A carbon footprint assessment was performed by independent environmental specialists. The footprint was calculated for Scope 1, 2 and selected scope 3 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions utilising the GHG protocol.
The group’s Scope 1 emissions arise from petrol and diesel combustion in company vehicles, including the delivery fleets of stores. The main reason for the reduction in scope emissions is due to a reduction in fuel purchased through more efficient management of company and delivery vehicles.
The decrease in South African electricity emissions is likely due to reduced electricity consumption as well as a lower South African electricity grid emissions factor. Electricity demand in neighbouring countries has increased due to an increase in stores and the electricity emissions factor increasing due to higher electricity imports from South Africa.
Partial assessment of Scope 3 emissions is accepted practice and is compliant with the GHG protocol, as conducting a comprehensive Scope 3 assessment is often prohibitively data and resource intensive. The implication, however, is that the total of these figures should not be interpreted as the complete Scope 3 carbon footprint.
The group is committed to improving the direct impact of its business activities in the areas of fuel consumption, electricity and water consumption, material usage reduction, and recycling paper and packaging materials.
