Challenge

We are convinced that it is the responsibility of every company to improve people’s lives – also beyond its core business. We therefore support numerous social and cultural initiatives, educational projects, and sports. In addition, we regularly take part in donation and aid campaigns. We do not donate to political parties, nor do we make donations to state organizations.

Targets and KPIs

To target and coordinate our corporate citizenship activities in the most effective way possible, we pursue a Group-wide social responsibility strategy. The principles behind this strategy include prioritizing areas where our business activities have a direct impact and where we can observe the urgency and success of the projects ourselves. Moreover, we generally aim for medium to long-term cooperation and define quantitative or qualitative targets together with our cooperation partners.

A good example of this type of commitment is our partnership with the Hollen Environmental Center for the “Don’t Throw Me Away!” initiative. Our operating division Cofresco has been supporting the initiative since 2015 and provides various forms of assistance. The aim is to reduce food waste by informing primary school pupils about the value and proper handling of food. Every year, around 50 primary schools are visited to educate children about the production and use of food with the aid of games and other child-friendly materials. Competitions are also held, for example with GEOlino. In 2018, the initiative received a national award from the German government for its “Commitment to Tackling Food Waste”. In 2021, “Don’t Throw Me Away!” was selected by UNESCO as a best practice example of digitalization on the topic of sustainable development.

A project sponsored by the German Foundation for Consumer Protection, which we have been supporting since 2023, is aimed at the same target group. The project “More conscious and sustainable consumption – from knowledge to action” aims to raise awareness among children of sustainable behavior and sensitize schoolchildren to sustainable consumption. This initiative, which is being implemented by the Consumer Advice Center Schleswig-Holstein (“Verbraucherzentrale Schleswig-Holstein”), also uses analog and digital materials in the classroom that are tailored to the needs of children. We are contributing to the project both financially and in terms of content.

Other projects which we sponsor include:

• Social projects (e.g. German Child Protection League, Kinderlachen e.V., Day of Caring, community projects in the coffee-growing regions, various projects to support socially disadvantaged people)
• Educational projects (e.g. Cuki Save the Food, Ayrton Senna Institute, various school and training projects)
• Cultural projects (e.g. German Hygiene Museum Dresden, LWL Prussia Museum Minden, various cultural events)
• Sports (e.g. GWD Minden, Bessel Rowing Club, Minden Wolves, various local and international soccer clubs such as Arminia Bielefeld, Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester United)

Our sports partnerships enable us to reach millions of people together with the sports clubs themselves – at a regional, national, and also global level. In close cooperation with the clubs, we jointly develop new forms of communication and targeting, both at the stadium and via various electronic media. At the same time, we are also working hard to provide people with sustainable enjoyment on match days, e.g. via coffee from sustainable cultivation. In addition, we support the clubs’ efforts to promote social objectives in their respective regions. We intend to expand these partnerships over the coming years, also with regard to promoting conscious consumption.

From 2022 onward, based on a Group-wide strategy which goes beyond activities in our core line of business, we will make a substantial contribution to society as a good citizen and thereby increase our positive impact as part of society. We will place a particular focus on partnerships which offer project participants inclusive business opportunities. Due to the prevailing conditions since 2020, the process has been delayed by several months.

What we achieved in 2022

• Successfully continued existing projects and programs
• Prepared the joint project with the German Foundation for Consumer Protection

What we are currently working on

• Based on the existing programs: examination of further options for integrating the social business principle into our business
• Initiation and launch of the project on conscious consumption with the German Foundation for Consumer Protection and the REWE Group