Increased attention has been paid recently to the analysis of the effects of applying the concept of sustainable development in retail. In that context we have particularly considered greenhouse gases emission in the food retail sector.This is achieved through the use of modern ecological technology in business – through the whole food value chain. The ultimate goal is to achieve the planned reductions of carbon dioxide in the food retail sector, which positively reflects the overall performance ofretail food companies, environmental in particular. The costs of carbon dioxide emission reduction affect the performance ofretail food companies. Continuous empirical research shows that almost all globalretail food companies achieve a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from year to year. Empirical research conducted in this paper on the example of globalretail food companiesin the United States, Europe and the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Serbia shows significant and planned reduction of carbon dioxide emissions in the food retail sector, especially in countries with developed market economies. This empirical research is mainly based on the analysis of the original sustainable (environmental and ecological) reports officially disclosed by selected retail food companies, primarily from the countries of a developed market economies, which they started to publish with regular annual financial statements. They are now an integral part of the so-called integrated reporting on performance of globalretail food companies. Due to the general importance, harmonized regulations on sustainablein the food retail companies reporting are being increasingly applied as a data source for more efficient environmental management. In perspective, this will ease the comparative analysis of the carbon dioxide emission of global retail food companies.
