One of the best ways to support the causes you believe in is to vote with your dollars. I first experienced the power of this when the world, horrified by the slaughter of dolphins in tuna production, stopped purchasing brands that were not dolphin friendly.
I now consciously support brands, products and services that align with my view of the world. Perhaps a passive protest however corporations respond to market trends and where the dollars flow. If that is the lever of power, ok I can vote with my dollar.
I was delighted to see one of the places I shop taking a step in a sustainable direction.
ALDI Australia is set to be the first Aussie supermarket to power all stores and warehouses with 100% renewable electricity.
By the end of 2020, ALDI Australia will have 250 stores and six warehouses with solar panels. Their decision to become 100% renewable is part of ALDI’s global commitment to set a company-wide ‘Science-Based Target’ for climate protection.
ALDI Australia is announcing a commitment to power all stores and warehouses with 100% renewable electricity, ensuring shoppers don’t have to choose between great prices and the fate of the planet.
How will this impact pricing at Aldi?
Sadly, price and sustaining the planet are often at odds. Given most of us are watching our dollars carefully in these unpredictable times, companies who are making a stand demonstrating their values, are winning big brand and loyalty points with customers.
Research from ALDI Australia indicates 95% of Australian shoppers want to do their bit to be sustainable and also believe businesses have a responsibility to help the environment. There is one way we can be assured that occur. Yes, voting with our dollars!
However, for most, cost is the main factor in their decision-making, with 81% of Australians associating a switch to renewable electricity with an increase in product cost. This has been the case with utility companies and has influenced our consumer behaviour.
Beyond the industry-leading renewables responsibility, ALDI’s commitment to low prices, quality products and fun array of shopping treasures twice a week (special buys) remains, so Aussies can feel confident they are making a clean-and-green choice by shopping at ALDI, without compromising on price or quality.
What will be the impact?
Aldi will utilize sun and wind power with Australia’s largest commercial on-site solar rollout to date and is estimated to prevent 41,000 tonnes of carbon emissions entering the atmosphere every year: the equivalent of taking 11,700 cars off the road per year or generating enough electricity to power 7,000 average Australian homes. It will use the rooftops of its vast real estate portfolio to harness more than 15% of its total energy use from the sun. ALDI’s announcement follows a successful 40% reduction of overall operational emissions intensity from 2012 baseline.
Adrian Christie, Customer Interactions Director, ALDI Australia, said,
“Reducing emissions is a long-term mission for ALDI as a responsible Australian business. Now we’re proud to say that great value is powered by Good Energy”.
This is not the only intiative introduced by Aldi.
- They include efforts to reduce plastic and packaging
- they are the first and only supermarket to offer a national battery-recycling scheme
- They are the first supermarket to eliminate phosphate from the entire laundry range and the first to eliminate microbeads storewide.
Now, that is impressive.
