Report Profile

Transparent reporting

This Corporate Responsibility Report 2019/20 was prepared in accordance with the GRI standards and fulfils the ‘Core’ option. You will find the GRI content index here. In the Corporate Responsibility progress report 2018/19 we have incorporated our targets into the section of our KPIs. This year we report on them together with our commitments in a dedicated chapter.

Reporting period

The reporting period is the financial year 2019/20 (1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020). To provide updates on developments, information has also been included that relates to periods prior to 2019/20. In the interests of topicality, we have also taken into account events which occurred up to the time of going to press (9 December 2020). The frame of reference for each of our targets and measures is indicated in the relevant section.

METRO reports on its sustainability performance each year by publishing either a progress report or a Corporate Responsibility Report. A Corporate Responsibility progress report was produced for financial year 2018/19, which was published on 11 December 2019.

Limitations of the report

The scope of applicability of the information is given in the respective texts, key performance indicators or targets. Unless expressly stated otherwise, all presentations refer to continuing operations (excluding the hypermarket business and excluding METRO China).

United Nations Global Compact

Since 2010, METRO has subscribed to the principles of the UN Global Compact, a United Nations-led global initiative that aims to encourage businesses to adopt universal sustainability principles. By subscribing to the United Nations Global Compact, we have committed ourselves to continuous improvements in the areas of human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and anticorruption measures. With this Corporate Responsibility Report 2019/20 that is available online, METRO meets its obligation to demonstrate how improvements have been made within these areas.

Independent external assurance of the CR Report 2019/20

We strive to continuously improve our sustainability management. Having our report audited externally is a means of emphasising the credibility and transparency of our sustainability reporting. The quantitative and qualitative sustainability performance information included in the scope of the limited assurance engagement was conducted by KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft according to ISAE 3000 and ISAE 3410. It was not part of the engagement to review product and service related information, references to external websites and information sources, as well as future-related statements in the Report. The certification from the independent auditor can be viewed under assurance report.

Disclaimer

This Corporate Responsibility Report contains forward-looking statements that are based on certain assumptions and expectations at the time of its publication. These statements are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties, which means that actual results may differ substantially from the future-oriented statements made here. Many of these risks and uncertainties are determined by factors that are beyond the control of METRO and cannot be gauged with any certainty at this point in time. These include future market conditions and economic developments, the behaviour of other market participants, the achievement of expected synergy effects as well as legal and political decisions. METRO does not feel obliged to publish corrections to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the publication date of this material.

Join in the dialogue

Dialogue with all of our stakeholders such as you as our readers is important to us because it shows us what you expect of our company and where we can make further improvements. We would therefore like to hear any questions or comments you may have about the METRO Corporate Responsibility Report 2019/20 and our sustainability activities in general. Want to share some thoughts with us? Find us and our latest activities on Twitter and LinkedIn or send us an e-mail: CR@metro.de