B&Q has announced a major milestone in its logistics decarbonisation journey, confirming that its entire fleet has now transitioned to alternative low-carbon fuels. The UK home improvement retailer has replaced diesel with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) across all remaining vehicles and 80 refrigerated trailers, a corporate sustainability initiative it says will cut emissions by up to 90 percent. This step forms part of B&Q’s “sustainability glidepath”, a roadmap to achieve net-zero by 2040, and demonstrates how large retailers can use available technologies to rapidly reduce their carbon footprint.
Cutting carbon with alternative fuels
The switch to HVO fuels builds on B&Q’s earlier adoption of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) vehicles. Since 2019, the company has rolled out 105 LNG-powered vehicles, now forming the UK’s second-largest LNG fleet. Combined, these changes have already reduced emissions by around 16,000 tonnes.
The programme is managed in partnership with GXO Logistics, which oversees B&Q’s distribution network. Together, the companies report a 40 percent reduction in projected logistics emissions in 2024 – just two years after launching their dedicated decarbonisation strategy.
Moreover, B&Q sustainability efforts don’t stop at its low-carbon fuels strategy. The UK home improvement retailer has already begun electrifying its fleet, with five electric vans and two electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) already in operation.
More vehicles are in the pipeline: two further HGVs due in 2025 and an additional 55 electric vehicles planned within the next five years. Although still modest in scale, B&Q’s electric fleet is expected to save 250 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually, showing the potential of electrification once it expands further.
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Efficiency through optimisation and AI
Beyond fuel switching, B&Q has introduced a range of measures to optimise operations and cut emissions. Route optimisation software, driver monitoring, and scheduling changes have already reduced fleet size by nearly 10 percent since 2021. Backhaul improvements eliminated 104 tonnes of Scope 3 emissions in 2024.
Early in 2025, the company added 35 LNG-powered Volvo FH Aero tractor units designed to improve fuel efficiency by 3 percent, saving around 100 tonnes of CO2 per year. It is also piloting an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled transport optimisation system, which could eliminate 240,000 kilometres of travel and avoid 150 tonnes of CO2 annually once rolled out at scale.
B&Q’s Director of Logistics, Darren Hall, emphasised the importance of adopting “up-to-date and available technologies” as a stepping stone toward wider adoption of alternative fuels and sustainable delivery options. GXO’s Managing Director for the UK and Ireland, Gavin Williams, added that achieving zero emissions in logistics requires “a combination of strategies” and that B&Q’s multi-pronged approach offers a blueprint for the industry.
Conclusion
B&Q’s logistics transformation highlights what is possible when innovation, collaboration, and sustainability are aligned. By adopting low-carbon fuels, investing in electrification, and trialling digital optimisation tools, the company is cutting emissions today while laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s net-zero fleet.
For other businesses, the lesson is clear: there is no single silver bullet. Progress comes from layering strategies (cleaner fuels, operational efficiency, and emerging technologies) to achieve measurable impact. Those who take action now, rather than waiting for perfect solutions, will build resilience, reduce costs, and lead the way in sustainable logistics.
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Dedicated to harnessing the power of storytelling to raise awareness, demystify, and drive behavioural change, Bronagh works as the Communications & Content Manager at the Institute of Sustainability Studies. Alongside her work with ISS, Bronagh contributes articles to several news media publications on sustainability and mental health.
