In the medium term, the direction is articulated through ambitions that set out where ICA Gruppen needs to be in about five years’ time to meet identified changes and drivers in the surrounding world. ”Healthy and sustainable” is one of four themes in the ambition, which is then articulated in the Group-wide step-change areas ”Climate beyond neutrality” and ”Make healthy choices easier”. Read more about ICA Gruppen’s strategies ›

We are constantly striving to raise the level of ambition in our sustainability work by spearheading important issues in the areas of the environment, health, diversity, quality, and local community engagement. This strengthens us as an actor in our respective markets, and our hope is that it will also inspire others and create value for society as a whole and for our customers.

We also strive to continually develop our communication on how we are working with sustainability issues. Among other things, we have published externally reviewed quarterly reports on our sustainability work at the Group level since 2012.

ICA Gruppen’s sustainability targets

To drive and monitor its sustainability work, ICA Gruppen sets Group-wide targets in the prioritised focus areas. These are complemented by targets set by each respective company and those set for specific issues. Following is an account of the targets and outcomes for the most important overarching sustainability goals.

ICA Gruppen will have net zero emissions from own operations by 2030

ICA Gruppen will have net zero climate emissions from own operations by 2030. The target includes emissions from ICA Gruppen’s stores, pharmacies, warehouses, offices, goods transports and business travel. The net zero emissions target means that ICA Gruppen will continue reducing emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, alongside a gradual transition from carbon offsetting to balancing measures. ICA Gruppen has submitted a commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative to adopt climate targets in line with the organisation’s standard for net zero targets and will further clarify its targets in line with this.

Greenhouse gas emissions from ICA Gruppen’s own operations amounted to 94,592 tonnes in 2022, an increase of 20% compared with the preceding year. The increase has taken place primarily in goods transports in Sweden due to a lower share of renewable fuel, and in business travel and refrigerants, while emissions from energy consumption continue to decrease. Emissions from operations in 2022 are compensated in their entirety through offsets.

Outcome

ICA Gruppen will cut food waste from warehouses and stores by half by 2025

Food accounts for roughly a fourth of the total global carbon footprint. It is therefore of utmost importance to take care of the food that is produced. ICA Gruppen’s target is to cut food waste in half by 2025 compared with 2016. The target applies for both warehouses and stores as well as for the Swedish and Baltic operations. Food waste is measured using an international standard created by the Food Loss & Waste (FLW) Protocol. Preventive work is at the centre of ICA’s work with food waste, including data-driven methods for improving purchasing forecasts. However, clearance sales and processing of surplus food in stores play an important role, as do various types of partnerships to donate food that remains edible to people in need.

Outcome

ICA Gruppen aims to cut the carbon footprint of customers’ grocery purchases in half by 2030

A large share of global climate impact comes from the production and consumption of food. Therefore, ICA not only sets targets to reduce its own emissions, but also requires suppliers to adopt science-based climate targets. By 2025, ICA Gruppen suppliers representing 70% of its upstream climate impact are to have adopted science-based climate targets. ICA Gruppen also has the ambition to cut the carbon footprint of customers’ grocery purchases in half by 2030.

To achieve this target, active work is being conducted to reduce the climate impact of the products sold. Among the ways this is being done is working with suppliers and by developing an attractive plant-based product assortment. In addition, extensive work is being conducted to change habits and behaviours by engaging with and inspiring customers to make climate-smart choices.

Outcome

Customers’ purchases of fruits and vegetables are to correspond to a consumption of 500 grams per day by 2025

All ICA Gruppen companies in Sweden have adopted a new health strategy that is based on the ambition to make it easier for customers to live a healthier life, in line with their own situations and circumstances, with particular focus on children and young people.

One target, which can already be noticed in stores, is that we are taking measures to significantly increase customers’ purchases of fruits and vegetables to a level corresponding to 500 grams per person and day by 2025 at the latest. This is a change that could make a big difference, as the average today is less than 400 grams, while for children and young people it is just over half that.

To estimate the volume of fruits and vegetables that ICA’s customers consume, a calculation is made based on sales data for the customers who are assumed to do most of their grocery shopping with ICA. Due to a need to update this calculation model, reporting of the indicator has been put on hold and will be resumed when a new model has been adopted.

More information about ICA Gruppen’s sustainability goals

See below for more information on ICA Gruppen’s sustainability goals, accounting principles for sustainability reporting, and last year’s sustainability report. All reports can be accessed here ›

ICA Gruppen’s Annual sustainability report 2022
Accounting principle 2023