Coles has outlined a major step in its 2025 sustainability report, committing to “no-deforestation” sourcing for key commodities.
As part of this pledge, the supermarket will end sourcing of beef linked to deforestation across all beef it directly procures, covering up to 85 per cent of its own-branded range, by the end of 2025.
“Today, Coles has made a promise when it comes to addressing deforestation in supermarket supply chains – and their report demonstrates considerable progress towards implementation,” said Queensland campaigns manager for Wilderness Society Hannah Schuch.
This move aligns Coles with similar commitments from Aldi and Woolworths. However, while progress has been made, the supermarket has not yet introduced a 100 per cent deforestation-free policy. The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has urged Coles to establish a timeline for such a goal.
“Coles is the last of the big three supermarkets to commit to stop bulldozing the bush for beef,” said ACF’s nature and business lead Nathaniel Pelle.
“Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi are the biggest suppliers of beef to Australian shoppers, so even this partial commitment from Coles has big implications for nature and for Australians who want to make sure what they eat is sustainable.”
The Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a leading global standard for corporate climate targets, requires all food and agriculture companies to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains by the end of 2025 in order to maintain a valid net zero target.
“This is what’s necessary to concretely ensure the beef it buys and the pallets it uses are not driving the destruction of Australia’s unique forests and bushland,” said Schuch.