Raised ambitions with new climate target

ICA Gruppen today presented its sustainability report for the first quarter of 2016. The report addresses important issues and initiatives regarding the environment, quality, ethical trade, health and community engagement.

ICA Gruppen’s greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 24% during the period April 2015 to March 2016 compared with 2006.

“At ICA we have been working actively and with determination for a number of years to reduce our climate footprint,” comments Per Strömberg, CEO of ICA Gruppen. “We achieved our previous target back in 2014 through a sweeping set of changes. At the end of last year we therefore set a new climate target in which we have raised the bar even higher. Our aim is to make our operations entirely climate-neutral by 2020. It is a challenging goal, and we will work hard to achieve it.”

Read more about the following and other news in the sustainability report:

• Continued strong development of organic range
  Sales of organic products continued to grow during the first quarter. All in all, sales of organic products from ICA Sweden’s central assortment grew 29% (59%) compared with the corresponding period a year ago. On a rolling 12-month basis, the increase was 40% compared with the same period the year before.
• Success for “extra milk krona”
  Since September 2015, customers at ICA stores in Sweden have had the opportunity to donate “an extra milk krona” for each litre of milk they purchase, with the proceeds going directly to support Sweden’s dairy farmers. On top of this, ICA has donated SEK 25 million. Through this effort a total of slightly more than SEK 113 million was raised on behalf of Sweden’s dairy farmers.
• Focus on convenient health and wellness services
  During March 2016, Apotek Hjärtat opened three so-called Minute Clinics. The launch is part of Apotek Hjärtat’s focus on increasing its health-oriented service offering. Minute Clinics provide diagnostic services as well as certain preventive healthcare services.
• Continued focus on country of origin labelling
  During the spring of 2016, efforts to improve information about the country of origin of products will continue, among other things through the introduction of the new, industry-wide “Product of Sweden” label. The aim is to make it easier for customers to identify Swedish-made products in stores. In parallel with this, ICA Sweden is continuing its focus on Swedish ingredients under the concept Härifrån: Sverige (“From here, in Sweden”).
• Making fruit drinks and marmalade from rescued fruit
  During the quarter, ICA Sweden initiated a partnership with Rescued Fruits AB, where fruit from ICA’s warehouses that would otherwise have been thrown out is being used to make fruit drinks and marmalade.

For more information
ICA Gruppen press service, Telephone number: +46 10 422 52 52

ICA Gruppen discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at 11:00 CET on Wednesday, May, 2016.

ICA Gruppen AB (publ) is a leading retail company with a focus on food and health. The Group includes ICA Sweden and Rimi Baltic which mainly conduct grocery retail, ICA Real Estate which owns and manages properties, ICA Bank which offers financial services and Apotek Hjärtat which conducts pharmacy operations. The Group also includes the companies Hemtex and inkClub. For more information see icagruppen.se

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