The ALDI SOUTH Group has published its "Communication on Progress Report 2020”, reconfirming its support of the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact. The report shows that through the implementation of its new International CR Strategy, ALDI is continuing to make progress in the areas of human rights, labour rights, environmental protection and anti-corruption.
The ALDI SOUTH Group was the first discount food retailer to join the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) in 2017. The United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles and to take action in support of UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our recently published report not only communicates our progress made in implementing the UN Global Compact’s principles in both strategy and day-to-day operations, but also reflects our new International CR Strategy, which focuses on the international areas of human rights, resource efficiency, zero carbon and employer of choice.
Human Rights
The ALDI SOUTH Group published its “International Position Statement on Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence Legislation” and established a wide range of memberships and partnerships to improve the livelihood and working conditions of workers, producers and their families in our high-priority supply chains. Partnerships include, the Consumer Goods Forum, Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability and the Sustainable Coffee Challenge.
Labour
ALDI supported projects in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, to improve working conditions and livelihoods of cocoa farmers and joined the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) “Call to Action in the garment industry”. We also joined Tony’s Open Chain as the first discount retailer and developed a new responsibly sourced chocolate bar.
Environment
ALDI published its “ALDI Detox Report 2020” highlighting the progress in areas such as chemical management and supply chain transparency in the textile and footwear industry and became one of the first international food retailers to set itself a company-wide Science Based Target (SBT) for climate protection. We thoroughly examined and identified our supply chains in regards to tackling deforestation and committed to eliminate deforestation from our high-priority supply chains by 2030.
Anti-corruption
Since 2020, all high-priority food and non-food supply chains are integrated into ALDI’s Social Monitoring Programme (SMP). Despite COVID-19 restrictions, ALDI conducted 304 ALDI Social Assessments (ASAs) in non-food production facilities and 20 ALDI Producer Assessments (APAs) on fruit and vegetable farms and plantations to evaluate the compliance with ALDI’s CR Requirements and the “ALDI Social Standards in Production”.
“Our "Communication on Progress Report 2020” clearly demonstrates that ALDI is on the right track to create positive progress and is implementing necessary measures to tackle global challenges. However, there is still much to be done and we believe that every day we are setting the stage for long-term success.”
Anke Ehlers, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility International at ALDI SOUTH Group
