Coop and Migros: Greenwashing Instead of Climate Protection

Migros and Coop will not achieve their climate targets if they continue to sell as much meat, fish, dairy products and eggs. This is shown by an analysis by Greenpeace Switzerland. The environmental organisation is calling on the retailers to sell fewer animal products.

Editorial Team Wild beim Wild — 26 June 2024

Greenpeace Switzerland has taken a close look at the climate records of Migros and Coop under the microscope.

Both companies aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The greenhouse gas emissions of Coop and Migros are striking: around 30 percent of Switzerland's entire climate footprint passes over the counters of the two corporate groups. According to their own figures, animal products account for 47 percent of total emissions at the Coop Group. At the Migros Group, Greenpeace estimates that 31–43 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to animal products.

Consumption as the decisive variable

Various studies suggest that within approximately 20 years, greenhouse gas emissions from food agriculture could be reduced by up to half. In addition to reductions in production processes, the greatest potential for reduction lies in changed consumer behaviour: approximately 25 percent of emissions could be saved if society as a whole consumed significantly less meat and avoided food waste. If Coop and Migros wish to tap into this savings potential, they would need to motivate their customers — through product range and pricing, product placement and advertising — to buy fewer animal products and more plant-based products.

Greenshifting: It's always someone else's fault

The reality looks different. Instead of managing their sales promotion responsibly, Migros and Coop point to the existing demand of their customers. At the same time, through their advertising, product range and pricing, they create incentives to purchase more animal products. This shifting of responsibility is known as greenshifting.

Greenpeace examined the online offerings of Coop and Migros Aare in a sample survey. Both companies offer vegan alternatives for meat and fish or dairy products in their respective categories. At most 11 percent of the products offered in those categories were vegan.

In addition, Coop and Migros run discount campaigns on animal products and invest hundreds of millions of francs in promoting them. According to the FOAG, the retailers sell 46 percent of their meat through discounts. The Greenpeace sample shows that there are far fewer discounts on vegan alternative products than on animal products.

Even if both companies were to exhaust the full emissions-reduction potential in food agriculture, too many emissions would remain in their climate balance to achieve net-zero emissions, as the Greenpeace analysis shows.

Barbara Wegmann, consumer expert at Greenpeace Switzerland, says: «From today’s perspective, it is entirely unclear how the two companies can achieve their climate targets. At the same time, our analysis shows that there is no way around reducing the range of animal products. Migros and Coop must stop shifting climate responsibility onto their customers. Instead, we call on the companies to sell fewer animal products and to promote plant-based products.»

Customers of Migros and Coop can support the demands of Greenpeace with the petition launched today.