Home improvement retail group Kingfisher plc reports on first year of Net Positive

24-6-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Europe’s leading home improvement retail group, Kingfisher plc, whose UK businesses include B&Q and Screwfix, reports on the progress of Net Positive. Kingfisher plc launched the ground-breaking restorative business programme, which is committed to go beyond zero impact to become Net Positive, in October 2012.

Net Positive pushes the boundaries of sustainable business, moving beyond simply reducing impacts, to adopting a restorative business philosophy. For example, rather than just preventing deforestation, it means working towards net reforestation; and rather than just improving energy efficiency it means helping to create homes that are zero carbon or net energy generators.

Upon launch, Kingfisher plc outlined the targets and ambitions against which the Group’s performance would be assessed and announced four priorities for becoming Net Positive – Timber, Energy, Innovation and Communities – by 2050.

Its latest report shows that, in the first few months since the launch of Net Positive, it has already made progress against its ambitious targets.

Highlights from Kingfisher plc Net Positive 2012/2013 report

• 89% of timber products responsibly sourced (from proven well-managed or recycled sources).
• Forest projects launched in Spain and the UK that will restore undermanaged forests and woodlands, boost biodiversity and open up new sustainable sources of timber.
• 5 TWh of energy saved for customers over two years through the sale of energy-saving products
• 10% reduction in Kingfisher’s own energy intensity and an absolute reduction of 4%, in a period of business growth
• Pilot projects launched to test new business models and help catalyse the transition to a closed-loop society
• 20% of retail sales from products with eco credentials
• Community skills-sharing websites in France and the UK that support local regeneration

Kingfisher Group Chief Executive Ian Cheshire, comments: “Upon launching Net Positive, Kingfisher set out to raise the bar of the sustainable business model. Measuring the progress of our goals in this long-term ambition is paramount and we are pleased to report that, although this is just the first step in our long-term journey, we have already made great progress in meeting our targets.”

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For further information please contact Suzi Smith @ suzi@z-pr.com or telephone 020 7896 3404.