Portuguese retailer Jerónimo Martins has received a leadership level score (A-) for its measures to tackle deforestation, the only firm in the food retail sector to achieve this accreditation, according to the CDP's 2020 assessment.
The retailer also achieved a score of A- for its efforts in fighting climate change, while it received a B grade for its management of water as a critical resource.
The assessment carried out by CDP encompassed more than 9,600 companies across the globe, which represent half of global market capitalisation.
Best Practices
'These results reflect the Jerónimo Martins Group companies’ best practices in finding a balance between economic prosperity and environmental preservation, which have been recognised internationally with inclusion in more than 60 sustainability indices, among which the Euronext Vigeo-Eiris Eurozone 120 and Europe 120 indices, and the FTSE4Good Global and Europe Indices, the retailer said in a statement.
'The performance also reflects the Group’s commitment to conserving biodiversity and fighting forest destruction undertaken as member of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF). No other global food retailer received such a transversal assessment, based on the commodities analysed.'
In addition, with regard to its endeavour to fight deforestation, the retailer joined more than 50 organisations, NGOs and international associations earlier this month, in endorsing the position paper issued by the Tropical Forest Alliance in response to a public consultation launched by the European Commission.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
