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Cyprus 4.0

Cyprus 4.0: LIDL Cyprus Corporate social responsibility-sustainable governance

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Society, environment, employees, associates and products – the action and growth pillars. A series of actions compatible with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

At the forefront of Lidl Cyprus’ commitment for a better future lie Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Governance, based on the company’s business model and corporate strategy. From the outset Lidl Cyprus has thought of Corporate Social Responsibility as inextricably linked to the company culture and its day-to -day operations, grounded in five pillars relating to society, the environment, responsible products, workers and associates. Lidl Cyprus aims to leave a tangible imprint on an economic, social and environmental level. Through its business model and its sustainable operations strategy, Lild Cyprus does its part in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals described below.

Society

GOAL 3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING & GOAL 17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

Over the past eight years Lidl Cyprus has provided concrete support to various entities and organisations, like the Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society, sponsoring meals for the Arodafnousa Palliative Care Centre, as well as sponsoring the society’s annual events. At the same time, and for the past five years, the company has been supporting the Red Cross with love packages but also through donations, as recently through the support given to the Stella Soulioti foundation – demonstrating that, for Lidl Cyprus, caring for our fellow humans is a strategic priority.

GOAL 4: QUALITY EDUCATION & GOAL 10: REDUCED INEQUALITIES & GOAL 17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

For the fourth consecutive years Lidl  Cyprus supports CTY Greece, offering scholarships  valued  at €40,000 that will cover the cost of participation for at least 20 Cypriot students in the summer programmes offered by the Centre for Talented Youth (CTY) in Greece. It’s a joint undertaking between Anatolia College and Johns Hopkins University, with the founding grant coming from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Lidl Cyprus has also supported the creation of a new class – “Nutrition: High-way to Health” – that looks at the chemicals inside food stuffs and the principles for a healthy diet.

GOAL 4: QUALITY EDUCATION & GOAL 17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

Since  2012  Lidl  Cyprus has collaborated with the Education Ministry, for the common goal of providing practical training to students on dietary and health issues and also food management skills. Drawing on the experience of the Home Economy Review, cooking classes at the Lidl Food Academy are enriched with valuable know-how, and are offered free to high-school pupils.

GOAL 3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

As official dietary sponsors for the Cyprus Football Federation, from July 2018 to 2020, Lidl Cyprus not only gave back to the community but  also  became a brand that inspires, motivates and unites, with the aim of promoting a better quality of life through balanced diet and exercise.

Environment

GOAL 13: CLIMATE ATION & GOAL 14: LIFE BELOW WATER & GOAL 15: LIFE ON LAND

The  company  withdrew the 6-cent single-use plastic bag from its stores, bringing in a new, more durable multiple-use bag consisting of 80% recycled materials and that is 100% recyclable. In addition to scrapping the single use plastic bag, the company has reduced the thickness of soft drink plastic bottles and the plastic wrapping in toilet tissue. And there’s more – Lidl aims to further cut down on the use of plastic by 20% by the year 2025, and to achieve the maximum possible recyclability for 100% of its private-label products by 2025. As part of this drive, the company carried out the following actions:

Abolishing plastic casings for fruit and vegetable cartons, replacing these with recyclable, paper wrappings. Avoiding surplus individual packaging in bakery goods, giving customers the option to freely choose their products by using the same bag. Improving detergent potency and reducing the weight in detergent product packaging.

Workers – Associates
GOAL 8: DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Since its entry into the Cypriot market some 10 years ago, Lidl has offered attractive salaries and benefits to its workers and associates, improving their professional status and day-to-day lives. In this way it has succeeded in becoming a reference point in the retail labour market. It’s worth noting that the independent organisation. Top Employers, headquartered in Amsterdam, has for the fourth straight year awarded to Lidl the title of Top Employer, both for its Cyprus operations as well as its operations across Europe. Meanwhile, and since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lidl Cyprus quickly implemented all required measures, and has taken additional initiatives to safeguard the health and safety of its employees and associates.

To contain the spread of Covid-19, the company has installed thermal cameras on the premises. Through its internal communications system and the corporate application, it has kept workers updated daily on the situation and regarding the prevention measures in order to ensure health and safety at the workplace. The company has also secured free access to a 24-hour Counseling and Support Helpline for workers and their families, with unlimited support from expert consultants.

It has given employees the opportunity to work remotely, making them feel safe and allowing them to minimise their movements, thereby helping reduce the risk of virus transmission. As a token of its appreciation, Lidl Cyprus has paid out a one-off €200,000 bonus to its employees for all their efforts under these trying circumstances.

Moreover, and in a bid to eradicate all kinds of exclusionary practices from the workplace, Lidl Cyprus has signed the Diversity Charter. It has also adopted the UN initiative on gender equality. To publically underscore its commitment, Lidl has signed the Women’s Empowerment Principles.

Lidl Cyprus promotes the issue of gender equality within the business and throughout the franchise, convinced that equal opportunity and diversity comprise the drivers for long-term business success. This is why we have enshrined these practices into our corporate principles and our code of ethics.

Products
GOAL 12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Beyond the sustainable policies across its supply chain, Lidl is planning and rolling out new sustainable products for the benefit of consumers. In this context the company pledges to reduce average sugar and salt content in private-label products by 20% by 2025. Additionally, the company always opts for cocoa and tea that are 100% certified from sustainable plantations, while continuously expanding its range with products that are MSC and ASC-standard compliant, as well as with organic products and gluten-free and lactose-free items. In this context, and on the occasion of World Food Day, the company organised the first Lidl Wellness Camp – a digital seminar dedicated to food. Lidl Cyprus is in sync with the latest trends in the areas of health, science and technology.

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