Corporate responsibility – Future Homes

Kingfisher’s corporate responsibility strategy, which we call Future Homes, has two principal aims. The first is to make sustainable living easier and more affordable for our customers; the second is to embed sustainability into all aspects of our own operations.

1. Sustainable living

We have been working with Forum for the Future, the independent sustainability experts, to develop a new 2020 Future Homes vision which highlights four key priorities where we can make a real and sustainable difference. During the past year we have made significant progress, giving us a strong platform from which to work towards our longer-term goals.

Product innovation

In 2010/11 sales of eco products totalled £1.1 billion - accounting for nearly 11% of total retail sales across the Group. Every item sold in our stores which we highlight as an eco product has been independently assessed by the sustainability experts BioRegional to ensure it meets our rigorous criteria. We have also created Group eco design guidelines to help our buying teams incorporate sustainability principles into their sourcing strategies.

During the year B&Q UK launched the first ‘best in class’ products. B&Q customers can now choose loft insulation made from recycled plastic or sheep’s wool and carpet underlay made of 100% recycled clothing, while in some stores recycled paint products have been made available on a trial basis. Castorama France encourages innovation among suppliers through its annual eco product award, now in its third year.

Energy-efficient homes

Our two largest businesses, B&Q UK and Castorama France, now stock around 10,000 products within their respective eco ranges One Planet Home® and La Maison Éco. During 2010 B&Q UK enhanced its in-store customer support by introducing trained eco advisers across all stores. Castorama France has introduced a new logo, C’est ÉCO, to highlight its eco product ranges in stores. Brico Dépôt Spain broke new ground by launching a low-cost solar panel kit priced at €79.

Selling good wood

We exceeded our target to source 75% of timber volume from proven well managed forests or recycled sources. In the UK, B&Q has now achieved 100% responsible timber sourcing, with B&Q offering the largest range of ‘good wood’ on the market - more than 16,000 products made from or containing sustainable timber. B&Q China has pioneered the introduction of FSC-certified timber in its local market, continuing this work in January 2011 with the launch of a new FSC-certified flooring range.

At Group level Kingfisher has been instrumental in establishing the Timber Retail Coalition (TRC) alongside other major retailers. The TRC aims to support EU legislation to curb illegally harvested timber.

	2009/10	2010/11	Progress
Timber – reported volume from proven well managed forests or recycled sources (%)	77%	81%	+4% points

Local communities

We are committed to supporting local communities everywhere we operate and increased our community investment by 70% during 2010/11. Kingfisher has a number of strategic charity partnerships and our operating companies also support a range of projects. For example, at Koçtaş head office staff mentor local students as part of an employee volunteering programme, while Castorama Russia has developed a partnership with a charity called ‘To Children With Love’, which provides support for orphaned children.

	2009/10	2010/11	Progress
Total community investment (£)	£0.94m	£1.60m	+70%

See the Directors' report for further details.

2. Making our operations more sustainable

We have reduced our total CO₂ equivalent emissions (from energy and transport) per £m retail sales by 25% since 2006/07, exceeding our target of a 20% reduction. This year, B&Q UK achieved a 9% reduction in CO₂ from electricity, driven by an investment of £2.3 million to improve the energy efficiency of lighting. Kingfisher continues to work with the Carbon Trust to further reduce the carbon footprint of its stores. During 2010/11, we significantly cut total store waste disposed. For example, Brico Dépôt France achieved a significant reduction in waste by setting specific waste targets for every store manager.

	2006/07	2010/11	Progress
Total CO2 equivalent emissions from energy and transport (tonnes per £m retail sales)	59.6	44.5	-25%

For several years Kingfisher has been included in the FTSE4Good and Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. In 2010 we also gained inclusion into the Carbon Performance Leadership Index (CPLI) compiled by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

Corporate responsibility key performance indicators (KPIs)

Minimising our impact on the environment