By 2030, we will generate 50% of our sales with products that meet the highest environmental and social standards.
Carry out an analysis of the sustainability risks of your products/product groups and prioritise those you consider having the greatest sustainability risks. For example, because they have a large greenhouse gas or biodiversity footprint or because working conditions in the country of manufacture could pose risks. For each product or product group, define which sustainability criteria should be applied in the short, medium and long term. This can mean that products are made from sustainable materials, have a low greenhouse gas footprint, are recyclable or have undergone environmentally friendly manufacturing and packaging processes. Integrate sustainability criteria into your procurement processes. This can be done in close coordination with your buyers and suppliers over a phased period.
Where possible, work with suppliers who are committed to the highest standards and set shared goals to improve environmental and human impact along the value chain. Use your purchasing volume to enable suppliers with long-term contracts to move towards more sustainable production.
Take measures to close the life cycle of products by involving customers. Think as holistically as possible and develop offerings in repair, reuse and recycling. This includes introducing used goods sales or take-back systems where customers can return used products to be recycled or reused. Make your customers aware of the topic and make sustainable products easily accessible. Another way of promoting a resource-conserving circular economy is through selected partnerships with suppliers who organise their procurement according to sustainable criteria or competitors and industry organisations that pursue similar goals. Identify who in your environment is committed to sustainability and how you can join forces.
Show your customers the environmental and human impact of their purchasing decisions and how they can make better choices. You can do this in a similar way to the energy efficiency label, with which many consumers are already familiar. Make the more sustainable option readily accessible and avoid actively promoting less sustainable product groups.
The wholesale and retail trade plays a key role in the economy and in people's daily lives. On average, consumer goods account for 38% of the personal carbon footprint. As 80% of a product's environmental impact is determined by its design, promoting eco-designed products and offering sustainable consumption options helps reduce the environmental and social footprint and supports the transition to a sustainable society.
