Articulating a new sustainability story

There is a common preconception in the world of retail that ‘affordable’ and ‘sustainability’ don’t come as a pair, but that certainly isn’t the case for budget retailer Aldi, who is making sustainable food choices affordable for all.

Aldi had been innovating in sustainability for a long-time but were keen to increase transparency and add an extra layer of credibility to their sustainability communications. Luminous were asked to help determine their material ESG issues and produce their first-ever Sustainability Report, aligned to industry best-practice and the GRI framework.

We conducted a Double Materiality assessment which involved engaging with seven groups of stakeholders through a mixture of surveys and interviews. This helped us identify and prioritise the top 5 issues which were mapped against its ‘Better Everyday’ sustainability strategy and used to provide a structure for the report.

With the Ireland business being in scope for the forthcoming EU Corporate Reporting Sustainability Directive (CSRD), the materiality assessment was also the first key step in helping them prepare for this future requirement.

With consumers being a key audience for the report, it was key that the report made a clear link between Aldi’s products and sustainability, while providing an exciting and engaging read.

The result is an eye-catching and vibrant report that spotlights Aldi’s ambitions, efforts and progress in being greener, fairer and healthier. And importantly, celebrates the wins of Aldi’s colleagues, communities, suppliers, partners and customers in achieving this vision.