Global challenges

The global challenges which our society is facing also have an impact on METRO and its segments. After all, providing high-quality products and services to customers all over the world is our core business. The basis for this is an intact environment and the availability of resources.

Growing global population

Global population growth is one of the biggest challenges as it impacts resource consumption, the climate as well as the food availability and nutrition situation. According to forecasts by the United Nations, approximately 9.7 billion people will live on earth by 2050. In order to meet their needs, agriculture will have to produce nearly 50% more food, animal feed and biofuels in 2050 than in 2012.

Also, with increasing prosperity, eating habits change as well. There will be an increase in the need for meat, for example, a production particularly resource-intensive.

9.7 billion people
in 2050

(Source: United Nations)

83 Annual increase of
people in millions

(Source: United Nations)

Increase in the global population
by 2050

Increase in the global population by 2050 (graphic)

(Source: United Nations)

Required increase in harvest yields by 2050

Required increase in harvest yields by 2050 (graphic)

(Source: researchgate)

Growing consumption of resources

Growing consumption of resources (graphic)

(Sources: Global Footprint Network, WWF, UN, Earth Overshoot Day)

We already today consume considerably more resources per annum than our planet can provide sustainably. If this consumption rate continued unabated, by 2050 we will need 3 planets like the earth to meet the demand for resources. The pressure on the earth’s sustainability is mounting.

In the long run, METRO can only safeguard the foundations of its business if it manages to separate conventional growth in pure economic terms from the resource requirements. Instead, sustainable growth focuses on qualitative growth through sustainable value creation. Sustainable business for us therefore means improving our ‘foodprint’ while minimising our footprint. In this manner, we generate added value for our customers and strive to give our contribution to mastering global challenges in society as a whole. We are working towards meeting those challenges by living up to our sustainability approach METRO SUSTAINABLE and by acting upon our 8 strategic sustainability focus areas we strive to drive operational excellence in a sustainable way.