Six Edra/Ghin members commit to net zero

The first six member companies of the international DIY trade association Edra/Ghin have now signed the Global Scope 3 Decarbonisation Commitment. The signatories are Kingfisher (UK), Obi (Germany), Kesko (Finland), Wickes (UK), Maxeda DIY Group (Netherlands) and Intergamma (Netherlands). They commit to so-called net zero decarbonisation targets within the next two years, aligned to the Paris Agreement, and to cooperating with suppliers to set their own net zero targets within five years. Net zero means that no additionalCO₂ is released into the atmosphere as a result of the companies' activities.

The Edra/Ghin Global Scope 3 Decarbonisation Commitment was presented on 12 June 2024 at the 10th Global DIY Summit in Rome. With this voluntary commitment, the signatory companies demonstrate thier support the core value that a climate-secure world goes hand-in-hand with successful business operations, according to a statement from the association.

Secretary general Edra/Ghin, John W. Herbert, said: “To achieve our commitments and to deliver the actions within the strategy and roadmap, collaboration across our sector is essential. This includes our members, suppliers, government and customers. That is why, today, we are announcing a call to action for all stakeholders to get involved and support us in taking action together. Any interested members, suppliers, governments or stakeholders can reach out to scope3@edra-ghin.org.”

Thierry Garnier, president of the association and CEO of Kingfisher, said: “Now is the time to act and I would encourage everyone in our industry to get involved and join in. By tackling the critical Scope 3 challenge together, we can pave the way to a low-carbon future that is positive for our businesses and our planet.”

In June 2023, Garnier and Herbert launched the association's Scope 3 initiative at the 9th Global DIY Summit in Berlin. The association is being advised by the strategy, environmental and engineering consultancy Ricardo. According to the association, this enabled it to set Scope 3 carbon emissions reduction targets for the global home improvement retail sector.

The Scope 3 strategy and roadmap were presented at the summit in Rome. Edra’s aim with this document is to inspire and enable stakeholders from across the sector to take decarbonisation action through three key objectives: develop clear and consistent emissions calculation methodologies; agree common accounting and reporting standards and reporting platforms; engage with suppliers to drive action and change across the supply chain.