One Planet Companies
One Planet Companies are companies, not-for-profits, and community groups which have formally adopted the One Planet Living framework to help them reduce their impact on the environment.
These exemplary companies have committed to taking measurable steps towards genuine sustainability.
The first company to become an endorsed One Planet Company is B&Q, the UK’s leading home improvement retailer. Read more about their commitment to sustainable business below.
What can you do?
If you just want to use the One Planet Living framework to improve your organisation’s approach to sustainability, why not use our free One Planet Action Plan toolkit to develop your own sustainability action plan?
Alternatively, you might want to become a fully-accredited One Planet Company. To do this you would need to develop an approved One Planet Action Plan with BioRegional, and adopt performance targets across each of the One Planet Living principles which will be audited each year. To find out more about the opportunities to become a One Planet Compnay, contact Hayley Bell, BioRegional’s Sustainable Business Manager.
B&Q – a One Planet Company
B&Q's One Planet Home product range can help customers reduce their environmental impact
B&Q, the UK’s largest home improvement and garden retailer and part of the Kingfisher Group, is working with BioRegional to reduce the envionmental impact of its activities, leading to a 90% cut in direct emissions by 2023. To meet this stretching target, all stores will need to be zero carbon and emissions from transport cut by at least 50%.
The company has already made impressive progress: Based on reporting in 2008, B&Q have made an absolute saving of 6% CO2 (19,000 tonnes) compared to their emissions in 2006. This was achieved even with an increase in turnover and without any offsetting or green energy tariffs. Further achievements include smart water metering which has reduced water consumption by 13.6 million litres per annum, and a 48% reduction in waste to landfill.
Using the One Planet Living principles, sustainability is embedded into the company’s governance structure. Sustainability is one of B&Q’s seven key business plans and progress is reported to the Board of Directors. Managers across the company have specific sustainability targets and actions relating to their day to day responsibilities, from lighting refurbishments through to food procurement and employee engagement.
B&Q is also helping its customers to reduce their carbon footprint and environmental impact through their One Planet Home product range and an ecological footprint calculator, developed with BioRegional. The One Planet Home products are assessed against the ten One Planet Living principles, while the calculator allows B&Q customers to see where their impacts arise and get a personalised eco-action plan.
Zero waste