Migros goes mobile sustainably

Migros has created the requirements for customers to be able to shop without using their car: more than four fifths of branches can be easily reached on foot or by bike. Similarly convenient public transport links exist for the roughly 20 large suburban centres. Furthermore, in cooperation with the car-sharing enterprise Mobility, Migros keeps small Mobility cars parked at large supermarkets, while eight M-Parc centres also offer Mobility vans. People who do not own a car can use these vehicles for major shopping trips or to transport bulky items. Migros also offers free home delivery of heavy household appliances, such as washing machines and refrigerators. In m-way, Migros also made attractive and affordable electromobile services available last year.

Constructive cooperation

Despite these environmentally friendly offers from Migros, a considerable number of consumers shop using their private car. Anybody wanting to make a bulky, heavy or comprehensive shop usually uses their own car, regardless of how good the public transport links and parking possibilities are. For this reason, Migros supports the environmental protection measures that do not target the end of the trip, i.e. the shopping centres, but the source of the emissions: the car engines. Technical measures are more efficient because they include all vehicles and transport purposes. Migros is also calling for comprehensive solutions; for instance, as part of urban and regional planning. As part of the espace.mobilité stakeholder group ((link)), Migros makes specific contributions to solving issues in urban and regional planning, transport and environmental policies. For instance, by working constructively with the authorities within Motion 08.3003 Efficient Impact of Environmental Protection Measures. The retailer is also a main sponsor of the Urban Mobility Future project, which the city and canton of Zurich and other organisations initiated during 2010. The aim is to design a concept and suggestions for sustainable mobility in the metropolitan area of Zurich.

Commercial traffic reduced

Migros cooperatives have some 700 company cars, which drove about 19 million kilometres in 2010. As with the goods transport, commercial traffic with the vehicles of the cooperatives and Scana is included in the target agreement with the Swiss Federation and takes measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, for instance, the Migros Cooperative Lucerne procured the first electric car of the new m-way platform. In addition, employees also used Mobility vehicles in the FCM, with which they drive some 100,000 kilometres per year. Other Migros enterprises also use the offer. Not only the environment, but also employees' health benefited from the Bike-to-Work campaign, in which Migros participated again last year for the sixth time — and with the second-largest team of all 1,260 companies participating.

Flight offsetting

The company tries to reduce its business air travel by relying increasingly on video and telephone conferencing. CO2 emission from business flights rose/dropped by 9 per cent to 2,100 tonnes in 2010 compared to the previous year. Migros offset all flights with a voluntary surcharge of 4 per cent to the myclimate foundation. The foundation invests the money in an Indian climate protection project, which generates power and heat from biomass. Agricultural waste, which was previously burnt on fields, is converted into biogas. In 2010 Migros supported the plant that corresponds to the Gold Standard Label of the WWF with CHF 87'000.