Our commitment
We are committed to responsibly managing the environmental impact of our operations and the products that we sell. Environmental management is important to our customers, employees and, most of all it is important to our business. Ensuring that we use resources efficiently and work to reduce our carbon footprint supports our commercial strategy. 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 and energy) using recommended Defra conversion factors. This year the Group CO2 emissions totalled 53,325 tonnes, a decrease of ten per cent from last year’s emissions of 59,035 tonnes.
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. During the year, new legislation has also come into force in the UK, the Carbon Reduction Commitment, which has increased the costs associated with energy use, giving a further imperative to reduce the amount of energy used in our business.
Transport
Operating over a thousand stores across the UK, our lorries have to cover significant ground to deliver our products to store. The CO2 emissions associated with the transportation of our products are the second greatest contributor to our carbon footprint, as well as representing a significant cost to our business.
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.