Kingfisher cuts property energy use by 4% despite opening 169 new stores

Kingfisher, whose UK businesses include B&Q and Screwfix, has cut total energy use at its properties by 4% from a 2010/2011 baseline, according to the company's latest sustainability report.


Despite opening 169 stores, the company has also reduced energy intensity at its properties by 10% and carbon intensity by 9%, from 2010/11.

The company introduced a requirement that new store projects, including new builds and major refurbishments, should show a 10% reduction in both operational carbon emissions and the carbon resulting from energy used to create materials for store construction, known as embodied carbon.

However, energy use and energy intensity increased in 2012/13 from 2011/12, mainly due to a rise in gas consumption for heating – the result of a relatively cold winter in Europe. Kingfisher did not have the exact energy use and energy intensity figures available.

In a statement to edie, director of group Property Services, Crispin Burridge, said: “We are pleased that we have continued to make progress on our energy targets especially having experienced one of the coldest winters on record for much of Europe. Progress is being driven by a number of initiatives such as the continued roll out of efficient lighting which consumes 60% of our total energy consumption.

“But this is also supported by training and behavioural changes at a store level as personal action to maintain progress is critical. As energy costs continue to rise, both the business case and Net Positive story become more compelling,” added Burridge.

The report also reveals that CO2 equivalent from dedicated delivery fleets fell by 2% from 2010/11 against the company’s target of a 20% reduction by 2020.

Despite total fuel use increasing by 1% over the same period, the company reported that the fall in CO2 emissions was due to the Government updating the emission factor used for calculating emissions from diesel in the UK.

Reporting on its travel impact, the company recorded a 9% increase in CO2 equivalent emissions from business road travel from 2010/11. In addition, CO2 equivalent emissions from business air travel increased by 6% from 2010/11, but fell by 12% in the last year.

The report also provides progress on the company’s commitment to reducing waste from its operations, increasing recycling and in achieving zero waste to landfill by 2020.

In 2012/13, 68% of waste was recycled, a 3% increase from 2011/12. The report showed that Screwfix has achieved the highest recycling rate of 94%.

However, although the company improved recycling rates, the overall amount of waste generated continued to increase, which Kingfisher says partly reflects business growth. Overall the company generated 242,079 tonnes of waste, up from 227,514 tonnes in 2011/12.

“We need to address this over the longer term in line with our vision that by 2050 creating and using products wastes nothing,” the company states.

Leigh Stringer

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