Our commitment
We are committed to responsibly managing the environmental impact of our operations and the products that we sell. Environmental management also makes good business sense. Ensuring that we use resources efficiently and work to reduce our carbon footprint helps reduce costs. As a result, we continue to implement a progressive approach to environmental management in order to deliver gradual improvement year‑on‑year.
Carbon reporting
We calculate our Group CO2 emissions (from transport, business travel and energy consumed in our premises) using recommended DEFRA conversion factors.
Energy consumption
The energy used to light and heat our stores, distribution centres and offices is the greatest contributor to our carbon footprint and also represents a significant cost to the business. As a result, we continually look for ways to reduce the amount of energy we use.
Transport
In terms of our carbon footprint, the second greatest contributor to our overall emissions is the CO2 generated by the fleet of lorries which deliver products to over a thousand WHSmith stores around the UK. High fuel prices also give us further incentive to maximise the efficiency of our fleet wherever we can.
Waste management
We continue to work hard to reduce waste within our business. Waste created by inefficient use of resources and rising landfill tax represents a significant cost to the business. In response, we have been operating recycling and waste reduction initiatives for several years.