The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has released a report titled the Climate-Friendly Supermarket Scorecard, which scrutinizes US supermarkets for their lack of transparency and slow adoption of HFC-free refrigeration technology. According to the report, only three out of the sixteen companies evaluated received passing scores.
The EIA found that eleven of the companies have less than 1% of their stores using ultra-low GWP refrigerants, which have a GWP under 10. Aldi, Whole Foods, and Target were the top performers in the report, with Aldi leading in technology adoption and having more HFC-free stores than any other competitor.
EIA’s climate campaign director, Avipsa Mahapatra, commended companies like Aldi for publicly sharing their plans to eliminate HFCs but also criticized some companies for their lack of transparency and slow adoption of HFC-free technology. She called it inexcusable in the face of the climate crisis.
The report noted that Giant Eagle, Meijer, and Southeastern Grocers have yet to install HFC-free refrigeration in any stores, although some have partial installations. While Walmart has committed to eliminating all emissions including HFCs by 2040, it has only installed ultra-low GWP refrigerants in one store and has not shared specific implementation plans.
Only five of the companies evaluated disclosed their annual average leak rate, with Meijer reporting the lowest rate at 6.5%. The EIA estimates that the average leak rate for the sector is 25%, highlighting the need for improved refrigerant management practices in supermarkets.
