Asda publishes latest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report

Asda has today published its 2023 Brighter Living Report – its fourth report updating on the progress made towards its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets in the last calendar year.   

Key updates from the report include: 

Carbon 

·       Continued reduction in carbon emissions (scope 1-3), down 7% on 2022 and 15% since Asda first began reporting its full carbon footprint in 2020. 

·       To drive further reductions, Asda’s highest carbon impact suppliers* are now required to share sustainability progress through the EcoVadis data-sharing and assessment platform. 

Packaging  

·       Increased the proportion of own-brand packaging that can be recycled by 3% year-on-year to 96%, on the way towards the target of 100% recyclability by 2025. 

·       Innovation to packaging saw the following reductions: 

o   Changes to beef mince and steak trays saw reduced packaging of 120 tonnes annually, and improvements to shelf life from nine days to 14 days on beef mince 

o   Over 1.8 million lids of Just Essentials soft cheese now include 30% recycled content in packaging 

o   Removed the colour milk caps on Asda branded fresh milk to improve the recyclability of 200 million pieces of plastic annually by removing 

Health 

·       Launched the Health Menu, a new healthy eating range with more than 40 nutritionist-approved products to make eating healthily easier for shoppers. 

·       Re-launched the Live Better icon across its portfolio of products stands at 876 

·       Ambition to improve the average sales weighted health score of food sold⁺. This will be based year on year, and across both branded and own brand products. 

Communities and charitable causes 

·       Continued support for communities impacted by the cost-of living crisis via initiatives such as ‘Kids Eat for £1’ in cafes, with over 3m meals served since launch. 

·       Raised over £7m for Tickled Pink breast cancer campaign – the largest amount in a single year – and £3.1m for BBC Children In Need. 

·       Opened eight new community rooms, offering free space to grassroots groups and charities to come together. 

Food donation 

·       Celebrated its 10-year anniversary of working with FareShare, having donated the equivalent of over 38 million meals from surplus food from Asda stores and depots in that time. 

·       In 2023, Asda donated more than 4,000 tonnes of surplus food. 

·       Announced a new partnership announced last month with FareShare and Olio, continuing its commitment to reducing food waste at stores. 

Colleagues 

·       Announced a record £150m investment in its retail pay for 2024, making Asda the highest paid traditional supermarket. A total of £415m has been invested in increasing pay since the change of ownership in 2020. 

·       Became the first UK supermarket to work with DFN Project SEARCH, a one-year transition to work programme for young adults with a learning disability or autism spectrum conditions, or both. 

External recognition  

·       Awarded a Sustainable Fitch ESG rating of 3 in early 2024 in recognition for integrating ESG considerations into business strategy. 

Mohsin Issa, co-owner of Asda, said: “2023 was a big year for Asda, with major strategic investments delivered and the foundations being laid to build a bigger and better Asda.  

“Our fourth ESG report outlines the progress we’ve made in the last year, with our new strategies and targets not only matching the ambitions of the business, but also tackling the areas that matter most to our customers and stakeholders.  

“Through this programme, we will continue to demonstrate our commitment to building a sustainable business for the long term.”