GRI Content Index

The Sustainability Report 2017 of the ALDI North Group was prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards: Core Option published by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The GRI Content Index provides an overview at a glance. Selected content and performance indicators for the year 2017 were the subject of an assurance engagement by the independent audit firm Flottmeyer Steghaus + Partner. They are identified by the checkmark ✔.

GRI 102: General disclosures 2016

Name of the organisation

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information
102-1	Name of the organisation	ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG on behalf of ALDI North
102-2	Activities, brands, products and services	More sustainable product range – Our approach Corporate governance – Our Responsibility Any national bans on certain products or product components explicitly referred to in the Sustainability Report will be mentioned individually in the text.
102-3	Location of headquarters	Essen, Germany
102-4	Location of operations	Organisation The countries
102-5	Ownership and legal form	Subject of the report – Scope of the report and publisher
102-6	Markets served	Corporate governance – Our Responsibility The countries
102-7	Scale of the organisation	Corporate governance Information on total capitalisation is treated confidentially. Therefore, no disclosures have been made beyond the statutory requirements.
102-8	Information on employees and other workers	Attractive employer – proportion of employees by employment contract Diversity and work-life balance – Number of employees by employment type Agency workers are only used to a limited extent (0.5 percent). ALDI North strives to achieve long-term employment relationships. There are no seasonal variations in employment. This information is based on a group-wide data request for the purposes of the Sustainability Report, which has been aggregated across all regional and buying companies at both national and group level. The data was valid as at 31 December; some disclosures are stated as percentages. For any further details and potentially different calculation methods, please refer to the relevant table. Inclusion threshold: only companies with over 50 employees were included in the data request.
102-9	Supply chain	Corporate governance – Our Responsibility Sustainable food purchasing practices – Our approach Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain Labelling with a purpose The life of our baby bodysuit
102-10	Significant changes to the organisation and its supply chain	Subject of the report – Organisational changes Diversity and work-life balance – employee representative organisation Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Audit results
102-11	Significant changes to the organisation and its supply chain	Sustainable food purchasing practices – Our approach Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Our approach Climate protection Corporate governance
102-12	External initiatives	Stakeholder networks – partnerships, networks & charters
102-13	Membership of associations	Stakeholder networks – partnerships, networks & charters

Strategy

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
102-14	Statements from senior decision-makers	Foreword

Ethics and integrity

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
102-16	Values, principles, standards and norms of behaviour	Product quality – Introduction Product quality – Guidelines & regulation Corporate governance – Introduction Corporate governance – Our Responsibility Attractive employer – Our approach Attractive employer – Organisation & guidelines More sustainable product range – Organisation & guidelines More sustainable product range – Organisation & guidelines Packaging & cycle – Organisation & guidelines Occupational health & safety – Organisation & guidelines Climate protection – Guidlines & regulations Mobility & logistics – Organisation & guidelines Raising consumer awareness – Organisation & guidelines Customer contact & service quality – Organisation & guidelines

Governance

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
102-18	Governance structure	Organisation – Introduction Organisation – How we organise CR Compliance – How we organise compliance Product quality – Organisation Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Organisation Sustainable food purchasing practices – Organisation Packaging & cycle – Organisation and guidelines Attractive employer – Organisation and guidelines Diversity and work-life balance – Organisation Occupational health & safety – Organisation & guidelines Food losses & other waste – Organisation & responsibilities Climate protection – Organisation & responsibilities Mobility & logistics – Organisation & guidelines Social commitment – Organisation Raising consumer awareness – Organisation & guidelines Customer contact & service quality – Organisation & guidelines

Stakeholder engagement

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information
102-40	List of stakeholder groups	Stakeholder networks – Our stakeholders and their topics Materiality – selection of stakeholders
102-41	Collective bargaining agreements	Attractive employer – Proportion of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements
102-42	Identifying and selecting stakeholders	Stakeholder networks – Our stakeholders and their topics Materiality – selection of stakeholders
102-43	Approach to stakeholder engagement	Stakeholder networks – Our stakeholders and their topics
102-44	Key topics and concerns raised	Stakeholder networks – Our stakeholders and their topics Materiality – Impact on reporting

Reporting practice

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information
102-45	Entities included in the consolidated financial statements	The publisher of the report is ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, Essen. The legally independent companies in the ALDI North group (not a group of consolidated companies) prepare their own financial statements.
102-46	Defining report content and topic boundariesg	Materiality – Survey methods Materiality – Evaluation perspective Materiality – Materiality matrix Materiality – Key findings
102-47	List of material topics	Materiality – Materiality matrix
102-48	Restatements of information	Subject of the report – Scope of the report and publisher
102-49	Changes in reporting	Materiality – Further development of the materiality process in 2017 Materiality – List of topics
102-50	Reporting period	Subject of the report – Reporting period and publication cycle Imprint
102-51	Date of most recent report	Sustainability Report 2015: July 2016 Interim Report 2016: July 2017
102-52	Reporting cycle	Subject of the report – Reporting period and publication cycle
102-53	Contact point for questions regarding the report	Imprint – Contact Contact
102-54	Claims of reporting in accordance with GRI Standards	Subject of the report – Scope of the report and publisher
102-55	GRI content index	GRI content index
102-56	External assurance	Subject of the report – Scope of the report and publisher ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG commissioned the independent auditing company Flottmeyer • Steghaus + Partner with the task of auditing selected report content and performance indicators.

GRI 200 Economic

GRI 204: Sourcing 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	More sustainable product range Sustainable food purchasing practices Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain Impact: supply chain, company
FP 2	Percentage of procurement volume certified according to recognised standards	More sustainable product range – Number of organic and Fairtrade products Sustainable food purchasing practices – Proportion of insourced certified sustainable fish products Sustainable food purchasing practices – Proportion of insourced certified sustainable fish products (own brands) by product range Sustainable food purchasing practices – Proportion of the certified palm oil Sustainable food purchasing practices – Proportion of the certified products containing cocoa Sustainable food purchasing practices – Proportion of insourced certified or verified sustainable coffee Sustainable food purchasing practices – Proportion of insourced certified sustainable tea Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Proportion of insourced own-brand products which are FSC^®– or PEFC™-certified resources Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Proportion of certified sustainable cotton out of the total weight of cotton sold

GRI FP: Animal welfare

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Sustainable food purchasing practices – Animal welfare Animal welfare Animal welfare Germany Animal welfare ranking Impact: supply chain, company

GRI 205: Anti-Corruption 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Compliance Impact: company, supply chain
205-1	Operations assessed for risks related to corruption	Operations are regularly assessed.

GRI 206: Anti-Competitive behaviour 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Compliance Impact: company, supply chain, customer
206-1	Legal actions for anti-competitive behaviour, anti-trust and monopoly practices	We are not aware of any cases of anti-competitive behaviour or violations of anti-trust law committed by the ALDI North group.

GRI 300 Environmental

GRI 301: Materials 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Packaging & cycle Food losses & other waste Auswirkung: Unternehmen, Lieferkette, Kunde
301-1	Materials used by weight or volume	Packaging & cycle – Performance indicators Food losses & other waste – Performance indicators Customer contact & service quality– Performance indicators The ALDI North Group operates in the retail industry. Goods are manufactured and packaged almost exclusively by suppliers. We are working with them to make resource procurement more sustainable. Our customer magazine directly results in the consumption of paper. Since 2012, the customer magazine ALDI aktuell has been printed on FSC®-certified paper in all countries where ALDI operates. In Germany, the paper is also certified with the Blue Angel label. The bags we give to our customers also lead to high levels of material consumption. In late 2017, we began the process of phasing out conventional disposable shopping bags in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

GRI 302: Energy 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Mobility & logistics Climate protection Impact: company
302-1	Energy consumption within the organisation	Mobility & logistics – Fuel consumption Climate protection – Direct energy consumption Climate protection – Direct energy consumption by source Climate protection – Indirect energy consumption Climate protection – Installed capacity of photovoltaic systems Energy consumption was calculated on the basis of the conversion factors for the performance of energy audits as recommended by the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control. We report energy consumption in megawatt-hours (MWh), a unit that is more widely used at the ALDI North Group. One megawatt-hour is the equivalent of 3.6 gigajoules (GJ).

GRI 305: Emissions 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Mobility & logistics Climate protection Carbon offsetting is not a strategy pursued by ALDI North. Impact: company
305-1	Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions	Climate protection – Greenhouse gas emissions for Scope 1 and 2 Climate protection – Greenhouse gas emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by source 2016 & 2017 In accordance with the applied DECC/DEFRA emissions factors, CH₄ and N₂O were also included in the calculation alongside CO₂. Emissions due to refrigerant losses were again calculated in accordance with the requirements of the EU Regulation on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases for all refrigerants and in line with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Sector Guidance 1.0 (2005). The method chosen to calculate carbon emissions (operational control) is based on the globally recognised WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (Revised Edition 2013).
305-2	Energy indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions	Climate protection – Greenhouse gas emissions for Scope 1 and 2 Climate protection – Greenhouse gas emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by source 2016 & 2017 This calculation is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol using the DEFRA emission factors or GEMIS for emissions from the sourcing of district heating. According to the GHG Protocol, scope 2 emissions from power consumption are calculated separately according to location- and market-based emissions factors. Location-based methods are based on factors for certain geographic regions (such as a country), whereas market-based factors are – where possible – based on a company’s individual electricity using information about the emissions actually generated by the energy producer. Location-based greenhouse gas emissions are calculated according to factors published by the International Energy Agency (IEA). See also 305-1

GRI 306: Effluents and waste 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Food losses & other waste Impact: company, customers
306-2	Waste by type and disposal method	Food losses & other waste – Food donations Food losses & other waste – Amount of waste in Germany Food losses & other waste – Amounts of waste by methods of disposal ALDI North carries out some waste disposal directly, while some information has been provided by waste disposal service providers. Residential waste is categorised by particular waste types on the basis of statistical data relating to the reuse of residential waste in Germany (Eurostat). The waste disposal methods of landfill and on-site storage are not used.

GRI 308: Supplier environmental assessment 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Sustainable food purchasing practices Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain There are currently two options for submitting complaints: either through amfori for production facilities or through the Supply Chain Initiative (SCI) for initiative members. More options are planned for the future. Impact: supply chain
308-2	Negative environmental impacts in the supply chain and actions taken	Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Audit results Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – ALDI Social Assessments introduced Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – In focus: Sustainable Textiles Purchasing project Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Chemical management Sustainable food purchasing practices – Progress and measures in 2017 We ensure that our suppliers comply with environmental standards through contractual obligations such as certification. Our suppliers are responsible for ensuring compliance. Before effecting the purchase, we principally request each supplier (importer) to disclose the primary production facility to be commissioned; the current audit result of the production facility is then being analysed. Part of the audit focuses on negative environmental effects. The audit rate provides information on how many production facilities are covered by audits in risk countries The audit rate is just under 100 percent. In addition, we expect all suppliers of clothing, home textiles and shoes to notify us of all production facilities that they use in their supply chains. Since July 2017 we have been required to complete an amfori BEPI Self Assessment for all production facilities, which includes environmental performance indicators. In the case of wet-processing facilities, we check whether a sludge and waste water analysis has been carried out. All producers of fruit and vegetables whose products are sold at ALDI North must be able to produce a valid GLOBAL G.A.P. certificate. Monitoring focuses in particular on the areas of waste and environmental management.

GRI 400 Social

GRI 403: Occupational Health & safety 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Occupational health & safety Impact: company
403-2	Types of injury and rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, and absenteeism, and number of work-related fatalities	Occupational health & safety – Lost day rate ALDI North collects data on the number of lost days throughout the group for each reporting year. There are no plans to collect or analyse any more detailed data at the current time.

GRI 404: Training and education 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Attractive employer Impact: company
404-1	Average hours of training per year per employee	Attractive employer – Progress and measures in 2017 Attractive employer – Number of apprentices and twin-track degree students This information is not currently available.

GRI 405: Diversity and equal opportunity 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Attractive employer Diversity and work-life balance Impact: company
405-1	Diversity of governance bodies and employees	Attractive employer– Employees by field of work Attractive employer– Employees by employment Diversity and work-life balance – Introduction Diversity and work-life balance – Woman in management positions Diversity and work-life balance – Employees by field of work Diversity and work-life balance – Employees by age groups Diversity and work-life balance – Employees with disabilities The management team at ALDI Buying comprised eight managing directors in the reporting year, none of whom were female. Seven of the eight managing directors were between the ages of 30 and 50; one managing director was over 50. We collect data on the share of female employees by region, field of work (sales, warehouse, vehicle fleet, office, and upper and lower management) and management position. Data on age groups, nationalities and disabilities is not broken down any further as we do not consider this to be constructive.

GRI 407: Freedom of association and collective bargaining 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Attractive employer Diversity and work-life balance Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain Together, the mission statement, human resources (HR) concept and “real traders” leadership principles serve as a common basis for the HR activities. Impact: company, supply chain
407-1	Operations and suppliers in which the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at risk	Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Compliance with social standards in the supply chain Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – ALDI Social Assessments introduced Attractive employer – Proportion of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements Collective bargaining agreements have been concluded at all company locations (with the exception of those in Poland, where collective bargaining agreements are generally not concluded). See Non-Food key topic Our suppliers are contractually obliged to comply with the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct, which is based on the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) core conventions and the Union Nations’ (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights. During the amfori BSCI audit, we did not receive any information relating to violations of the right to freedom of association or the right to participate in collective bargaining negotiations Following the severe fires and building collapses in Bangladesh in recent years, production facilities for clothing and home textiles in this country are a particular focal point. Moreover, violations of the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct are more frequent in Bangladesh than in other countries. As a result, suppliers operating in Bangladesh are subject to additional standards that go above and beyond amfori BSCI requirements and are audited by us.

GRI 412: Audit of humanrights compliance 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Sustainable food purchasing practices Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain Impact: supply chain
412-3	Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening.	Our business partners are contractually obliged to comply with the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct. This is based on the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) core conventions and the Union Nations’ (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

GRI 414: Supplier social assessment 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Sustainable food purchasing practices Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain There are currently two options for submitting a complaint: either through amfori for production facilities or through the Supply Chain Initiative (SCI) for initiative members. More options are planned for the future. Impact: supply chain
414-1	New suppliers that were screened using social criteria	Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – ALDI Social Assessments introduced Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Sustainable Textiles Purchasing project Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Supplier qualification Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – New International Flowers and Plants Purchasing Policy Our resource-specific purchasing policies, our social standards in the supply chain and further binding regulations apply to both new and existing suppliers alike. By using recognised external certification systems, we create the greatest possible transparency. Depending on the certification, the focal point may be reviewing and improving social practices or environmental components. Example: The amfori BSCI Code of Conduct includes eleven central principles: the right of freedom of association and collective bargaining, no discrimination, fair remuneration, decent working hours, occupational health and safety, no child labour, special protection for young workers, no precarious employment, no bonded labour, protection of the environment and ethical business behaviour.
414-2	Negative social impacts in the supply chain and actions taken	Sustainable food purchasing practices – Proportion of the certified palm oil Sustainable food purchasing practices – Proportion of the certified products containing cocoa Sustainable food purchasing practices – Proportion of insourced certified or verified sustainable coffee Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – ALDI Social Assessments introduced Sustainable standards in the non-food supply chain – Supplier qualification ALDI CR-Support in Hong Kong

GRI 416: Customer health and safety 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	Product quality Impact: supply chain, company, customer
416-1	Assessment of the health and safety impacts of product and service categories	Product quality Quality: all in a day’s work Each product is scrutinised multiple times throughout the entire supply chain.

GRI 417: Marketing and labeling 2016

GRI standards	Name	Reference & additional information	External assurance
103-1/2/3	Management approach disclosures	More sustainable product range Customer contact & service quality Raising consumer awareness Impact: company, customer
417-1	Requirements for product and service information and labelling	More sustainable product range – Transparent production More sustainable product range – Proportion of products with ALDI Transparency Code in Germany Raising consumer awareness – Our approach Customer contact & service quality – Communication expanded across all channels

GRI 102: General disclosures 2016

GRI 200 Economic

GRI 300 Environmental

GRI 400 Social

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