Discount Retail Chain Lidl Serbia (owned by the German Schwarz Group) opened its first store in Serbia a little over 4 years ago. It was big news. People were looking forward to new brands and lower prices. Those who know Lidl were not surprised by the general "craze" for this discount trade chain, but were surprised by the company's attitude towards the country in which it operates.
Lidl not only has a high level of awareness about environmental protection, but has devoted itself to it in a very serious, seemingly priority way. The investments and efforts that this company directs in developing economic awareness and environmental protection are commendable.
Lidl had numerous projects on educating citizens about the importance of the topic and actively participated in cleaning various cities in Serbia. They have installed recycling machines in their stores, so those who recycle not only participate in environmental protection, but also help the Be Humane foundation, by paying 5 dinars for each recycled bottle or can, Lidl pays for the treatment of children.
In addition to environmental activities, Lidl has shown that it also cares about people with disabilities. The action of marking the cars that proud drivers park in places marked for disabled people has received a lot of support from the people of Novi Sad.
The latest news shows that this approach to business is Lidl's long-term goal. Namely, this company annually saves 6,850 MWh of energy in Serbia, which is equal to the annual consumption of about 1,000 households. In addition, Lidl is the only retail chain that is fully supplied with green energy.
Sounds pretty amazing? How did they do it?
Since the very arrival of Lidl in Serbia, the construction of stores has been approached with the thought of a sustainable future, and all Lidl stores have energy-saving LED bulbs, sensors that control the lighting of the space, as well as cooling devices of the latest technology with optimized defrosting.
Thanks to these measures, on average, Lidl facilities (stores and logistics centers) use 30% less energy compared to facilities of similar size and purpose.
This was confirmed by the EDGE certificates that 53 Lidl stores have received so far, as well as the logistics center in Nova Pazova. Certification of newer stores is ongoing.
The logistics center in Nova Pazova, as well as the administration building of Lidl, have LEED certificates, which show that the company was guided by the principles of sustainability and energy saving during construction, so specifically the logistics center saves 38% of energy, while the administration building saves even more than 50% of energy in compared to comparative objects.
At the recently opened Lidl logistics center in Lapovo, solar panels have been installed that can independently produce energy and cover about a third of the center's operating needs.
The logistics center in Lapovo received the highest level of LEED certification, platinum - one of 13 in the whole world. The energy savings at this Logistics Center compared to reference facilities according to the LEED standard is 45%.
´Sustainability and care for the environment are one of the most important topics in Lidl Serbia's business, which is why energy efficiency has always been an indispensable dimension of our business. Thanks to the signing of the "ZelEPS" contract with the Electric Power Company of Serbia, we are the only retail chain that is completely supplied with green energy, i.e. energy from renewable sources, which we are particularly proud of´ said Ana Petrović, director of the Central Services Directorate at Lidl Serbia.
Another confirmation of Lidl's success in the field of daily energy use is the ISO 50001 certificate awarded by the DEKRA organization, which entails the establishment and management of a system of energy consumption, energy sources and further strengthening of business through the improvement of energy efficiency in all domains of activity.
Taking all this into account, Lidl becomes a true economic leader in the field of energy saving and environmental protection in Serbia. Environmental care is the inevitable future, and Lidl has already paved the way there. We hope that other companies in Serbia will follow this path.
See here for more: Lidl uštedeo struju za preko 1000 srpskih porodica, predvodnik u zelenoj energiji | Luftika
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