Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions (CO2E)

PERFORMANCE AGAINST TARGETS

CO₂ EMISSIONS TONNE
CO₂e /£1m GROUP REVENUE

14.5 tCO₂e/£1m

Commentary

In 2020 we reduced emissions relative to turnover by 15% (in 2019 by 21%), meeting our directional target to reduce this figure each year.

Why this measure is important

Our emissions measure encapsulates our overall commitment to reducing our impact on the environment and helps us focus on waste management and cost reduction.

DELIVERY FLEET – MILES PER GALLON (mpg)

Why this measure is important

This forms part of our commitment to reduce the carbon impact from our operations.

2019/20 performance

In 2020, the average miles per gallon of the Home Delivery Network improved by 2.6% from 14.9 mpg to 15.3 mpg.

AVERAGE CAR FLEET EMISSIONS CO₂G/KM

112 CO₂G/KM

Why this measure is important

Our company car fleet, including fitter vans, but excluding vehicles hired on demand, is graded on emissions and we encourage the use of fuel-efficient vehicles in all schemes. Please note that this measure excludes emissions from business-related journeys which are undertaken by colleagues in their own vehicles.

2019/20 performance

In FY20 our average emissions were 112 CO₂g/km (2019: 110 CO₂g/km). We are therefore not currently on track to meet our target to reduce car fleet emissions by 2% per annum to FY25. However, vehicles added to the fleet during FY20 averaged 93 CO₂g/km, a significant reduction from those added in the previous year, which averaged 118 CO₂g/km. We will encourage this trend to continue, which puts us on track to achieve our target by FY25.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR 2020/21

Participate in the work with Carbon Trust to set a long-term carbon target with milestone targets and KPIs, and a programme to deliver this.

ABOUT OUR GHG (CO₂e) MANAGEMENT

The vast majority of our greenhouse gas emissions are generated by our electricity consumption. During the year we purchased all of our electricity from renewable sources, which has a significantly reduced carbon impact, and we intend to continue to do so. Other contributors to our emissions are usage of gas, emissions from our vehicle fleet, and a small element from use of refrigerants.

We have invested in photovoltaic systems (solar power) in five of our stores (Leeds, Dunstable, Bristol, Cambridge and Darlington). These systems replace energy sourced through the national grid with local renewable energy. We continue to monitor performance of these installations to inform future investment decisions as we assess additional sites for solar power generation.

We work with specialist partners to consult on our energy-buying strategy, investments in energy-saving technology and to further focus on reducing our carbon emissions.

UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES 2019/20

Continue to reduce CO₂ emissions relative to turnover year-on-year. A reduction of Tonne CO₂e per £1m Group revenue of 15% was achieved in the year.

While gas accounts for a smaller part of our energy usage than electricity, during the year as part of our store refit activity, gas-fired heating systems were removed from our Newport store and heating and cooling converted to more energy-efficient electric power. In Crewe we reduced our reliance on gas-fired heating by 50%.
Target a 2% year-on-year reduction in emissions from our company car fleet, and increase mileage per gallon achieved across our home delivery fleet.
Introduce charging points for electric vehicles in our car parks at support centres and assess certain stores for suitability.
We agreed to invest in the installation of charging points at our Store Support Centre, and a proposal was being prepared for our Stoke distribution centres. However, the work was delayed due to Covid-19. We intend to complete this work in FY21. We have adopted a flexible working policy for our support centre team and a ‘remote first’ protocol for all of our meetings, which will significantly reduce the number of commuting car journeys made by our colleagues.
Continue to review and assess our company car fleet to introduce more zero-emissions and low-emissions options for colleagues.
We opened up our company car list to include all hybrid and electric cars irrespective of vehicle make, whereas before we were tied to a small number of specific manufacturers; this increased the choice for colleagues.

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR)

Energy and transport fuel consumed

	FY20 MWh	FY19 MWh	% change
Purchase of energy	50	57	(11)%
Vehicles on Company business	2	3	(22)%
Vehicles in the Home Delivery Network	12	9	26%
	64	69	(8)%

The principal measures to improve energy efficiency in stores are described above in relation to our electricity consumption. Miles driven by the Home Delivery Network increased by 30% year-on-year as a result in the growth of our home delivery sales, whereas energy usage only increased by 26%. The increase in mileage per gallon (mpg) was achieved through improved driver training and focusing on mpg analysis.nalysis.