WWF Report: UK Supermarkets Aren’t Seizing Sustainable Goals

WWF's What’s in Store for the Planet 2024 report finds that UK supermarkets are falling behind the goal halving environmental impact by 2030 remains a distant target.

While improvements in data transparency are noted, most retailers are “way off track” to meet urgent 2025 goals, including achieving deforestation-free supply chains for soy, beef, cocoa and palm oil.

WWF emphasises that unsustainable practices not only harm ecosystems but also endanger food security, driving up costs and exacerbating shortages.

What’s in store for the planet?

The report examines progress across several key areas and criticises the slow pace of change, warning of significant risks to both climate and biodiversity. 

Despite some progress, most retailers are failing to address critical issues like deforestation, climate change and nature loss in their supply chains. 

Food production, which uses 40% of habitable land and generates a quarter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, comes under particular scrutiny. 

Since the launch of the WWF Basket initiative in 2021, 7.9 million hectares of tree cover — an area equivalent to Austria — has been lost worldwide.

The report highlights the urgent need for supermarkets to step up their efforts, also stressing the importance of collaborative action between governments, businesses and consumers. 

Tanya Steele, CEO of WWF, says: “How we produce food remains one of the biggest threats to our planet.

"While it's positive that UK supermarkets have pledged to source their food responsibly, they must now follow through.

"Supermarkets depend on nature and a stable climate for the food they sell, and most people want to buy sustainably. 

“Unless supermarkets prioritise this, we will all suffer the consequences.

"The UK government must now step in and urgently introduce the long-awaited due diligence regulations to prevent further destruction of our forests and natural habitats.” 

Alarming gaps in key areas

The WWF report identifies worrying gaps in sustainability measures among supermarkets. 

 Major findings from the report include:

• Deforestation and land conversion: The report shows that only 4.5% of soy used in UK food retail, largely for animal feed, is verified deforestation-free. Cocoa fares even worse, with just 0.3% meeting the standard — this is a significant obstacle to achieving deforestation-free supply chains by the 2025 deadline
• Climate emissions: Supermarkets continue to rely on estimates for supply chain emissions, leaving major contributors like farm-level emissions underreported — this lack of clarity undermines efforts to tackle climate change effectively
• Protein diets: Retailers are selling twice the recommended amount of livestock protein, such as meat and eggs, while progress on promoting plant-based alternatives remains limited
• Food waste: Food loss and waste in retail and manufacturing have increased, reflecting a missed opportunity to curb unnecessary environmental impact.

Climate-related disruptions like extreme weather and declining pollinators create significant challenges for agriculture, leading to shortages and price hikes. 

Some progress admid challenges

The report warns that without urgent action, retailers’ 2030 science-based climate targets are highly likely to be missed, putting the future of our food system and planet at risk.

“Supermarkets have a crucial to play in the sustainability of our food system and therefore the climate, but they are falling short of their climate and nature targets and missing them isn’t just bad for business — it’s a recipe for disaster," adds Sir Dave Lewis, Chair of Trustees at WWF. 

“If supermarkets fail to act now, the impacts of environmental crises will only worsen, with even more consequences for supply chains, prices and the ecosystems they rely on.

"With supply chains already on the brink and customers demanding change, it’s time for supermarkets to lead the charge toward a sustainable future.”   

While mainly focusing on the cons, the report also highlights encouraging signs:

• Emissions targets: Supermarkets have made strides in addressing direct and indirect emissions, with several aligning their goals to the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi)
• Seafood sustainability: Data transparency has improved in the seafood sector, with certified wild-caught species reaching 88% compliance under the Seafood Jurisdictional Initiative
• Sustainable agriculture: More than half of UK-sourced produce now comes from farms following robust biodiversity and soil management standards, although only half of retailers provided relevant data
• Transparency: 10 of the UK’s 11 major supermarkets, representing 90% of the grocery market, shared more data than in previous years — greater transparency helps track progress, identify challenges and build resilient supply chains.

WWF calls for collective action to address these issues, urging supermarkets to monitor sourcing in high-risk areas for products linked to deforestation.

It also recommends ending relationships with traders lacking credible deforestation-free action plans and promoting plant-based alternatives will help accelerate achieving the sustainability targets.

Despite these improvements, WWF emphasises that the pace of change is too slow, with fundamental issues like deforestation, emissions and diets requiring urgent action.

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