Shopping with a social conscience – helping to protect the environment and climate

To have any effect, sustainable products first have to be purchased. However, many consumers do not have the information they need to make environmentally and socially sustainable purchasing decisions. Tchibo therefore places great value on purposefully informing consumers about what they are buying. We want our customers to understand sustainability as a major facet of product quality so they can experience the added value associated with sustainable consumption.

We set a green example

It’s likely that practically everyone has resolved at least once to use less power and to be more conscious of their use of water in their everyday life. We want to help our customers to put such good intentions into action. In August 2010, we focused one of our weekly themes on the topic of resource efficiency in the home. Under the motto “We help you save: Setting a green example”, we provided our customers with a comprehensive range of consumer goods which they could use to save energy, water and CO₂. The products included switch timers, digital radiator controls and water-saving attachments. We also offered additional assistance and services to our customers, such as comprehensive, no-obligation energy saving advice.

Protecting the climate - and customers’ wallets

We wanted to accomplish one major thing in the course of this “green week”: to show our customers that purchasing sustainable products allows them not only to boost environmental and climate protection, but also to save money. We implemented multifaceted communication measures, labelling products with “saving” symbols to help customers find what they were looking for, and offering additional information about the specific benefits provided by the individual products in our customer magazine and on product packaging labels. On our website, meanwhile, customers could find background information, formulae for the calculation of energy savings, and tips and advice about saving resources in everyday life.

Helping to secure tomorrow’s energy supply

Our future energy supply should be climate-friendly, dependable and affordable. Tchibo wants to contribute to the future of energy, and since October 2010 it has provided green energy consisting entirely of hydroelectric power. In January 2011, we brought an ecologically sound gas product to the market. We also promote solar power: In 2010, through our cooperation with SiG Solar, we included photovoltaic systems in our product range.

Holidaying with a clear conscience

In 2010, we offered our customers many options to “travel consciously”, helping them plan environmentally and socially responsible holidays. They included environmentally responsible modes of transport during travel to and from destinations and in on-site activities. Our customers were also encouraged to offset greenhouse gases released by their flights by making donations to the atmosfair organisation. Our efforts in this respect served to strengthen local economies: we selected owner-managed hotels, regional modes of transport, and local restaurants and tour guides.

Seals help to identify sustainable Tchibo products

We use various seals and labels to make it easy for our customers to identify the sustainable goods in our product range at a glance. For coffee, we cooperate with the Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and the standards organisations that issue the “Bio-Siegel” (“organic seal”) in accordance with the EU Organic regulations. For our consumer goods, we primarily work with Cotton made in Africa, Textile Exchange and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC^®).

The “Colours of Africa” collection, which we put on the market in June 2010, is one example of what we have accomplished through such cooperation. The special thing about this collection was that we used 100 per cent sustainably produced cotton to create colourful, African-inspired textile products marked with the “Cotton made in Africa” label. The aim of the “Cotton made in Africa” initiative is to improve profits and sales opportunities for African cotton producers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Malawi and Zambia. To get our customers interested in the collection, we advertised it in our customer magazine and made further information available.

100 per cent sustainable: Coffee in Tchibo Coffee Bars

Tchibo is the right choice for anyone looking to drink environmentally and socially sustainable coffee on the go. Since the end of 2009, our 500 Coffee Bars in Germany have exclusively served drinks based on sustainably cultivated coffee. In 2010, this still excluded decaffeinated coffee and coffee specialities, but as of 2011 we are also preparing our decaffeinated drinks with sustainable coffees. The espresso and coffee specialities in our Coffee Bars have been prepared with espresso carrying the Fairtrade certification seal since 2008. Since 2010 Caffè Crema and our classic filter coffee comes from farms that have been certified by the Rainforest Alliance.

We communicate via all channels – with customers and decision makers

Industry, politics, civil society, unions and consumers have to pull together to foster sustainable consumption on a lasting basis. We communicate with our stakeholder groups via various channels to make this happen. In 2010, we published our first customer brochure on the issue of sustainability, and we provide comprehensive information on our website.

Taking action against CO₂ emissions – with strong partners from politics and industry

Since 2008, we have been an active part of the “Platform on Climate Appropriate Consumption Germany” (PKKD). The initiative aims to support relevant communication between industry, politics and consumers to help lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The platform originated as the German pilot project “Product Carbon Footprint” (PCF). We were involved in this project from 2008, together with eight other companies, under the auspices of the WWF environmental foundation, the Öko-Institut e.V., the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and consultants Thema 1. The “Product Carbon Footprint” is a CO₂ footprint based on each specific product, which adds together all greenhouse gas emissions that accrue for goods and services over the course of their production, shipping, use and disposal. During the project’s pilot phase, the main task for the project participants was to calculate and draw up a “balance” for the greenhouse gas emissions of selected products. To this end, Tchibo determined the CO₂ footprint for one of its Rainforest Alliance-certified coffees from Africa, as well as for a sports bag produced in Asia. Through their efforts, project participants created important foundations on which to rate products’ impact on the climate – and took steps toward harmonising the PCF methodology internationally.

Since the end of the pilot phase, participants in the PCF project have dedicated themselves to answering further questions. In a symposium, held in November 2010, to find solutions to the question “Alternatives to decreasing consumption?”, the organisation presented approaches, challenges and suggestions in support of climate-friendly consumption to the general public and discussed these considerations with participants.

We have also been taking part in the German Ministry for the Environment’s “Industry and Policy” climate protection dialogue since May 2010. This initiative has compiled suggestions for how industry can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Results from this process are now available to delegates in the German federal parliament, the federal states and municipalities, and EU-level political representatives.