GlobeNewswire Inc | Mar 11, 2021 12:52PM EST

March 11, 2021

Zaandam, the Netherlands, March11, 2021 Ahold Delhaize today announced that it successfullypriceditsinauguralSustainability-Linked Bond, amounting to 600million with a term of 9 years, maturingonMarch18, 2030.

The bondwasissued in accordance with Ahold Delhaizes published Sustainability-LinkedBond Framework(the Framework),which follows the ICMA Sustainability-Linked BondPrinciples. In its Second Party Opinion,Sustainalyticsconsiders theSustainability Performance Targets(SPTs)ambitious and aligned with Ahold Delhaizes sustainability strategy, including alignment with a 1.5-degree temperature rise scenario andAhold Delhaizesleading efforts with respect to food waste reduction. TheFrameworkand Second Party Opinion can be foundhere.

The transaction follows the closing ofa1 billion Sustainability-Linked Revolving CreditFacility in December 2020 andthe2019 issuance ofan inauguralSustainability Bond, where the proceeds were exclusively spent on sustainability projects across Ahold Delhaize. All three reinforce the alignment of the companys funding strategy to its commitments laid out in itsHealthy & Sustainable ambition.

Frans Muller, Chief Executive Officer of Ahold Delhaize, said: I am excited to issue ourfirstSustainability-LinkedBond today. It helps us accelerate the achievement of the ESG targets we set in ourHealthy andSustainable roadmap and is another important step for our organization to contribute to the1.5-degreeParis agreement.

Thebondpaysan annual coupon of0.375%and wasissued at a price of99.63%of the nominal value.The bondwillsettleon March18, 2021 and will be listed on Euronext Amsterdam. The proceeds will be used forrefinancing ofdebt maturities andgeneral corporate purposes.

Thebondis linked to Ahold Delhaize achieving two Sustainability Performance Targets (SPTs) by 2025:

SPT 1: Reduction of Scope 1 and 2 CO2e emissions by 29% from a 2018 baseline

SPT 2: Reduction of food waste by 32% from a 2016 baseline

The sustainability-linked feature will result in a coupon adjustment if Ahold Delhaizes performance does not achieve one orboth of the statedSPTs.

SPT 1 and 2 are aligned with Ahold Delhaizes 2030goalsaiming to reduce Scope 1 and 2 CO2e emissions by 50% and food waste by 50%.The carbonemission goalis validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative andthe food waste goalis measured according to the Food Loss and Waste Protocol.

Natalie Knight, Chief Financial Officer of Ahold Delhaize, said:Sustainability-Linked Bonds represent the next phase of our ESG financing, where we bringourlong-term commitments to tackle our carbon footprint and food waste directly to our investors.I amgrateful forthetrustourinvestorsplace in usand look forward tofurtherpartneringwith them on our sustainability journey.

J.P. Morgan and Socit Gnrale acted as Sustainability-Linked Bond Structuringagents to the Issuerand BNP Paribas,BofASecurities, Deutsche Bank, GoldmanSachsBank Europe SE, J.P. Morgan and Socit Gnrale acted as joint bookrunners on thebondissuance.

Cautionary notice

This communication is not for release, distribution or publication, whether directly or indirectly and whether in whole or in part, into or in the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan or any (other) jurisdiction where any of such activities would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction.

The offer of bonds referred to in this communication was limited in the EEA and the United Kingdom to qualified investors only. The bonds have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the US Securities Act) and will also not be registered with any authority competent with respect to securities in any state or other jurisdiction of the United States of America. The bonds may not be offered or sold in the United States of America without either registration of the securities or an exemption from registration under the US Securities Act being applicable.

This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words and expressions such as maturing, 2030, ambitious, aligned, strategy, scenario, leading, further, commitments, ambition, achievement, targets, step, will, 2025, by, next phase, long-term, journey, opportunity, promise or other similar words or expressions are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results ofKoninklijkeAhold Delhaize N.V. (the Company) to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Companys public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Companys management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Companys management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they aremadeand the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.