B&Q China signs up for five-year responsible purchasing plan for wood-based products, joining Chinese division of WWF's Global Forest & Trade Network

Lorena Madrigal

LONDON , July 8, 2011 (press release) – Kingfisher’s operating company, B&Q China, has become a member of the Chinese division of WWF's Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN). The company received the GFTN certificate at the June 2011 conference in Shanghai on Forests, Markets, Policy and Practice.

The goal of GFTN-China is to eliminate illegal logging and improve the management of valuable and threatened forests in China and in countries supplying wood and fibre to China. GFTN-China also serves as a forum for Chinese companies to demonstrate that they are producing and purchasing forest products in a responsible manner.

B&Q China has agreed a 5 year action plan to introduce responsible purchasing best practices into its supply chain for wood-based products. At the start of 2011, the company ran a workshop with GFTN-China for buyers and suppliers and will continue to work together to implement the action plan.

Sustainable timber sourcing is one of Kingfisher four key sustainability priorities. In 2010/11, 81% of reported timber volume sold was from proven well-managed forests or recycled sources, ahead of the Group target of 75%. .

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