Responsible Governance

Success with purpose

Responsibility starts with us – and requires dialogue

Economic success and corporate responsibility go hand in hand. As part of one of Europe’s leading food retail groups, acting responsibly is central to our corporate identity - from protecting natural resources to safeguarding human rights across our operations and supply chains. Open dialogue is fundamental to how we work, because meaningful responsibility relies on strong, transparent collaboration.

At the same time, we align our organizational strategy to ensure that responsible practices are firmly embedded across every level of our business. Our corporate due diligence principles provide the framework for this - establishing clear standards, making our commitments measurable, and reinforcing accountability throughout our entire value chain.

Beyond internal compliance, we take responsibility through recognized environmental and social partnerships, such as our international work with Fairtrade and WWF, and local work with Nature Trust - FEE Malta, alongside targeted community engagement and active stakeholder dialogue. In this way, we use our position to deliver transparent, accountable progress across the Maltese islands and beyond.

Our Ambition

Responsible business conduct is not an add-on for us – it is the foundation of our success. Sustainability is therefore an integral part of our corporate strategy and guides our long-term decisions.

Policies and partnerships

Putting responsibility into practice

From clear rules to strong partnerships: we take our corporate responsibility seriously and bring it to life – transparently, consistently and always with a focus on a sustainable future.

We have issued a formal policy statement in which we commit to respecting human rights and environmental standards across all areas of our business activities. With this statement, we demonstrate our commitment to driving continuous improvements both within our own operations and throughout our supply chains. This includes a clear, binding commitment to internationally recognised frameworks, including the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ILO Core Labour Standards, and the Paris Climate Agreement.

The actions of Lidl and its employees are guided by one fundamental principle: “We comply with applicable laws and internal policies.”
On this basis, Lidl has implemented a comprehensive Compliance Management System that defines binding requirements to ensure the highest standards of integrity across our business. A key element of this system is our Code of Conduct, which is derived from our corporate principles and clearly outlines the rights, responsibilities, and ethical standards expected of our entire workforce.

Corporate due diligence is firmly embedded in our processes. We work with our suppliers in a spirit of partnership and expect them to act lawfully and responsibly, particularly with regard to human rights and environmental standards.
The Code of Conduct, developed jointly by the Schwarz Group companies, sets out our fundamental principles for working with suppliers. For many years, we have integrated this Code of Conduct into supplier negotiations based on a risk-oriented approach, requiring compliance with these standards. We also work to ensure that our direct suppliers pass these requirements on appropriately along their own supply chains.

Given the complexity of our business activities and international supply chains, social and environmental risks cannot always be identified in time despite our efforts. To fulfil our due diligence obligations in such cases, we have established multiple reporting channels through which both employees and external stakeholders can report potential human rights or environmental risks and violations.
Further information, particularly on grievance mechanisms, can be found under Compliance.

International Sports Partnerships

At Lidl, we believe that an active lifestyle and conscious nutrition go hand in hand. Sport inspires, connects, and brings communities together—which is why Lidl International partners with leading global sports organisations, including UEFA, Lidl-Trek cycling, EHF Handball to champion health, physical activity, and equal opportunity both on and off the field.

Through these high-profile global sponsorships, we use our platform as one of Europe’s leading food retailers to promote the importance of fresh produce and active living for fans and young people worldwide.

Our Sourcing & Purchasing Standards

Aware of our responsibility as a retailer, we are continuously working to improve the sustainability of our key commodities and ingredients by addressing the environmental and social challenges linked to their production.

To achieve this, we have defined specific purchasing policies - publicly available below - that guide our sourcing decisions. Through these policies, we make purchasing choices aimed at mitigating social and environmental risks within the supply chains of our private-label products. This is an ongoing process through which we aim to combine high product quality with responsible, transparent sourcing across all product categories. As our journey progresses, this section will be regularly updated with our latest commitments and standards.

Purchasing Policies

Relationships with Business Partners

We work closely with our suppliers to offer more sustainable choices while maintaining high quality standards. Together, we strive to continuously improve production standards and working conditions across our supply chains, actively working to reduce environmental and social impacts at every stage.

As a company active in an international market we work in close collaboration with suppliers from all over the world. We consistently pursue our demand for transparency in our supplier relationships in our actions. For this reason, we provide extensive information about our suppliers in the nonfood sector.

Click below to see the list of main production sites for Lidl brands:

Hardgoods

Textiles

Responsible Governance

Success with purpose