B&Q has managed a 56% reduction in the intensity of Scope 3 carbon emissions since 2017/18 (per £mn turnover). This measure, which sets emissions targets relative to business growth, exceeds the DIY retailer’s target of 40% reduction by its 2025/26 financial year. At the same time, it has reduced Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 63.5%.
B&Q is now realigning its sustainability strategy around the twin pillars of people and planet, and is developing a new Scope 3 target which it will submit to the SBTi for validation against its corporate net zero standard. The company’s current ambition is to be net zero in Scope 1 and 2 by 2040 and in Scope 3 by 2050.
The ambitions of the DIY retailer are outlined in its Build A Life Project Annual Report. The publication gives insight into B&Q’s sustainability strategy and approach to Scope 3, which is the largest part of its total carbon footprint. 23.8% of the footprint is attributable to sourcing and manufacturing of products, with use by customers and subsequent disposal making up a further 61.9%.
Delivery of its sustainability strategy is headed by Joanna Gluzman, director of responsible business, B&Q, who explains: “When we first launched the B&Q Build a Life Project, we identified five responsible business pillars: Products, Services, Colleagues, Community and Operating with Integrity. These pillars enabled us to help all colleagues across the business understand the breadth of our responsible business commitments.
“This year [2024], we’ve refreshed this framework with two pillars – Planet and People – to enable us to take a more holistic view on our responsible business initiatives and to look beyond the realms of our own organisation to understand the impact our decisions have on the world around us. This two-pillar approach not only encapsulates the five pillars identified previously; it allows us to work beyond them in the years to come.”
Balancing progress without overreaching ambitions
One of the main focuses of the responsible business team is laying down objectives that are both ambitious and realistic, as well as being grounded in existing achievements and accurate projections. These allow the business to balance progress without overreaching in its ambitions or overstating achievements.
“The report stands as a framework for us to mark ourselves against year-on-year, acting as a milestone for the team to recognise where we are excelling but also needing to improve,” says Gluzman.
“At B&Q, we encourage our colleagues to digest the report and share any follow-up questions they might have with the team. This ensures a cycle of constant learning on our part, while empowering our workforce to take action and better our operations from the inside out. It is as much a north star as it is a pat on the back.
“We also partner with third parties across our responsible business initiatives to drive accountability and ensure our policies are up to scratch against industry standards.
For example, this year, we worked with the charity, Kinship, to better understand how we can support our colleagues who unexpectedly come to care for a child or family member. We’re proud to be the first major high street retailer to achieve a Gold standard Kinship Friendly Employer badge.”
Other recent achievements include reaching a point where 99.3% of wood and paper products are responsibly sourced, with wood or paper either being FSC or PEFC certified or from a proven recycled source. B&Q plans to reach 100% in 2024. Furthermore, the company has added secondhand tools to its ‘Refurbed by B&Q’ range which is available for consumers to buy online. It has also expanded its tool hire service for customers not wanting to commit to a tool purchase.
Working with suppliers to reduce Scope 3
B&Q is working hard to reduce its Scope 3 emissions, the largest part of its carbon footprint, and helping suppliers to minimise the environmental impact of the products it offers. It realises that this is “no mean feat,” given the complications of supplier engagement, alignment and transparency. “We know we have to start somewhere and we’re committed to collaborating with our suppliers and to tackling it head on,” says Gluzman.
B&Q is working currently with Manufacture 2030 as part of its Low Carbon Manufacturing Programme to help suppliers calculate their baseline carbon footprint and build out a decarbonisation plan that is aligned with B&Q’s ambitions. “Earlier this year, we also invited suppliers to a special event to brief them on our responsible business objectives beyond carbon reduction, such as making sustainable home products more accessible and improving packaging,” states Gluzman.
“So far, the reaction from our suppliers to this engagement has been good and sign-ups to the Low Carbon Manufacturing Programme continue to rise. We’re confident this collaboration will have long-term benefits on our Scope 3 emissions,” she adds.
Companies selling on B&Q’s marketplace, which launched in March 2022, also have to adhere to the retailer’s sustainability policies. An ethical practice is one of the main conditions to entry, and any wood or paper products either have to be suitably certified as responsibly sourced or the seller undergoes training to help them achieve standards within five years.
B&Q’s targets do not stand alone, as the retailer is part of the larger Kingfisher Group which provides a robust responsible business framework across the Group. This not only ensures all banners and Group functions are aligned to key objectives but also empowers them to adapt their approach to each brand’s unique business model.
“At B&Q, we collaborate closely with our colleagues at Kingfisher. For example, in 2023, B&Q became a founding member of an EDRA (European trade association for the home improvement sector) working group, of which Kingfisher CEO, Thierry Garnier, is a founding member.”
Gluzman concludes by saying: “It’s this sort of collective action that brings together diverse minds and consolidates our efforts in the industry to find the best solution for our supply chains, and ultimately, our customers in their homes.”
This feature originally appeared in the RetailX Global Sustainability 2024 report.
This report brings together the information from RetailX’s ecommerce market reports and performance-based ranking reports with consumer sentiment and behaviour data from ConsumerX to give a rounded view of the current state of sustainability communications and services in retail and ecommerce globally.
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