The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) has ranked Coles as the number one food retailer in Australia for sustainability – and the second retailer across the globe.
The WBA assessed and ranked 350 of the world's most influential food and agriculture companies and ranked them on their governance, environment, nutrition and social inclusion practices.
Coles ranked twelfth overall behind Diageo which came in ninth position. The Coca Cola Company was thirteenth , Heineken was the eighteenth and Woolworths came in at 31st.
The WBA stated that Coles “ranked first among its retail peers in social inclusion, while landing among the top five in nutrition, and top ten across the governance and strategy, and environment measurement areas”.
The WBA also found that Coles showed leadership among all companies with consumer products in their portfolios.
Coles’ Chief Sustainability, Property and Export Officer, Thinus Keevé said he was delighted Coles’ progress had been recognised on an international stage.
“Coles’ Together to Zero and Better Together ambitions, as outlined in our Sustainability Strategy, underpin the steps we are taking to drive generational sustainability,” he said.
“Under 'Together to Zero', Coles has set bold emissions and energy targets, including to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy by the end of FY25, and to deliver net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 – and we are well on the way to achieving them.
Coles has donated $143 million in community support in the past financial year, committed to no more giveaways of plastic or recycled plastic collectible toys, and diverted 80.6 per cent of solid waste from landfill, compared with 76.7 per cent in the previous year.
The 350 companies assessed in the 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark span the entirety of the food and agriculture value chain. The ranking encompasses companies active in the agricultural input, agricultural products and commodities, animal protein, processing and manufacturing, retail and food service segments.
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