Westcon-Comstor achieves 100% renewable electricity target in UK

Westcon-Comstor, a global technology provider and a specialist distributor announced that it is achieving 100% of its electricity needs through renewable sources for all its UK sites. A landmark advancement, the distributor is now exclusively enriching its sites across Bracknell, Cirencester, and Swindon with renewable electricity.

This transition is a part of the company's broader ambition to shift to 100% renewable electricity globally by 2030. With operations spanning over 70 countries, Westcon-Comstor has set its course towards an eco-friendly trajectory with the UK becoming the first country to realise this target.

In addition to transitioning to sustainable energy forms, such as switching to renewable electricity tariffs, Westcon-Comstor is also striving to reduce energy consumption across its UK facilities. Remarkably, an upgrade to energy-efficient LED lighting at its Swindon logistics facility has been recently completed, which projects to decrease power consumption by 25,000kWh annually.

Notably, the company's offices in Cirencester and Bracknell have both adapted to the trend of Electric Vehicles (EVs), boasting EV charging points for employees. This development further denotes the company's dedication to fostering an eco-friendly environment.

Westcon-Comstor took the pledge for 100% renewable electricity in the previous year, thereby aligning with the objectives of RE100, a global corporate renewable energy initiative that joins hundreds of large and ambitious businesses fixated on 100% renewable electricity.

The distributor had set this objective to accompany its existing commitments to emission reduction, lending support to its ultimate goal of obtaining net-zero by 2050. In the recent past, Westcon-Comstor distinguished itself as the first major global technology distributor to have its net-zero targets formally validated by the internationally acclaimed Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

"Having set ourselves ambitious sustainability targets as a business, it's rewarding to be able to demonstrate that we are making tangible progress in an important market like the UK," stated Mark McLardie, Head of ESG at Westcon-Comstor. Elucidating the company's larger objectives, he explained that purchased electricity presently accounts for almost 70% of their Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions globally. Therefore, a shift to renewable sources will undoubtedly fast-track the distributor's progress towards a 50% reduction in these emissions by 2030.

McLardie further underscored the importance of reducing energy consumption, asserting it to have an essential role to play in ensuring that their business operates sustainably. He confirmed that managing energy consumption more efficiently is indeed a real focus for them in the UK, and globally.