A collective effort to make healthy and climate-friendly food the norm in Europe’s largest supermarkets
Supermarkets hold the key to a healthier, more sustainable food future. Their influence on how food is produced and consumed positions them as crucial players in the transition to sustainable diets. That’s why the Questionmark Foundation, together with ProVeg International, WWF Netherlands, and Madre Brava, has developed Superlist Environment Europe – a new multi-country benchmark initiative that evaluates and empowers retailers leading on climate action and the protein transition.
This month, we’re excited to announce the publication of the Superlist Environment Europe methodology, following extensive consultation with partners across Europe. This marks the first step toward a comprehensive analysis of how the largest supermarket chains in eight European countries – France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, and the UK – are performing on climate and protein shifts.
What is Superlist Environment Europe?
Superlist Environment Europe is part of the ongoing Superlist benchmarking and advocacy program running across European countries. Now, for the first time, this new study will collate multiple European markets, reflecting the growing prominence of protein diversification efforts by retailers across the continent.
Superlist Environment Europe will compare the leading European supermarkets on their commitments and performance around climate change and sustainable diets. The report will also give tailored insights and retailer-specific recommendations for how supermarkets can improve and leverage their influence for healthy, sustainable, and fair consumption and production of food.
Why get involved?
Retailers are uniquely positioned to shape food environments and influence consumer choices at scale. By setting targets to rebalance plant and animal protein sales – and tracking progress over time – retailers can:
- Drive positive dietary change aligned with global and EU health and sustainability goals
- Respond to growing consumer demand for healthy plant-forward options
- Identify new products and business opportunities to grow market share
- Strengthen their position as sustainability leaders and meet climate and biodiversity goals
Rebalancing protein sales isn’t just a sustainability win – it’s also a commercial one.
Collaboration is key
This initiative relies on active engagement from retailers and other stakeholders. Open dialog and transparency will be vital to ensure fair comparisons and meaningful recommendations.
We encourage all food retailers to set ambitious goals to rebalance their protein sales. By engaging with the Superlist process, you’ll help shape a future in which the food system works better for people, animals, and the planet.
What’s next?
Over the coming months, we’ll be collecting and analyzing data across the selected countries, and the full benchmark report will be published in spring 2026.
Stay tuned to find out which European supermarkets are leading the pack – and if you’re a retailer ready to spearhead the protein transition, now is the time to get involved. ProVeg can support your efforts to measure and improve your protein sales split, set meaningful targets and create a strategy. Let’s work together to make plant-forward, climate-smart shopping the new norm across Europe. Get in touch with our colleagues at [email protected] for more support.
For more information on Superlist Environment Europe, read the methodology now.
Gemma Tadman
Business Communications Manager
