World’s first international Superlist Ranking shows which supermarkets are climate leaders, and which ones are falling behind
Some promising targets, limited impact, and a widening gap between leaders and laggards. That is the central message of Superlist Environment Europe 2026, the first benchmark to assess how Europe’s largest supermarkets are aligning their climate strategies with one of the most powerful levers they control: the balance between animal and plant-based protein sales.
For food retailers, protein balance is no longer a niche sustainability metric. It is emerging as a core indicator of climate credibility, commercial resilience, and long-term relevance in a food system under pressure. Here’s what the latest data shows, and why it matters.
Why protein balance sits at the heart of climate action
Roughly a quarter of human-caused emissions come from the food system,1 with animal-based products responsible for a disproportionate share.2 For supermarkets, this reality shows up clearly in their own footprints: around 90% of retail emissions sit in Scope 3, driven largely by agricultural supply chains.3
Shifting sales towards plant-based proteins is therefore not a ‘nice to have’; it is one of the fastest, most scalable ways retailers can cut emissions while maintaining affordability and choice for consumers.4
Science is equally clear on the destination we need in order to help us stay within planetary boundaries. Diets aligned with the EAT-Lancet Commission’s ‘Planetary Health Diet’ – created by 70 leading scientists from 35 countries – require a substantial rebalancing away from animal proteins. In retail terms, that translates into moving towards around 60% plant-based and 40% animal-based foods in protein-rich food groups by 2050.5
Superlist Europe 2026 asks a simple but powerful question: are Europe’s supermarkets actually moving in that direction?
The crucial finding: ambition is rising, impact is not
Across eight European markets and 27 major retailers, Superlist finds growing awareness of the protein transition, but limited delivery so far.
- Two-thirds of supermarkets now acknowledge that shifting towards plant-rich diets is relevant to their climate strategies.
- Only around half have set measurable targets to increase plant-based protein sales.
- Just 12 retailers disclose their protein split.
- Actual emission reductions remain weak, with many retailers’ total emissions still rising despite climate commitments.
In short, momentum is building, but the sector is not yet taking the action needed to bend the emissions curve.
Leaders show what’s possible and commercially viable
A small group of retailers is demonstrating what credible protein strategies look like in practice.
The Dutch frontrunners
Dutch supermarkets stand out across almost every indicator. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Lidl Netherlands all:
- Publicly disclose their protein split across total sales on an annual basis
- Have committed to a 60:40 plant-to-animal protein ratio target by 2030, aligned with the Planetary Health Diet
- Integrate protein targets directly into their climate roadmaps
Crucially, these retailers are also testing commercial levers – from pricing and promotions to shelf layout – to actively shift purchasing behavior, showing that protein diversification can be operationalised at scale.
Discounters punching above their weight
Across multiple markets, Lidl consistently ranks among the strongest performers, combining detailed climate roadmaps with protein reporting and targets in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland.
This reinforces a key Superlist insight: selling more plant-based food is not a premium strategy. Discounters are demonstrating that protein rebalancing can go hand in hand with affordability, efficiency, and strong margins.
Where most retailers are falling behind
Despite positive examples, the overall picture remains uneven, and in some cases, concerning.
1. Protein targets without animal protein reductions
Several retailers – including major players in France, Spain, and the UK – focus on growing plant-based sales without committing to reducing animal protein sales. From a climate perspective, this is a critical blind spot.
Without actively addressing animal protein volumes, overall emissions remain largely unchanged.
2. Limited transparency
More than half of the supermarkets assessed still do not publish their protein split figures at all. Without this data, it is impossible to track progress, compare peers, or credibly claim alignment with climate science.
3. Climate plans that stop short of food
While many retailers now have climate targets, protein balance is often weakly integrated – or missing entirely – from climate roadmaps. This is striking given that animal products are consistently identified as the largest source of food-related emissions.
Protein balance is becoming a credibility test
Superlist Europe 2026 makes one thing clear: protein balance is rapidly becoming a litmus test for serious climate leadership in retail.
Retailers that fail to address it face multiple risks:
- Climate risk: missing the most impactful lever for Scope 3 reductions
- Policy risk: falling out of step with national dietary strategies and future regulation
- Commercial risk: losing relevance as consumers, foodservice and manufacturers accelerate protein diversification
By contrast, leaders are positioning themselves at the center of a fast-growing market for affordable, plant-rich food, while strengthening supply chain resilience and climate credibility.
What needs to happen next
Superlist does not just rank performance; it points to a clear pathway forward. For retailers serious about aligning climate ambition with real-world impact, three actions stand out:
- Measure and disclose protein splits annually, across total sales and protein-rich categories
- Set time-bound targets to both increase plant-based and decrease animal protein sales, aligned with the Planetary Health Diet
- Embed protein transition into climate roadmaps, with quantified emission reductions and commercial execution plans
The tools already exist. The leaders are already acting. The question now is whether the rest of Europe’s retail sector will follow or continue to lag behind.
Find out more about rebalancing your protein assortment. For more support on your alternative protein strategy, get in touch with our experts at [email protected] and subscribe to our newsletter and podcast.
Superlist Environment Europe 2026 is a collaboration between Questionmark, ProVeg International, WWF Netherlands, and Madre Brava. ProVeg works with retailers across Europe to translate protein targets into practical, profitable strategies that accelerate the shift towards plant-rich food systems.
Gemma Tadman
Business Communications Manager
References
- Poore J, Nemecek T. Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2024 Feb 22];360(6392). Available from: https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:b0b536495e93-4415-bf07-6b0b1227172f
- Agudelo Higuita NI, LaRocque R, McGushin A. Climate change, industrial animal agriculture, and the role of physicians – Time to act. J Clim Change Health [Internet]. 2023 Sept 1 [cited 2025 Nov 11];13:100260. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S2667278223000603
- Questionmark Foundation, Winkel, Deborah; Haan, Gustaaf; de Jong, Dore, van Engen-Cocquyt, Willem; Charles, Ambre. Superlist Environment Europe 2026. Accessed 2026-01-13.
- Madre Brava, Quantis. Biggest bang for the buck: cost-effective pathways for climate targets in German food retail, (2025). Available at: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/677d312731ae664a70dacd6c/681d1d75d9546383e9cb1676_biggest-bang-for-the-buck-cost-effective-pathways-to-climate-targets-in-german-food-retail.pdf&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1768817089224032&usg=AOvVaw3TYbRMSkiR7aINIaUq7aKv Accessed 2026-01-19.
- Questionmark Foundation, Winkel, Deborah; Haan, Gustaaf; de Jong, Dore, van Engen-Cocquyt, Willem; Charles, Ambre. Superlist Environment Europe 2026. Accessed 2026-01-13.
