LONDON, 2015-12-2 — /EPR Retail News/ — Kingfisher, the international home improvement company, has unveiled plans to invest £50 million in renewable energy as part of a plan to reduce its energy consumption from the national grid by 10% in the next two years.
The investment will be spent on a range of renewable technologies. The roll-out of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels will commence immediately in the UK and France on distribution centres and selected stores, and is expected to be rolled-out to the majority of the 10 countries in which Kingfisher operates. Other future renewable energy sources will include air source heat pumps, combined heat and power boilers and new fuel cell generation.
The investment decision was made following the completion of a PV installation at the Screwfix head office and contact centre in Yeovil this summer, which has been performing well. More than a third of the contact centre’s power is now generated by its solar panel installation.
Kingfisher led the Net Positive movement in 2012 when it launched its ambition to do more than minimise its negative impact, redesigning its business to have a positive impact on the world. The organisation has an aspiration for every Kingfisher store and customer’s home to be zero carbon or generate more energy than it consumes by 2050 and has already reduced its property portfolio’s energy intensity by 17% – delivering its 2016 milestone ahead of schedule.
Richard Gillies, Sustainability Director for Kingfisher said: “We hope our renewables investment helps demonstrate to the world’s leaders discussing the climate deal this week that leading businesses want a sustainable future, and to see the right deal in Paris.
“This renewables investment is part of our Net Positive journey to transform our business to be a force for good. There’s plenty more we can do but business needs stability and certainty to make these types of long-term investment decisions. That’s why we need leadership in Paris – it’s the key to enabling the consistent national policies and incentives business needs to invest.”
Notes to Editors
1. The range of renewable technology deployed will be predominately PV based but will also include a mix of: air source heat pumps; combined solar thermal with gas absorption pumps; combined heat and power boilers; and new fuel cell generation.
2. The business has reduced its energy intensity by 17% since 2010/11.
3. Between 4 and 10 December, Kingfisher’s retail brands, Castorama and Brico Dépôt, will have a stand at the ‘Solutions COP21’ exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris during the COP 21 climate talks in December. The free exhibition is open to all, and will showcase the many products, services, processes and innovations either existing or under development throughout the world to fight climate change and its impact. We’ll also be helping people understand what it is they can do to reduce emissions from their homes by providing help and advice, accompanied by eco product offers in our French and UK stores.
4. Kingfisher is a proud supporter of the We Mean Business coalition, through our membership of the Corporate Leaders Group and BSR, all looking to secure the right deal in Paris.
5. Kingfisher plc is an international home improvement company which operates nearly 1,200 stores in 10 countries in Europe. Its main brands are B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt and Screwfix. Kingfisher also operates the Koçtaş joint venture in Turkey. The business exists to help and inspire millions of people to improve their homes and believes that because people’s homes are so central to their lives, improving their homes means improving their lives. The business employs some 79,000 people and serves nearly six million customers in store and online every week. It is dedicated to achieving growth in a sustainable way and is working to integrate sustainability into all it does so that sustainability becomes business as usual.
6. For more information about Kingfisher and it’s Net Positive ambition visit www.kingfisher.com and www.kingfisher.com/netpositive
SOURCE: Kingfisher plc
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