We adopt a responsible and proactive stance, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint resulting from our activities.
We want to reduce our consumption of energy and water and we choose less polluting refrigerant gases, because we believe that only an efficient approach to natural resources can help mitigate the impacts of our activity.
In 2019, our carbon footprint reduced by 15.4% in absolute terms, which is mostly justified by the acquisition of renewable energy certificates in Portugal.
We thus achieved our goal of reducing the Group’s carbon footprint by 5% for every €1,000 of sales in the 2018-2020 triennium.
By being committed to efficient resource management, we are able not only to optimise its comsuption but more importantly, to implement initiatives aimed at fighting climate change.
In the construction and refurbishing projects of our infrastructures, we strive to include criteria such as:
Since 2014, these measures have involved an investment of more than 145 million euros and the emission of more than 230,000 tonnes of CO2e has been avoided.
With the project “Water and Energy Consumption Management Teams”, we aim to raise the awareness of the employees working in our stores in Portugal about the rational use of energy and water. Between 2011 and 2019, we saved 341,653 m3 of water and 48,080,140 kWh of electricity, corresponding to a total of more than 6.1 million euros.
In 2015 we launched the project “Let’s Go Green” at the office buildings in Portugal, aimed at encouraging people to adopt more responsible practices in their use of energy, water and paper, and promoting good recycling practices. Between 2015 and 2019, we ensured a 289,013 kWh reduction in electricity consumption. Driven by the results achieved, in 2019 this project was extended to Biedronka’s and Ara’s head offices.
We invest in renewable energy systems, such as passive underground cooling/heating, the use of solar collectors for heating water, lamp posts fed by photovoltaic panels and photovoltaic panels for self-consumption of electricity in our infrastructures.
In Portugal, and since 1 July 2018, purchased electricity required for our banners’ operations has come from renewable sources. In the same year, we started self-production of electricity in the Algoz Distribution Centre and the Recheio store in Tavira, and in 2019, we installed photovoltaic panels at the Alfena Distribution Centre and at three Biedronka stores.
In 2019, the investment in renewable energies resulted in savings of around 5.2 million kWh, corresponding to an increase of 18% compared to 2018.
At the Jerónimo Martins Group, energy from renewable sources already generates 500,000 MWh, that is, 25% of total energy consumption in 2019.
As our core business is Distribution, we seek to reduce the environmental impacts linked to the logistics processes throughout our value chain, minimising the consumption of raw materials and energy resources and also reducing the amount of emissions and waste.
Through our backhauling programme, consisting of optimising delivery routes and maximising loads, during the return journeys we collect empty pallets from our stores and suppliers. Between 2011 and 2019, we collected around five million pallets, saving 68.3 million kilometres in journeys, the equivalent of 89 trips to the moon and back, and prevented the emission of 64.2 thousand tonnes of CO2e.
In 2019, Pingo Doce launched a fronthauling project that includes our suppliers’ stopping by the Group’s stores to deliver goods on their return route to their facilities after delivering products to our Distribution Centres. 21,849 pallets were delivered to Pingo Doce stores, thus saving 71,783 km and avoiding the emission of 63 tonnes of CO2e.
In 2019, the by-truck project was implemented at Ara, which uses trailers to transport goods between the Distribution Centres and the farthest stores, saving 24,080 km and avoiding the emission of 19 tonnes of CO2e.
81% of the goods transport vehicles in Portugal, 95% in Poland and 32% in Colombia, comply with the Euro and/or Euro 6 requirements defined by the European Union.
To reduce the carbon emissions related to cold and air conditioning systems, we use leak control technologies, and increasingly, natural cooling gases.
To reduce our greenhouse gas emissions associated with cooling gases, we have developed the following initiatives:
Whenever possible, new stores and those subject to major refurbishments use equipment with low global warming potential fluids (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and 100% natural refrigerant gases (industrial cold facilities).
Data regarding the Group’s Carbon Footprint, water and energy consumption (including savings with the “Let’s Go Green” project), recycled water, water discharges and greenhouse gas emissions was confirmed by an external and independent entity for the Group’s 2019 Annual Report.
