Wednesday 16 June 2021

B&Q owner sets out new 2025 science-based carbon reduction targets

Kingfisher has announced new ambitious targets consistent with reductions required to keep global warming to 1.5°C, which have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.

The home improvement retailer, whose businesses include B&Q and Screwfix, has committed to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions from property and transport by 38% by 2025, compared to 2016 levels.

It also aims to reduce Scope 3 emissions from the supply chain and customer use of products by 40% per £1 million of turnover by 2025, from a 2017 base year.

Kingfisher has so far made significant progress to reduce the environmental footprint of its business and products, including a 27% cut in operational absolute carbon emissions since 2016/17, a 1.7 million-tonne reduction in carbon emissions from energy-using products, such as appliances, since 2017/18 and an 18% reduction in Scope 3 emissions compared with 2017/18.

In addition, B&Q, Screwfix and Brico Dépôt Iberia now purchase 100% renewable electricity.

Thierry Garnier, Chief Executive officer at Kingfisher plc said: “Through the great work of all our teams, we met our previous science-based carbon reduction targets well ahead of schedule. We felt it was critical for us to take additional commitments by 2025 and have now committed to make the additional investments needed to meet these ambitious new targets.

“We are proud to join the small number of retailers who have set approved science-based targets in line with a 1.5°C scenario.”