Superlist Environment Belgium 2026
How do Belgian supermarkets take responsibility for environmental sustainability?
Belgians purchase around 85% of their daily food in supermarkets, giving these retailers immense influence over what ends up on their plates and how sustainably it is produced.
Following the first edition in 2022, Superlist Environment Belgium 2026 evaluates progress in the sustainability performance of the country's major retailers. We assess the five leading supermarkets: Aldi, Carrefour, Colruyt, Delhaize, and Lidl, which together represent over 80% of the Belgian food market.
This edition focuses on action across four key environmental themes:
• Mitigating climate change
• Protein transition
• Sustainable agriculture
• Food waste reduction
In progressIsolated improvements, unsustainable norm
How are supermarkets performing on climate action, protein transition, sustainable agriculture and food waste? The core finding reveals that despite isolated improvements like new climate roadmaps and plant-based pricing, animal-based products and conventional agriculture remain the dominant norm.
In the ranking, Lidl and Delhaize lead, followed by Colruyt, Carrefour, and, lastly Aldi.
Ambitions rising, but actual emissions are not going down. Three major chains have Paris-aligned roadmaps, but total sector emissions remain stagnant. Find out what's holding them back.
Colruyt leads the shift, yet animal-based remains the norm. Read more about who is making progress, alongside the fact that 9 out of 10 promotions still push meat and dairy.
Supermarkets hardly move beyond the minimum for sustainable sourcing practices. EU deforestation compliance is in, but genuine sustainability efforts are out.
Food waste: a blind spot in the supply chain and consumer stage. Retailers are missing the biggest piece of the puzzle: supply chains and consumers.
Download the report
Only 1 in 10 promotions is plant-based: Supermarkets continue to heavily push meat and dairy
Although 9 out of 10 supermarket promotions in Belgium still feature meat and dairy, a few retailers are making progress. Lidl actively encourages plant-based choices by offering meat alternatives at equal prices and placing them directly in the meat section. Meanwhile, Colruyt stands out by boosting its plant-based protein promotions from 5% in 2022 to nearly 25%, while competitor progress remains stalled.
Press release (Dutch)Publications
Background Report Superlist Environment Belgium 2026
Research methodology Superlist Environment Belgium 2026
Media
Voor supermarkten blijft duurzaamheid bijzaak, al wil de klant ook niet altijd mee
De Standaard
Welke supermarkt is de duurzaamste? De vijf grootste ketens in België gerangschikt
De Morgen
Updates in the sector
Colruyt publishes new sustainability report
Food loss & waste insights, an update on emissions, and more
