Environment
Our Approach
We have identified three key operational activities which are environmentally significant for Next, where we consider we have direct operational control and which will continue to be important in terms of our environmental focus. They are:
- energy use from our stores, warehouses, distribution centres and offices
- fuel consumption from the distribution of products to our stores and our customers' homes
- waste created in our stores, warehouses, distribution centres and offices
During the year we have been working to identify and implement operational changes in how we operate our business that will help to minimise our impact on the environment. We understand our responsibility to work towards minimising the direct impacts of our operations as these actions will both deliver an environmental benefit and identify cost-effective opportunities for Next. We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint by reducing energy consumption throughout our operations, minimising and recycling waste from our operations, minimising and recycling waste from our operations, working to cut transport emissions as well as working to reduce the packaging in our products.
PROGRESS ON OPPORTUNITIES FROM 2008 REPORT
KEY
=
Achieved
=
Ongoing/on track
= Not
commenced
| Opportunities identified in 2008 | Status | How we have progressed |
| Investigate and trial further energy efficiency measures for the business | |
Achieved. |
| Use findings from carbon footprint work to identify further opportunities to reduce the carbon intensity of our business operations. | |
Achieved. |
| To report on the British Retail Consortium’s ‘A Better Retailing Climate’ framework within our future Corporate Responsibility reports | |
Achieved. |
| Upgrade 40 vehicles in the home delivery fleet to Euro V engines | |
Achieved. |
| Replace single-decker trailers with urban double-decker trailers where appropriate | |
Achieved. |
| Investigate and trial new vehicle loading schemes to potentially reduce number of vehicles on the road | |
Achieved. Trial is currently underway |
| Develop in-house recycling centre to maximise our recycling opportunities. Centre to be operational in 2009 | |
Achieved. See page 47 for more information about our work in this area |
| Establish ‘green champions’ in our
retail stores to support and promote the implementation of agreed initiatives and identify potential areas for improvement |
|
Achieved. See page 47 for more information about our work in this area |
| Start to implement the voluntary On-Pack Recycling Label scheme to identify packaging materials and how they can be recycled to help achieve national recycling targets set by the government | |
Not commenced due to delays with the scheme launch. Currently under review |
| Investigate and trial opportunities to reduce water consumption throughout the business | |
Achieved. See page 48 for more information about our work in this area |
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