Environmental Audits

We have established internal environmental management standards, the compliance of which we monitor through internal audits of our stores, warehouses, distribution centres and operational units. In 2025, we carried out more than 9,500 environmental audits, a 6% increase compared with 2024, driven by the expansion of the distribution business – including the opening of new Ara stores and Biedronka stores in Poland, Biedronka’s entry into Slovakia, and the growth of JMA’s operations.

The average score of these audits was 93%, an increase of 1 p.p. compared with 2024. Corrective actions are defined whenever the score is below 100%.

We work regularly and continuously to ensure compliance with at least one external environmental certification, namely ISO 14001, and we have been progressively increasing the number of sites covered. To this end, we have set the objective of ensuring that, by the end of 2026, at least 70% of the Group’s distribution centres and industrial units (or similar) hold an environmental management system certification.

With the continued expansion of our activities, the total number of distribution centres and industrial or similar units increased (seven more compared with 2024), which reduced the proportion of units with external environmental certification to 65%. In 2025, we maintained all existing ISO 14001 certifications, with the exception of one distribution centre in Portugal, whose certification was suspended due to its temporary closure for structural refurbishment. Additionally, we obtained certification for two JMA industrial units (the Outro Chão packing unit and the Seaculture conditioning unit). We will continue to invest to ensure we meet our target.

Environmental audits that we conduct with our perishables and Private Brand suppliers – both during the selection process and through ongoing monitoring – also help reduce the potential pollution impacts associated with their activities. The same applies to the sustainable agriculture project that we promote with our fruit and vegetable suppliers, through which aspects such as soil‑fertility management, implemented fertilisation plans and the application of plant‑protection products are assessed. These actions are described in “Selection and monitoring of suppliers”, and “Supplier Awareness and Training”.

We identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of our activities with a positive impact on reducing other sources of pollution, such as air emissions associated with our light‑vehicle fleet, the use of fuel on site to operate equipment, and the use of emergency generators and heating. We disclose progress related to these pollution sources in “GRI – Global Reporting Initiative”.