolescents
reached
20,000
43,271
68,528
See Projects and Sponsorships
Key ﬁgure
Status in
2019
Status in
2020
Status in
2021
Measures
Number of children
and adolescents
reached
11,000
12,580
31,225
See Projects and Sponsorships

The REWE Group participates in the Nationales Dialogforum zur Reduzierung der Lebensmittelverschwendung
(National Dialogue Forum for Reduction of Food Waste) and supports the national strategy for the reduction of food
waste of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. As part of this, food waste in REWE and PENNY stores in
Germany was measured again in 2021. On average, REWE and PENNY sell over 98 per cent of their foods each year.
By summer 2022, further speciﬁc reduction goals and measures are to be adopted as part of the target agreement of
the Dialogue Forum.
Area of action: biodiversity and environmental protection
In the ﬁnancial year, six projects were recorded which are helping to promote biodiversity and environmental
protection, educate consumers and employees, as well as make them aware of these issues. The total amount spent
on projects fell compared to the previous year. This is due to fewer donations from, for example, BILLA customers
who instead favoured the foundation “Blühendes Österreich” (Blooming Austria), as well as lower proceeds from
campaigns which help these projects. An example here is the fall in sales of the NABU ocean bracelet.
Nine further projects are not associated with any of the four areas of action. Their total volume (donations and project
budgets which make a contribution to society) was over six million euros, including three million euros from customer
donations. The decline in total donations compared to the previous year can be attributed to the fact that, in 2021,
donations for the major project “Scheine für Vereine” (Vouchers for Clubs) were shifted to the following year.
Key ﬁgure
Status in
2019
Status in
2020
Status in
2021
Measures
Amount of funding
and donations to
support food banks in Germany and
Austria
326,000
Euro
898,610
Euro
682,227
Euro
See Projects and Sponsorships
Key ﬁgure
Status in
2019
Status in
2020
Status in
2021
Measures
Total amount spent on projects
(2021)
3,017,094
euros
3,432,500
euros
2,291,691
euros
See Projects and Sponsorships and Biodiversity

An action particularly noteworthy for 2021 is the commitment of the REWE Group and its employees to help victims of
the ﬂoods in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate in July 2021. In total, over four million euros were paid
to organisations such as the German Red Cross and “Ein Herz für Kinder” (A Heart for Children) as well as to
employees aﬀected by the ﬂood, and distributed in the form of donations in kind to those aﬀected in the ﬂood regions
(see Projects and Sponsorships). For each of the two projects, just under 500,000 euros were contributed through
employee and customer donations.
Reporting
The GRI report covers the main topics of the pillar Social Commitment:
!"Projects and Sponsorships
!"Child Protection

As an international commercial company, the REWE Group assumes responsibility that extends beyond its core
business. With the help of strong, long-term partnerships and dedicated employees, the company therefore carries
out a broad range of projects and measures designed to help society.
Conscious nutrition and exercise, opportunities for children and adolescents, vigilant approach to food, and
biodiversity and environmental protection are the four areas of action in the pillar Social Commitment within the
REWE Group's Sustainability Strategy. In order to promote these four individual topics, the commercial company is
involved in a large number of projects.
GRI 203: Indirect economic impacts
Management approach
Principles
The REWE Group considers itself to be a good corporate citizen. This means that it assumes responsibility where it
does business and where help is needed within the realm of its own possibilities. In particular, the Group works on
behalf of children and adolescents and promotes healthy diets and a vigilant approach to food (also see Social
Commitment).
When it comes to donations and sponsorship, a combine-wide guideline applies for the REWE Group, which serves as
a basic set of rules. According to this guideline, the company must ensure that any projects and initiatives being
implemented are in line with the REWE Group's mission statement as well as its compliance and sustainability
principles.
Implementation
As part of its social commitment to national projects, the REWE Group relies on long-term partnerships with non-
proﬁt organisations. This cooperation creates unity and ensures that the projects are successful. Education is
particularly important to the REWE Group and is part of projects in all sales lines. Examples include the construction
of schools and support for educational institutions. Additional focal points are deﬁned by the core business of the
GRI 203
Projects and Sponsorships

sales lines as well as the four areas of action in which projects arise: conscious nutrition and exercise; opportunities
for children and adolescents; vigilant approach to food; and biodiversity and environmental protection.
Many projects in the area of social commitment are implemented by independent retailers in the locality of their
stores. Local activities make up a large share of all projects and therefore make a signiﬁcant contribution to the
involvement of the REWE Group.
Despite the restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, most of the projects selected here undertaken during the
reporting period were implemented. They are sorted as follows:
!"Infrastructure investments and services supported
!"Signiﬁcant indirect economic impacts in the four areas of action
#"Projects to promote conscious nutrition and exercise
#"Projects to promote opportunities for children and adolescents
#"Projects to promote a vigilant approach to food
# Projects to promote biodiversity and environmental protection

GRI 203-1:
Infrastructure investments and services supported
Through emergency aid projects, the REWE Group promotes investments in infrastructure and services at its sites as
well as in destinations and countries relevant to DER Touristik where special support is desperately needed. Amongst
other things, the projects must correspond to the funding purposes of the DER Touristik Foundation.
HHeellpp  ffoorr  tthhoossee  aaﬀﬀeecctteedd  bbyy  tthhee  ﬂﬂooooddiinngg  ccaattaassttrroopphhee  iinn  GGeerrmmaannyy
In response to the ﬂooding catastrophe in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate in mid-July
2021, retailers, store managers, store teams and administrative oﬃces of the REWE Group have provided
non-bureaucratic help at short notice. For example, PENNY, REWE, toom Baumarkt DIY stores, nahkauf and
Lekkerland have generously donated food and other urgently needed everyday items to many of the aﬀected
towns and communities directly on site and provided volunteers.
The commercial company, which itself was aﬀected by the ﬂooding catastrophe (55 stores at REWE,
nahkauf and PENNY), has also provided support through donations:
!"In July, PENNY called on customers to donate to the ﬂood victims and tripled the amount. In total, the
German Red Cross ﬂood relief campaign received around 1.35 million euros.
!"The REWE Group set up a ﬂood relief fund for aﬀected colleagues – within a matter of days and weeks,
just under 1.4 million euros of emergency aid were paid out, including almost 500,000 euros in donations
from around 1,300 employees of the REWE Group.
!"From mid-October until the end of December 2021, customers at toom Baumarkt DIY stores were given
the option to round up the total of their purchases to the next full euro amount. The amounts collected
through this rounding-up campaign then ﬂowed to non-proﬁt organisations for reconstruction eﬀorts. In
total, 20,000 euros were collected. This was rounded up by toom Baumarkt DIY stores to 50,000 euros.
!"REWE contributed to the charity action “Ein Herz für Kinder” (A Heart for Children) with a donation of
one million euros. Through this campaign by the organisation BILD hilft e. V., a total of 3.7 million euros
ﬂowed into the reconstruction of children's facilities, including day-care centres, schools, playgrounds
and sports ﬁelds, in those regions particularly aﬀected.
!"Through the donation of bottle deposits in some REWE regions, 61,000 euros were collected for the
German Red Cross ﬂood relief campaign.

SSuuppppoorrtt  ffoorr  ppeeooppllee  iinn  tthhee  UUkkrraaiinnee  aanndd  rreeffuuggeeeess
Mid-March 2022, the REWE Group donated to those in need in Ukraine. For example, the company
responded to a call by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) with donations in kind of almost
one thousand tonnes of food and hygiene products. Furthermore, large amounts of donations in kind from
REWE and PENNY stores were brought to the Polish-Ukrainian border. The REWE Group national
companiesin Eastern Europe provided most of the initial aid. In addition, the REWE Group supported the
German Red Cross fund-raising campaign for Ukraine with one million euros. A platform was set up so that
employees could also get involved in fundraising. Many stores gave customers the option to donate their
bottle deposits and retailers helped local organisations. For example, the REWE Group in Cologne provided
the organisation “Blau-Gelbes Kreuz” (Blue-Yellow Cross) with donations in kind and gave their team relief
through volunteers.
DER Touristik helped the Ukraine action “Touristik hilft” to set up its website of the same name,
www.touristik-hilft.de, where details of accommodation for Ukrainian refugees can be entered and ﬁltered
by type, size or location. Currently, the focus is on Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but other regions can
also be entered.
Unity during the corona pandemic: “The Tafel” food bank support
The REWE Group has been one of the main supporters of more than 950 local Tafel food banks across Germany since
1996 – and, for many years now, it has also served as a sponsor of many events organised by Tafel Deutschland e. V.
In the ﬁnancial year, the corona pandemic continued to pose challenges for food banks. Demand for supply
increased, but there was less support from volunteers. PENNY and REWE provided relief here with cash donations
and donations in kind. As part of a call for more solidarity, part of the proceeds from the sale of a special edition of
PENNY toilet paper, amounting to 40,000 euros, was donated to food banks. In addition, a total of 100,000 corona
self-tests were donated. Once again, as the main sponsor, the REWE Group supported the Members' Meeting of the
Tafel food banks, which took place digitally for the ﬁrst time. Furthermore, ten lots of 1,000 euros were given to local
food banks through a raﬄe to celebrate 25 years of partnership between Tafel and REWE.
Despite corona-related constraints, the “Fill the Plate Together!” campaign, which has taken place annually since
2009, also managed to be run: REWE and nahkauf stores as well as the REWE online shop called on customers to buy
donation bags. These are ﬁlled with long-lasting food products such as pasta, rice or soup. Almost all 950 food banks
across Germany received supplies, with a total of around 544,000 bags worth over 2.5 million euros. The REWE sales
line donated 40,000 of these bags.
Fund-raising projects by employees
For eleven years now, many employees at the REWE Group have been donating a ﬁxed amount from their monthly
wage to education projects run by the charity organisation Kindernothilfe in Haiti, in particular for the earthquake-
proof Collège Véréna in Port-au-Prince. Over four million euros have been collected in this way so far. At the end of

2020, the employee fundraising project was relaunched with the addition of desired projects. Employees from all
sales lines were able to vote on new donation projects. In April 2021, the donation phase for the following selected
projects started:
!"Little Home Köln e. V. – small houses for homeless people (see Small Houses for the Homeless)
!"Kindernothilfe e. V. – The protective schools in Haiti (see Together for Haiti)
!"DER Touristik Foundation e. V. – Black Mambas (see The DER Touristik Foundation, Black Mambas, South Africa)
!"• Tafel Deutschland e. V. – Children and Adolescent Fund: Local food banks are working on projects to ensure that
disadvantaged children and adolescents across Germany have the same social and cultural educational
opportunities as peers from wealthier families. The fund is ﬁnancing initiatives such as age-appropriate cooking
and environmental projects.
Small houses for the homeless
toom Baumarkt DIY stores have been supporting the organisation Little Home Köln e. V. with building materials for
the “Little Homes” since 2019. The small mobile houses provide homeless people with a sheltered living space and
therefore support them on their way back into society. In 2021, 18 small houses were built, making it a total of 48
since 2019.
Together for Haiti
Since the earthquake in 2010, the REWE Group has been been working together with the charity organisation
Kindernothilfe in Haiti to provide children and adolescents with better access to education. Using donations from its
employees and retailers, the REWE Group teamed with the organisation to enable the reconstruction of Collège
Véréna, a school in a slum area of Port-au-Prince which was completely destroyed by the earthquake. Some 1,500
children can attend school here.
In addition, since 2015, various projects have enabled Restavèk children – the name given to children from rural
areas whose impoverished families sent them to guest families in the city to work – to have a basic school education.
Since 2016, a scholarship programme created by the REWE Group has been enabling graduates of Collège Véréna
who are in great need and Restavèk children to undergo vocational training or go to college.
Due to the reconstruction of Collège Véréna being completed, the employee donation programme ended in 2020. The
school and the scholarship programme for gifted graduates will continue to receive support through a fund until
2025. The money also enables maintenance work and any necessary purchases as well as child sponsorships and the
annual Christmas celebrations.
With the “Schützende Schule” (protective school) project, Kindernothilfe in Haiti is once again part of the recipient
projects of the employee donation programme. The school is located in a slum in Lévêque, which was provisionally
erected by earthquake survivors two hours north of Port-au-Prince. Here children learn to protect not only themselves
from violence and natural disasters, but also their environment, since, according to Kindernothilfe, violence falls when

urban areas become greener and more homelike.
In August 2021, Haiti was aﬀected once again by a severe earthquake. Many people lost their homes in the south-
west part of the country. Kindernothilfe set up centres in Haiti for those children aﬀected, where they could get
protection, support and warm meals. The REWE Group provided support here with an additional donation of 23,000
euros.
The DER Touristik Foundation
With its non-proﬁt organisation, the DER Touristik Foundation, DER Touristik – as an international travel group – is
demonstrating its commitment to its social responsibility towards people and nature in its travel destinations. The
potential of tourism should be used to protect the environment and promote economic development in the host
countries. Through the DER Touristik Foundation, DER Touristik bundles its social commitment beyond its business
activities. In addition, the foundation ensures that sponsorship projects receive eﬀective, long-term support.
The DER Touristik Foundation strives to promote and protect the social and economic conditions of people and the
ecosystems in less developed tourism regions of the world. Training measures are designed to create prospects and
empower local residents to reduce poverty and inequality, contribute to growth and prosperity, and promote the
preservation of nature and wildlife.
For example, since 2014, the DER Touristik Foundation has facilitated the construction and renovation of more than
62 schools in 21 countries on ﬁve continents. In 2021 alone, a total of four school construction projects were
completed using donations. A new school was built in each of Kenya, Madagascar and India, whilst a school in South
Africa was equipped with disinfectants and hygiene stations, plexiglass panels for the pupils, protective visors for the
teachers and additional tables/chairs in order to make it corona-safe. These projects enable children and adolescents
to get an education and increase their ability to live independent lives.
TTooggeetthheerr  ––  eevveenn  iinn  ddiiﬃﬃccuulltt  ttiimmeess::  ssuuppppoorrtt  dduurriinngg  tthhee  ccoorroonnaa  ppaannddeemmiicc
In 2021 too, fewer people were travelling than before the pandemic due to Covid-19. Particularly in
emerging and developing countries, this led to little or no income in many places. In addition, relief
organisations were receiving fewer donations. Therefore, in 2020, the DER Touristik Foundation decided to
continue supporting a number of projects which had already been completed. In 2021, these included the
KOTO training centre near Hanoi, Vietnam. Young people who come from diﬃcult backgrounds and, in some
cases, have suﬀered sexual abuse, can complete an apprenticeship in the catering industry here. From
2017 to 2019, the DER Touristik Foundation had supported the renovation and expansion of the KOTO
training restaurant. In the ﬁnancial year, the DER Touristik Foundation funded tuition for 100 trainees so that
these adolescents do not lose their education and future opportunities.

In 2021, the DER Touristik Foundation supported the following projects for the ﬁrst time. They are summarised in the
brochure “Auf gutem Weg” (On the right track):
!"Hospitality Training Center, Thailand: The Pimali Foundation in Nong Khai oﬀers young Thailanders from
disadvantaged backgrounds and orphans a professional training framework. Each year, it takes in young people
who are at least 15 years old and have ﬁnished school. The training focuses on “learning by doing” and enables the
acquisition of skills in various areas of the hotel industry and their use during a six-month internship at hotel
partners. The DER Touristik Foundation is funding ﬁve of the places at the Pimali Foundation as well as the
subsequent six-month internship at partner hotels.
!"Coral Reef Restoration, the Caribbean: DER Touristik is supporting a pilot project on the Caribbean island of
Barbados, which is suﬀering from signiﬁcant coral mortality in the reefs oﬀ its south and west coasts. The plan
here is to use Biorock technology to accelerate coral growth and thereby preserve marine biodiversity. Frames
made of structural steel and metal mesh, through which a weak current ﬂows, are lowered into the sea. Through
electrochemical processes, a solid crust of the salts aragonite and brucite dissolved in seawater gradually forms on
them. In this way, one to three centimetres of solid limestone grows on the surface of these artiﬁcial coral reefs
each year. The project is equipped with real-time monitoring systems which are collecting data on water quality for
the duration of a ﬁve-year monitoring programme. The project is complemented by a comprehensive education
campaign which is intended to make students and adolescents in particular aware of the programme.
!"Tortoise Protection, Indian Ocean: Following the shipwreck oﬀ the coast of Île aux Aigrettes in Mauritius in July
2020, the Aldabra giant tortoises who live on the beaches and are important to Mauritian habitats were massively
threatened by oil vapours. Since this disaster, in order to ensure their survival, baby tortoises have been brought
from their original habitat – the nature reserve on Île aux Aigrettes – to a rearing station on Round Island for two
years, where they grow under surveillance and protection. Daily care includes regular medical check-ups as well as
suﬃcient food and weight checks. After two years, the Aldabra giant tortoises are strong enough to be sent back to
Île aux Aigrettes. Work has been taking place there with international experts and residents to mitigate the
consequences of the oil spill.
In addition, the DER Touristik Foundation is involved through the following projects:
!"Rhino Protection, South Africa: Since 2013, the Black Mambas, 36 young women from the region, have been
protecting around 13,000 rhinos in the Kruger National Park from poaching, which has risen again due to the
absence of tourists during the pandemic and thus a lack of income. Since 2020, the DER Touristik Foundation has
been funding a multi-week refresher course for the group to become wildlife experts. The initiative was selected to
be one of the employee fundraising projects during the ﬁnancial year. The DER Touristik Foundation is also
ﬁnancing the on-site Bush Babies programme: As part of this, some 1,300 children and adolescents from local
schools are learning about the environment, food security and animal welfare.
!"Training, Cambodia: Since 2019, the DER Touristik Foundation has been supporting the training of ten young
Cambodians in the tourism sector through a project by the organisation Smiling Gecko e. V. Despite the corona
pandemic, training continued in 2021.

!"Marine Reserve, Greece: Completed in 2021 with the support of the DER Touristik Foundation, a veterinary clinic
and a visitor centre have been built as part of a conservation area for seals, turtles and dolphins on the Greek
island of Lipsi. Due to delays caused by the corona pandemic, the opening and start-up of operations have been
moved to 2022.
!"Training, Tanzania: Since 2016, the DER Touristik Foundation has been supporting projects in the Simanjiro
District located south of Kilimanjaro, including the construction and equipment of various schools as well as the
erection of a seminar centre for Maasai women. Since 2020, the construction of a crafts centre has been
underway for secondary school leavers who want to train as a carpenter or locksmith.
!"Environmental Education, Tanzania: Since 2017, through promotion of the environmental programme “Living in
Harmony with Nature” at secondary schools in the Simanjiro District, the DER Touristik Foundation has been
raising awareness amongst young people of the importance of wildlife and the conservation of natural resources.
GRI 203-2:
Signiﬁcant indirect economic impacts
The business activities of the REWE Group have signiﬁcant indirect economic impacts: In its stores and travel
agencies, the REWE Group employs about 380,000 people inside and outside Germany. When new stores are
opened, communities beneﬁt from infrastructure investments, taxes and fees as well as from a broad range of social
activities undertaken by employees, store managers and independent retailers. In doing so, the REWE Group
generates important momentum for the development and growth of the regions where its stores do business.
Projects to promote healthy nutrition and exercise
Since 2000, the REWE Group has been supporting the group “5 am Tag” (5 a day) as a charter member. The aim is to
boost consumption of fruit and vegetables to ﬁve portions a day in order to promote a healthy diet. In addition, as part
of its membership with the consumer group Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz, for example, the REWE Group
promotes the imparting of consumer skills. Furthermore, it is involved through the following projects:
Promotion and communication of healthy diet through educational campaign
With the food bank group Tafel Deutschland e. V. and other partners, REWE provides participating schools with Power
Boxes (Power Kiste) that contain an alternating range of foods selected by dietary experts to be used in preparing
breakfast in the classroom. This enables children to get their day oﬀ to a healthy start. At the end of 2021, 23 schools
and over 1,400 children were receiving the boxes from Monday to Friday. In this way, around 122,000 breakfasts
were provided in the 2020/21 school year. Due to school closures caused by the pandemic, the project had to be
temporarily suspended. Almost 15,000 children have received over 1.8 million breakfasts since 2009. The project is
supported with donations from brands such as Chiquita, Danone, Ehrmann, FrieslandCampina, Mondelez, Nestlé,
Unilever, Zentis, Henkel, Rügenwalder Mühle and Eurogroup (part of the REWE Group).

In 2021, eleven additional schools took part in the inaugural “Power Kiste Light” (Power Box Light) project. In this
concept, they receive breakfast items oﬀered by the REWE delivery service.
In some parts of Germany, REWE also promotes nutrition workshops. They are designed to help children in day-care
centres to playfully learn about healthy diets. For this purpose, digital media is used during the daily training course.
Since 2009, over 250,000 children have taken part in nutrition workshops supported by REWE. In the ﬁnancial year,
432 workshops (2020: 380, 2019: 925) took place for around 8,600 children. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, not all
workshops could be carried out as planned.
TToorrhhuunnggeerr  ((HHuunnggeerr  ffoorr  GGooaallss))::  pprroommoottiinngg  aa  hheeaalltthhyy  ddiieett  tthhrroouugghh  ffoooottbbaallll
As an oﬃcial dietary partner of the German Football Association (DFB), the REWE sales line has been
promoting a healthy diet in sport since 2008. Children and adolescents have been the focus since 2019: As
part of the campaign “Torhunger” (Hunger for Goals), REWE supports them through football camps where
they learn the important basics of proper nutrition in practical modules, for example. By the end of 2021,
over 1,400 of these camps had been run for almost 60,000 children.
Projects to promote opportunities for children and adolescents
For years, the REWE Group has systematically taken part in projects that promote the development of children and
young people. An important approach is the support from volunteers and local organisations who pass on their
knowledge and experience in direct contact.
SShhaarriinngg  eexxppeerriieenncceess  aass  aa  bbuussiinneessss  ppaarrttnneerr::  ““LLeerrnneenn  mmaacchhtt  SScchhuullee””  iinniittiiaattiivvee
During the educational and integration initiative “Lernen macht Schule” (Learning Catches On), children
from socially disadvantaged families and students from the Vienna University of Economics and Business
learn with and from one another. Each semester, about 140 so-called learning buddies from the university
support about 260 children and adolescents in facilities operated by the Catholic charity Caritas. In 2021,
just as in the previous year, digital channels were used again during lockdowns when schools were closed.
This contact is intended to strengthen empathetic perspectives and character. The REWE Group in Austria
acts as a business partner and presents itself as an attractive employer at the same time.
In another mentoring project, the REWE Group takes part in the sponsorship programme “EHRENSACHE” (Act of
Honour) in cooperation with the non-proﬁt employment organisation Joblinge to provide internships and job-entry
qualiﬁcation training to socially disadvantaged young people.

Since 2018, PENNY, as a sponsor, has been supporting the national “Best Junior Company” competition run by IW
JUNIOR, a subsidiary of the German Economic Institute. For the competition, which is held at state, national and soon
even EU level, participating students come up with a business idea and test it out for a whole school year.
FFöörrddeerrppeennnnyy  ((SSppoonnssoorrsshhiipp  PPeennnnyy))  iinniittiiaattiivvee  ssuuppppoorrttss  llooccaall  cchhiillddrreenn  aanndd  aaddoolleesscceennttss
With its Förderpenny (Sponsorship Penny) initiative (formerly the Goodwill Basket), the PENNY sales line
has been supporting local non-proﬁt organisations that work on behalf of children and adolescents since
2015. In 2021, PENNY handed out grants worth 266,000 euros to 123 winners in 41 neighbourhood
regions. Choosing from more than 850 applicants, regional juries initially selected three winners per
neighbourhood region, each receiving 2,000 euros in prize money. In the next step, customers and
supporters of the organisations had the opportunity to vote for one of the three winners in their
neighbourhood. All ﬁrst-place organisations received the customer donations from stores in their
neighbourhood for a year: By saying “keep the change” when paying at the till, the purchase total was
rounded up to the next 10-cent amount, enabling customers to support the ﬁrst-place group in their area.
Since the beginning of the initiative, grants worth over 2.2 million euros have been paid out, including
around one million euros from customer donations.
In addition, three national prize winners were chosen from all the ﬁrst-place winners during the ﬁnancial
year, receiving prize money totalling 20,000 euros. These were the child and youth welfare association
“Kinder- und Jugendhilferechtsverein Dresden”, the youth and cultural centre “Jugend- und Kulturzentrum
Stockumer Schule”, and Coming Out Day e. V.
As part of the “Aufrunden” (round up) programme, the REWE Group is also active in Austria with the trade companies
BILLA, BILLA Plus, BIPA and PENNY. Thanks to the support of customers, a total of over 196,000 euros were
collected during the ﬁnancial year. Therefore, a total of 1.3 million euros have been donated between 2013 and the
end of 2021. The money is used to support projects by Caritas, including learning cafés, special education
programmes and mother-child homes.
Donations at nahkauf
Since 2009, the REWE sales format nahkauf has been involved in the organisation BILD hilft e. V. “Ein Herz für
Kinder” (A Heart for Children), which supports children and families in emergency situations. In 2021, a total of
400,000 euros were donated to the organisation. Since the start of the partnership, this has enabled over 3.6 million
euros to be collected.
For freedom from barriers and inclusive playgrounds: cooperation with Aktion Mensch
Since 2020, one cent from every “babytime” private label product sold at PENNY and REWE has been ﬂowing to a
selected, changing project partner of Aktion Mensch. Almost 165,000 euros were collected in 2021. These funds

have been used to support the setting up of an inclusion assistance service for day-care centres and schools. The aim
of this project is to enable around 60 impaired children and adolescents to attend a regular day-care centre or school
through the support of inclusion assistants.
To promote motoric and social development at early ages, REWE also supports the construction of inclusive
playgrounds along with the German charity Aktion Mensch and Procter & Gamble. Since April 2018, one cent from
each sale of a Procter & Gamble product has been donated to the project “Stück zum Glück” (the Coin to Happiness)
for inclusive playgrounds – over 1.3 million euros since 2019. By the end of 2021, the money raised had been used to
build or expand 33 inclusive playgrounds throughout Germany.
In many REWE stores, customers can also donate their bottle deposits to local support projects from Aktion Mensch
as well as local organisations of their choice. In this way, over 1.95 million euros were generated and donated in 1,548
stores in 2021.
Cooperation with Lebenshilfe
Inclusion is also an important topic at toom Baumarkt DIY stores. Since 2014, the sales line has therefore been
cooperating with Lebenshilfe, the German association for people with mental disabilities, their families, experts and
friends. The aim is to break down barriers by talking with each other and to familiarise customers with the topics of
inclusion and diversity. For this purpose, 40 toom Baumarkt DIY stores throughout Germany have established
partnerships with Lebenshilfe facilities in their city or region. The commitment consists of the following project
focuses:
!"Local actions at the toom Baumarkt DIY stores – such as joint sales of Christmas trees
!"Publication of the brochure “Selbermachen leicht gemacht” (DIY made easy) for three popular DIY topics as well
as a video in easy-to-understand language
!"Workshop work stations for people with disabilities in toom Baumarkt DIY stores
One main focal point involves the inclusion of employees. In this eﬀort, toom Baumarkt DIY stores have set up work
stations for Lebenshilfe workshops in 21 stores. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no new measures could be
implemented during the ﬁnancial year, either for the workshop work stations or the local actions. These local
partnerships still exist.
Projects to promote a vigilant approach to food
The REWE Group strives to keep food waste to a minimum (see also Circular Economy and Packaging). As part of this
eﬀort, it works with upstream production stages and its own stores. With the help of modern forecasting systems and
automatic ordering processes, supported by the commercial experience of the employees, stores can be supplied
with fresh goods as they are needed. Short transport routes between warehouse locations and stores, end-to-end
refrigeration from production to shelf as well as regular employee training help to keep losses to a minimum.
On average, PENNY and REWE sell over 98 per cent of their foods each year. Food which can no longer be sold but
can be consumed without risk is donated across Germany to over 950 local food bank initiatives. REWE has been

making such donations since 1996 and PENNY since 2007. In addition, both sales lines work with the organisation
foodsharing e. V. Lekkerland also campaigns against food waste, with the sales line's stores donating food to food
banks. Furthermore, as part of a partnership with “Too good to go”, the company is encouraging business partners to
oﬀer consumers the “Too good to go” app. This connects them to food outlets and businesses which have unsold,
surplus food to sell at a discount price.
Because consumers are responsible for most food waste, the REWE Group conducts information and educational
campaigns aimed at its customers. The PENNY sales line has been involved in this topic for years and provides tips on
how best to store food or be creative in recycling leftovers, for instance. Since 2019, as part of the “Saving Precious
Goods” campaign, selected private label products such as yoghurt, cream and butter have been labelled with the
instruction “Smell. Taste. Enjoy.” right next to the best-before date.
““RReetttteerrrreeggaall””  ((RReessccuuee  SShheellff))  ccaammppaaiiggnn
In October 2021, the “Retterregal” (Rescue Shelf) campaign started online and in the interactive
sustainability store “PENNY Grüner Weg” in Berlin. As part of this three-month campaign, products were
available from four selected start-ups, who make products from leftover food or food which can no longer be
sold and therefore help to stop food waste. The start-ups taking part were:
!"Rettergut: This company processes fruit and vegetables with minor imperfections to make organic
spreads and soft drinks.
!"Helden Brot & Knödelkult: These start-ups give unsold bread a second life – in the form of bread crisps
and bread dumplings.
!"Zero Bullshit: This company makes snacks from raw materials which are left over from food production
and not further processed, for example crackers made from sunﬂower seed ﬂour resulting from the
production of sunﬂower oil.
!"wisefood: This start-up produces edible disposable tableware made, for example, from consumable
apple ﬁbres which are left over from the production of apple juice.
The project had scientiﬁc support from the non-proﬁt international think-and-do tank Collaborating Centre
on Sustainable Consumption and Production in Wuppertal and the Thünen Institute. The goal was to
measure the impact on customer awareness and the actual cost-beneﬁt balance of food waste. The results
should follow in the course of 2022.
Reducing food waste together
Since the end of 2019, the REWE Group, through its REWE and PENNY sales lines, has been a member of the
Nationales Dialogforum zur Reduzierung der Lebensmittelverschwendung (National Dialogue Forum for Reduction of

Food Waste) of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The company is therefore supporting the national
strategy for the reduction of food waste and signalling its intention to contribute to the global goal of reducing food
waste by 50 per cent by 2030. Measures for the reduction of food waste are being developed though the dialogue
forum. In 2021, all food losses of the previous year were recorded again as part of a measurement process and
published in a report by the Thünen Institute. The convenience sales line Lekkerland also joined the dialogue forum
during this period, increasing data acquisition from the wholesale trade. In the next step, project parters are agreeing
speciﬁc joint reduction goals. The target agreement is set to be published in summer 2022.
The REWE Group is also involved as a partner of “Tafel macht Zukunft – gemeinsam digital” (Tafel creates the future
– together digital). The goal of this project is to make it easier for food to be salvaged by food banks through the use
of digital solutions. By doing so, it should be possible to rescue more food from going to waste in the future and get it
to those who need it. During the reporting period, the digital delivery note was tested for the ﬁrst time in PENNY and
REWE stores and is now being rolled out gradually. At the end of 2021, 14 food banks were involved in the project.
Projects to promote biodiversity and environmental protection
TThhee  RREEWWEE  GGrroouupp  aanndd  NNAABBUU  eessttaabblliisshh  NNAABBUU  CClliimmaattee  FFuunndd
In 2022, the REWE Group and NABU have added another component to their long-standing partnership.
Starting in 2022 and for ﬁve years, the REWE sales line will pay ﬁve million euros each year into the newly
created NABU Climate Fund. The purpose of the NABU Climate Fund is to counteract the drainage of peat
bogs caused by agriculture and peat cutting and therefore the release of large amounts of greenhouse
gases. On the one hand, heavily drained peat bog areas are being purchased or leased over the long term.
On the other hand, farms are receiving support with switching over from conventional farming methods to
climate-friendly wetlands management.
As part of the work done by the non-proﬁt organisation DER Touristik Foundation e. V., DER Touristik supports the
project “Chili against Elephants”. A sensitisation campaign is to raise the awareness level of people in Tanzania about
the promotion of ecological habitats and biodiversity since conﬂicts are arising again and again as populations grow
and people migrate to regions bordering on nature conservation areas. Elephants frequently destroy the annual
harvest of entire villages and are often killed as a result. The solution: the elephants have a strong sense of smell and
stay away from chilli plants. By surrounding crops with so-called chilli fences, about 75 per cent of the original
damage can be avoided. The local population is taught how to grow and maintain these fences. The project is being
carried out in cooperation with Upendo e. V. and PAMS Foundation.
Further projects which demonstrate the REWE Group's commitments in the area of action “biodiversity and
environmental protection” are described in the section Biodiversity.

Tourism puts children at particular risk of sexual exploitation. According to estimations by the children's charity
UNICEF, each year, around two million girls and boys around the world are sexually exploited in early childhood. In
addition, a global study on the sexual exploitation of children in tourism published by ECPAT International – a group
that works to prevent the sexual exploitation of children – shows that more children than ever before are aﬀected by
sexual exploitation. The increasing number of travellers, the Internet and mobile technologies have fuelled the
increase in sexual violence against children in tourism. For this reason, the travel industry has a special responsibility
to help to protect children.
The topic of opportunities for children and adolescents is an area of action of the pillar Social Commitment within the
Sustainability Strategy of the REWE Group. With its activities in this area of action, the REWE Group is aiming,
amongst other things, to ensure the protection of children.
The REWE Group is also working to systematically ﬁght against child labour. In addition to living wages and income as
well as women in the supply chain, this topic is a focus area in its Guideline on Fairness. In addition, in its Guideline on
the Prevention of Child Labour, the REWE Group has deﬁned requirements and measures with regard to the
prevention and elimination of child labour and is involved in numerous projects. The company also relies on
internationally recognised certiﬁcation standards to ﬁght against child labour at the raw material production stage
(for more information, see Child Labour and Forced Labour).
GRI 413
Child Protection

GRI 413: local communities
Management approach
Principles
DER Touristik employs a very ambitious child protection policy. In 2012, it deﬁned a set of principles that are
designed to protect the children of the holiday country and those of guests and to observe their rights within the
tourism industry. The focus here is preventing the sexual exploitation of children in tourism.
On 11 March 2016, Sören Hartmann, Chief Executive Oﬃcer (CEO) of DER Touristik Group, signed “The Code”, a
code of conduct that is designed to prevent children from being sexually exploited, during the ITB tourism trade fair in
Berlin. This code is based on the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
ECPAT Deutschland e. V. oversees its implementation and supports DER Touristik as an expert partner. With its
signature, DER Touristik expressed its commitment to the code and pledged to observe the following aspects, which
have already been actively and fully introduced:
!"Implementation of guidelines and measures to prevent the sexual exploitation of children
!"Provision of employee training about the rights of children, the prevention of sexual exploitation and the reporting
of suspected cases
!"Acceptance of a clause in hotel agreements rejecting the sexual exploitation of children and refusing to tolerate it
in any way
!"Provision of information to travellers about the rights of children, the prevention of sexual exploitation, and ways of
actively participating in the protection of children through the reporting of suspected cases
!"Support of and cooperation with stakeholders in the ﬁght against sexual exploitation of children
!"An annual report about the implementation of “The Code”
Implementation
The child protection policy of DER Touristik is communicated clearly at all destinations. It is also a core topic within a
training concept. This raises awareness of the topic amongst hotel employees and travel directors in the destinations
as well as employees at headquarters locations, destination agencies and important partners. It is also explained how
to deal with suspected cases.
In 2021, a digital format in the form of interactive webinars was used for live training sessions for the ﬁrst time. In
addition, refresher courses were run as part of general training measures in various hotels which had already
undergone extensive training. Employees also took part in DER Touristik online training sessions run by ECPAT. In
2021, a total of 62 people (2020: 0 due to corona; 2019: 102) received training on this topic. The comparatively low
number can again be attributed to the corona pandemic – the regular training sessions only started again at the end
of the ﬁnancial year.

As part of its information and prevention concept, DER Touristik gets involved through additional awareness-raising
measures. For example, travellers are actively informed about the protection of children from sexual exploitation
during holidays. The focus here is the reporting platform “nicht-wegsehen.net”, which is operated by ECPAT
Deutschland and can be used by holidaymakers to report real and suspected cases of criminal activity.
In addition, DER Touristik is involved in the preparation of regular destination workshops organised by the German
Travel Association and ECPAT. The participants are various stakeholders of on-site service providers, with whom DER
Touristik also cooperates in child protection bodies at multilateral level. During the workshops, they are taught about
the sexual exploitation of children in tourism, sensitised about the topic accordingly, and trained on what to do if they
suspect that something is amiss and how to prevent that situation from arising. Most recently, two workshops took
place in Indonesia in 2018. The workshops scheduled for 2020 and 2021 had to be cancelled due to the corona
pandemic. It is planned for these to resume in 2022.
GRI 413-2:
Operations with signiﬁcant actual and potential negative impacts on local communities
Risk analysis
In 2021, DER Touristik conducted a risk analysis to ﬁnd out how the rights of children are aﬀected by various activities
within the tourism value chain and at its partners. Firstly, it showed that relevant risks in these value chains can be
easily identiﬁed. Secondary, it was deduced that products and activities related to community-based tourism as well
as visits to social projects require a speciﬁcation of the previous regulations. To this end, measures and requirements
are to be formulated in order to complement existing strategies for child protection in a way that goes beyond the
prevention of sexual exploitation and to convert them into a broader approach. This is intended to minimise the
various risks associated with tourism activities and maximise the beneﬁt to communities through participation in
tourism value creation.
There are also plans to supplement DER Touristik's child protection policy with a comprehensive guideline. Based on
the child protection principles of DER Touristik, the guideline is intended to specify requirements for diﬀerent
activities and expand the target groups. Furthermore, it is to provide comprehensive information for internal and
external stakeholders and bring about change through projects, campaigns and industry dialogue. The reduction of
risks and the strengthening of the rights of children and families are at the fore here. The expansion of the strategy for
child protection is also related to the Covid-19 pandemic and the thereby increased vulnerability of children around
the world.