Ahead of a packed panel, Decarbonising the Supply Chain: The Road to Net-Zero Retail, at SustainabilityX on 14 May 2025, Kathryn Thomas, head of responsible business at Kingfisher (owner of B&Q and Screwfix) discussed successful sustainability strategies.

What are the most impactful ways in which retailers can reduce their carbon footprint and why?
I think this depends on the business and where it is in its journey. A key first step is to measure the business’s existing carbon footprint and then to identify which areas to reduce.

For Kingfisher, owner of B&Q and Screwfix in the UK, the vast majority of our emissions (c.99%) sit in our scope 3 emissions. These are emissions from across our value chain, including suppliers and customers, and so are outside of our direct control and operations.

Most of these emissions are based on how customers use products in their homes. This means that if we can help them to use less energy, such as through providing products like energy efficient appliances, or selling products that are made from more recycled content, we can really start to turn the dial.

We also work closely and collaboratively with our suppliers, to help them decarbonise their own supply chains, while delivering a strong programme of work around improving the energy efficiency of our stores and decarbonising our logistics fleets.

As retailers strive to balance sustainability goals with profitability and cost efficiency, what are the retail strategies you envisage having the greatest impact?
Being a responsible business is one of the core pillars of our commercial strategy, which we call ‘Powered by Kingfisher’. This strategy enables us to support our brands to deliver their own carbon reduction plans.

To give an example, through our Sustainable Home Products (SHPs) programme, we work with the commercial teams and build further on our Own Exclusive Brand (OEB) ranges to work towards our decarbonisation targets. Our SHPs are a key way for us to drive forward our ambi