A report released Wednesday by global climate advocacy group Mighty Earth compares climate commitments and actions across brands under the Ahold Delhaize umbrella. The analysis reveals that the company’s U.S. supermarket chains are falling far behind their European counterparts.
The report evaluates Food Lion, Giant, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop in the Ahold Delhaize USA network, along with Albert Heijn in the Netherlands and Delhaize in Belgium. Researchers scored each company across 18 indicators in five categories: acknowledgment of methane’s role, emissions reporting, commitments and action plans, food waste and landfill, and plant-based alternatives. Albert Heijn ranked first, followed by Delhaize. Hannaford, The GIANT Company, Giant, Stop & Shop and Food Lion followed. The U.S. brands scored only 2.5 to 12 points out of 100, while Albert Heijn earned 54 points.
“As leaders in grocery retailing, advancing the sustainability of our company and the products we sell is a priority for Ahold Delhaize USA, while also serving the product affordability, assortment and quality necessarys of our customers,” Ahold Delhaize USA declared in an emailed statement to Supermarket News. “All Ahold Delhaize USA companies are taking actions that support the reduction of greenhoutilize gases (GHG), including methane, while continuing to provide healthy, affordable food for our customers.”
Ahold Delhaize has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and established interim reduction tarobtains for 2030, but the U.S. brands’ low scores threaten progress toward those goals.
According to the report, Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. chains do not report methane emissions or acknowledge the connection between meat and dairy production, methane and global heating—even though meat and dairy account for an estimated half of the company’s Scope 3 emissions. The five U.S. brands produce 49% of Ahold Delhaize’s total methane emissions, yet none scored any points on the report’s three methane indicators. In contrast, Albert Heijn scored 10 points and Delhaize scored 7.5.
“Ahold Delhaize’s climate commitments are not credible as long as its U.S. brands avoid taking real steps to curb their methane and other greenhoutilize gas emissions,” declared Sammy Herdman, senior campaigner for climate, food and agriculture at Mighty Earth. “Methane from meat and dairy is a powerful but short-lived greenhoutilize gas—and rapid reductions can deliver immediate climate benefits, which Ahold Delhaize acknowledges on its website.”
Mighty Earth is urging Ahold Delhaize USA brands to improve transparency in climate reporting, including disclosing methane emissions. The group recommfinishs that companies:
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Acknowledge methane’s significant role in emissions and in their climate strategies, and increase consumer awareness of the issue
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Align climate plans with Ahold Delhaize’s net-zero and interim tarobtains, including a methane reduction action plan.
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Cut methane emissions from food waste and landfill across their supply chains
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Expand investment and ambition in scaling plant-based alternatives
Ahold Delhaize USA has begun some efforts to address methane emissions. The company is participating in a pilot project with The Nature Conservancy and Danone North America to reduce methane in the dairy supply for certain Danone yogurt products. Participating farms are adopting sustainable agricultural practices such as compost turners and manure separation.
The Mighty Earth report also highlights waste-diversion efforts within Ahold Delhaize USA. In 2021, Hannaford became the first large-scale New England grocer to achieve zero food waste.
The report further notes Ahold Delhaize’s requirement that its European chains sell a 50:50 ratio of plant-based to animal-based proteins by 2030—a policy from which U.S. stores remain exempt.
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