Climate change affects everyone. To contribute to the UN goal of limiting global warming, ICA Gruppen has set an ambitious climate target. The target places high demands on equipment maintenance, operation, contracts and knowledge. The climate impact that cannot be eliminated from operations by 2020 will be offset. In 2018 ICA Gruppen’s overall climate ambition was approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.
 

Outcome 2018
In 2018 ICA Gruppen’s direct emissions of greenhouse gases were reduced by 61% compared with the base year of 2006, thanks to longterm efforts in the areas of energy, refrigerants and goods transports. The main reasons for the reduction are transition to renewable energy, renewable fuels and refrigerants with a lower climate impact.

It is ICA Gruppen’s firm conviction that all commercial activity must include humane conditions. To ensure that the products sold are produced in an acceptable way in terms of human rights, there are special provisions for this in sourcing agreements. Social audits are conducted on site for suppliers in high-risk countries that produce ICA Gruppen’s corporate brand products. The audits are to be performed according to a model approved by the Group or using ICA Gruppen’s own social audit tool.

 
 
Outcome 2018
The outcome for the target of 100% of ICA Gruppen’s corporate brand suppliers in high-risk countries undergoing social audits was lower at the end of 2018 than the previous year. This is due to a change in the supplier base, and is a result of a changed risk classification for high-risk countries and subsequent delays in internal follow-up processes. The process following changes in risk classification is a long one, and the outcome was adversely affected.

In 2018, ICA Gruppen adoped a new target, that at least 90% of ICA Gruppen's corporate brand suppliers in high-risk countries will have a valid follow-up social audit by the end of 2020. Follow-up social audit must be done within a set timeframe that is based on the initial audit result. Since the target was adopted in 2018, the rolling 12-month outcome can therefore not be compared with previous periods due to lack of data.
 

Customers should feel safe shopping with ICA Gruppen. The quality work is based on ensuring that suppliers have safe production processes. This is done through provisions in agreements with all suppliers. Suppliers of the Group’s corporate brand products are also required to have certification according to a standard accepted by the Group. 100% of ICA Gruppen’s corporate brand food suppliers are to be quality-certified, but to allow for a wider range within the category non-food and to enable there to be small local food suppliers as well, the overall target is 90%. In 2018 the target was adjusted upwards from 80%.

 
 
Outcome 2018
The outcome for the target at the end of 2018 was slightly lower than the previous year. The reason is a change in the supplier base and delays in internal follow-up processes.

Helping customers to feel good and guiding them to make healthy choices is a priority for ICA Gruppen, partly because customers call for it and partly because the Group, as a major player, has a great opportunity to positively impact people’s health. Performance in relation to the target is monitored in customer surveys.

Outcome 2018
During the year ICA Gruppen continued its efforts to inspire customers to have a healthy lifestyle. A few examples are special Halloween and Easter lines at ICA Sweden to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables, a 30% reduction in sugar in ICA’s soft drinks, cordials and fruit drinks, more Minutkliniken clinics and investment in Min Doktor. Rimi Baltic has also implemented numerous activities to inspire people to be active, exercise and eat healthy food. In the 2018 Customer Satisfaction Index, ICA Sweden came in third place among the Swedish retailers and Rimi Baltic came in first place among the retailers in the Baltic region when respondents answered the question “Who inspires me to eat healthily”. Apotek Hjärtat came in first place in the pharmacy industry in the survey Nepa Brand Attribute in November 2018 when the respondents were asked to associate a pharmacy with the claim “Easy to make healthy choices”.

In 2019, ICA Gruppen adopted a new target to reduce food waste. The food waste from warehouses and stores in Sweden and the Baltic countries will be cut in half by 2025 compared with the base year 2016. A few key aspects for achieving this new target include smarter purchasing algorithms, the creation of so-called circular products, and routines and tools for being able to identify at an early stage foods that are at risk of being wasted.