Coles has achieved its target of sourcing 100% renewable electricity for its national operations, which includes more than 1800 of its retail outlets and distribution centres.
This milestone, as outlined in the company’s ‘2025 Sustainability Report’, contributes to an 81.3% reduction in combined Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions in FY25 (from FY20 baseline) and sees Coles achieve its target to reduce combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by more than 75% by the end of FY30, five years early.
Achieved through an ongoing commitment to the installation of on-site solar, renewable electricity contracts with companies such as Origin Energy and CleanCo, large-scale generation certificate (LCG) arrangements and energy efficiency measures such as refrigeration upgrades, this achievement is promoted as marking a significant milestone in the retailer’s renewable electricity performance.
Coles now has 139 sites fitted with solar panels bringing its total generation of renewable electricity to 33,803 MWh in this last financial year.
Coles Chief Commercial & Sustainability Officer Anna Croft says achieving its target of sourcing 100% renewable electricity was a significant milestone for the business that is committed to supporting Australia’s transition to renewable electricity.
“We recognise our responsibility, as one of Australia’s largest energy users, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our operations. Achieving our target of sourcing 100% renewable electricity shows important progress towards decarbonising our operations, as we work towards delivering our climate ambitions,” she says.
“Beyond our own operations, we understand that meaningful engagement and collaboration with suppliers is also important in achieving our sustainability targets. More than 40% of our suppliers have now set Scope 1 and 2 science-based emissions reduction targets and we will continue to partner with them in support of industry-wide efforts to reduce emissions.”
Other efforts
Continuing to progress in its other sustainability efforts from the last financial year, Coles has also:
- Donated the equivalent of 39.1 million meals to SecondBite and Foodbank.
- Maintained over 42% of women in leadership roles females, against a target of 40%.
- Introduced its first electric prime mover into its grocery delivery network in partnership with Linfox, saving approximately 25,000 litres of fuel every year.
- Awarded $3.5 million in grants to Aussie producers to help them drive sustainability and innovation as part of the Coles Nurture Fund, which to date has provided more than $40 million to 119 small-and-medium-sized businesses since 2015.
- Diverted 88% of its total solid waste from landfill, achieving the target set in FY21 to increase the total amount of solid waste diverted from landfill to 85% by FY25.
- Removed more than 600 million pieces of conventional plastic from Coles Own Brand packaging portfolio since 2021.
- Increased the percentage of packaging across Coles Own Brand and Coles Liquor Own Brand that is recyclable to 87.6%.
The report also details Coles’ refreshed sustainability strategy and suite of targets and commitments for FY26-30, across its strategic focus of climate, nature and circularity.
Over the next five years, the retailer says it will focus on continuing to decarbonise its operations, as well as working together with suppliers to help reduce their emissions and collaborating with producers to drive a more climate and nature resilient supply chain.
Read the full report here.
