FSC certified timber sales rise at Kingfisher

05/29/2009

Kingfisher, whose main retail brands are B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt and Screwfix, has reported a rise of two percent in sales of FSC certified timber to 47% of the groups total timber sales from February 2008 to 2009.

The increase in FSC sales for the reporting year 2008/09 equates to 2.56 Million m³ roundwood equivalent (RWE). FSC certified kitchens, garden furniture and flooring can be found in over 800 Kingfisher owned stores in eight countries in Europe and Asia.

Today’s announcement follows a long history of leadership in corporate responsibility by Europe's leading home improvement retail group and the third largest in the world. This began in the early nineties when B&Q UK became a founding member of FSC through to July 2008 when all of B&Q UK’s stores were awarded FSC chain of custody certification.

Jamie Lawrence, Forest & Timber Advisor at Kingfisher said, “As the most stringent globally applicable certification scheme, FSC is our preferred choice.” He continued, “We are therefore pleased to report a two percent increase in volume of timber that was FSC certified in the reporting period 2008/09.”

Kingfisher recently updated its timber procurement policy which now translates its long standing preference for FSC into real commercial buying terms. It specifies only FSC certified for key tropical hardwood products. Where FSC material is not available, the Group must source from companies committed to achieving FSC certification.

“Whilst we continue to face challenges, we have managed to buy more FSC and make it more available,” said Mr. Lawrence. Kingfisher has achieved this through product specific and supplier specific action plans, working with their newer brands and focusing on new store openings such as B&Q UK’s flagship store in New Malden, London.

Mr. Lawrence said, “The New Malden store has entire product ranges for gardens and kitchens that are either FSC certified, recycled or in-process of achieving FSC certification, as well as stipulating FSC only during the store construction.”

Kingfisher has committed to continuously increase the proportion of proven, well-managed and recycled products. It is taking a collaborative approach to put suppliers in contact with partner organizations such as the Tropical Forest Trust and the WWF Global Forest Trade Network (GFTN) in their phased approach to move towards FSC certification.

B&Q UK achieved FSC chain of custody certification in 2008 in response to new demands by carpenters and builders actively seeking FSC certified timber for the green-building industry – especially for government and local authority projects. It is one of the first retailers around the world to become FSC certified.

Retailers were traditionally seen as the end of the supply chain and did not require certification. Today, it finds itself in the middle of supply chain – one in ten of its customers are tradesmen.

“FSC certification has proven to be a wise business investment,” said Mike Cartwright, Business to Business Manager at B&Q UK. The company is “picking up” new business from tradesmen because they can trace the entire supply chain back to the forest.

“Because the company has a wide range of FSC labeled products,” Mr. Cartwright explains, “a tradesperson seeking material can go to any part of our business and get products with proof that it comes from sustainable sources.”

To find out more about Kingfisher's procurement policies, visit www.kingfisher.com/CR.