Kingfisher. Forest positive 2025

As a major buyer of wood in the world, we have to be part of the solution, not the problem.

The UK government recently announced it will introduce a new law to prevent illegal deforestation in UK business’ supply chains. This is another important step in moving to the responsible sourcing of forest materials, but if we really want to protect forests for the long term, we need to go further - not just halting forest loss, but restoring and maintaining them.

Forests are home to most of the world’s land animals and plants, home to people whose livelihoods rely on thriving forests, and they also help tackle climate change, supply water and protect from erosion and other natural disasters.  Despite this, deforestation is still happening at alarming rates.

It might surprise some people to learn that around a quarter of the products sold by by Kingfisher companies contain wood and paper. From kitchen cabinets and sheds to paint brush handles and sandpaper. We are one of the largest buyers of wood products in Europe. With that footprint comes a responsibility, and an opportunity to respond to the challenges of deforestation and forest degradation.

At Kingfisher we are fully committed to being a responsible business and having a positive impact on the lives of our customers, colleagues, communities, and the planet. At the heart of our new strategic direction, Powered by Kingfisher, is a commitment to lead the industry in responsible business practices, building on our long heritage. We have to be part of the solution, not the problem.

For us that starts with the responsible sourcing of wood and paper. It’s an area we have been taking a lead in ever since B&Q developed its first responsible timber policy in 1991 and became a founding partner of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 1993. 

There have been many other successes in the past 30 years, and it is a heritage we can be proud of. But we know we must do more, and we want to do more. We want to go further than stopping deforestation. We are committed to become ‘Forest Positive’ by 2025. That means, on top of sourcing 100% of all our wood and paper responsibly across all our banners, we will be a net contributor to forests and create more forests than we use. 

So, when customers shop in one of our stores, they can have certainty that not only is the wood they buy responsibly sourced, but they are buying it from someone who is committed to protecting and helping to restore the planet’s forests. That is an ambitious target, and we know we cannot achieve it on our own. 

That is why we have announced a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, as a founding member of its Forest Allies initiative. Working with the Rainforest Alliance, Kingfisher will support projects which protect, restore, and enable responsible management of tropical forests in some of our key sourcing regions, and promote cross-sector collaboration on reforestation. These projects will engage with local communities to build strong local economies, while also protecting crucial natural resources.

From 2021, working with the Rainforest Alliance we will begin to deliver projects as part of Forest Allies, and will monitor and assess outcomes, including the impact on: maintaining and restoring forests and biodiversity, implementing sustainable forest management, supporting forest communities in adapting to climate change, empowering forest communities at scale and improving livelihoods for foresters and their families.

Working together with the Rainforest Alliance and other Forest Allies partners, we can help play our part in putting an end to forest loss and degradation, and create a more positive future for forests and all who rely on them, for generations to come. I look forward to sharing our progress in the coming months.  

Thierry Garnier, CEO, Kingfisher plc