Bona’s 2025 Sustainability Report Highlights Significant Emission Cuts

Floor specialist Bona cuts emissions by 46% against 2022 baseline

Bona, a Swedish family-owned flooring products business, published its 2025 sustainability report on 7 April 2026. The company beat its interim emissions target while increasing sales volumes. For UK businesses managing supply chains or competing for sustainability-linked contracts, this report shows how a manufacturer can reduce carbon intensity without sacrificing commercial performance.

The company operates globally from its headquarters in Malmö. It makes products for installing, renovating, maintaining and restoring wood and hard surface floors. The report covers Bona AB and all subsidiaries. It follows GHG Protocol standards and uses 2022 as the baseline year.

Bona’s interim CEO, Lidija Broström, framed the results around the core business model. She said the company extends the life of existing flooring materials and reduces the need for replacement. By working with partners across the value chain, Bona aims to drive change toward a more sustainable future in the flooring sector.

Total Scope 1 and 2 emissions fall to 1,338 tonnes

Bona cut combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 46% compared with 2022. The market-based figure reached 1,338 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. This exceeded the company’s 2025 target and happened while production volumes grew.

Energy consumption fell to 11,777 megawatt hours in total. Energy intensity dropped to 456 kilowatt hours per tonne of product. Renewable sources supplied 67.65% of that energy. The company uses solar panels, geothermal heating, electric vehicles and renewable energy certificates.

Scope 3 emissions remain the largest part of Bona’s carbon footprint. The company completed a screening exercise to map these indirect emissions. In 2025, Bona evaluated new suppliers representing 70% of annual purchasing spend. The assessment covered responsible sourcing criteria and environmental performance. Transport efficiency improved through route optimisation and freight consolidation. Bona is developing a formal climate transition plan for adoption in 2026.

An independent lifecycle study conducted by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute in July 2025 compared refinishing with full floor replacement. The research looked at German market conditions over a 15-year period. It included parquet, vinyl and linoleum installations. Refinishing with Bona products generated 83% to 89% lower CO₂ emissions than replacing floors. Transport distances and regional electricity grid mixes had minimal effect on the outcome. The carbon benefit of refurbishment outweighed those variables by a wide margin.

How emissions reductions align with business growth

Many UK manufacturers face a challenge. They must cut carbon while maintaining output and controlling costs. Bona’s results show that energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement can achieve both goals simultaneously. However, the company operates in a specific sector with particular advantages.

Flooring products have long replacement cycles. Refinishing extends asset life and defers capital expenditure for building owners. This creates a commercial case that aligns with carbon reduction. Not every sector has this alignment built into the product offering.

For UK businesses, the Scope 3 findings matter most. Supply chain emissions usually exceed direct operational emissions by a factor of five or more. Bona’s supplier assessment covered 70% of purchasing spend in a single year. This demonstrates that rapid Scope 3 data collection is achievable with the right systems and supplier engagement. Many UK SMEs struggle with Scope 3 because they lack visibility into supplier emissions or face data gaps across fragmented supply chains.

The IVL lifecycle study provides hard numbers for a product category decision. Refurbishment versus replacement is a choice many businesses face for flooring, but also for furniture, equipment, vehicles and buildings. The study methodology compared full lifecycle impacts including manufacturing, transport, installation, maintenance and disposal. It used standardised assumptions for energy grids and material inputs. This approach avoids cherry-picking favourable scenarios.

Renewable energy procurement accounted for two-thirds of Bona’s total energy mix. In the UK, renewable tariffs and power purchase agreements are widely available. Many suppliers offer green tariffs at competitive rates. On-site generation through solar panels has become financially viable for businesses with suitable roof space or land. Electric vehicle fleets reduce Scope 1 emissions from transport, though upfront costs and charging infrastructure remain barriers for some SMEs.

Product innovation reduces fossil-based material inputs

Bona launched bio-based cleaners for wood and hard surface floors in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific markets during 2025. These products replace fossil-derived chemical inputs with renewable alternatives. The company also works on an ongoing programme to phase out chemicals of concern through its Omnibus process.

Material substitution is one of the most direct ways to cut supply chain emissions. Bio-based ingredients typically have lower carbon footprints than petrochemical equivalents, though lifecycle impacts depend on feedstock sourcing and processing methods. For UK businesses in manufacturing or product development, bio-based materials are increasingly available across plastics, lubricants, solvents and cleaning formulations. Suppliers now offer technical datasheets with carbon intensity figures, making it easier to compare alternatives.

Bona partners with WeForest on reforestation projects. In 2025, the company funded restoration of 17.82 hectares around the Tietê River in Brazil. This supports biodiversity and local communities. Reforestation offsets are controversial in sustainability circles because they do not reduce direct emissions. Nevertheless, they form part of many corporate net zero strategies as a complement to operational reductions. The UK government’s net zero strategy includes nature-based solutions, and some public sector tenders now credit reforestation within carbon accounting frameworks.

Award recognition and industry credibility

Bona won the 2025 Sustainability – Best Practice (Manufacturer) award from European Cleaning Journal. Industry awards provide third-party validation of sustainability claims. For UK businesses competing in tenders or communicating with customers, external recognition can strengthen credibility. Many procurement frameworks award points for certified management systems or industry accolades.

The company updated its Double Materiality Assessment in 2025. This process identifies which environmental and social topics matter most to business performance and stakeholders. Double materiality is a core concept in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which applies to large companies operating in the EU. Although most UK SMEs are not directly subject to CSRD, many face indirect requirements through supply chain reporting obligations.

What Bona’s 2025 progress reveals about manufacturing emissions

• Bona reduced combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 46% against a 2022 baseline, reaching 1,338 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent while sales volumes increased.
• Energy intensity fell to 456 kilowatt hours per tonne of product, with 67.65% of total energy coming from renewable sources including solar, geothermal and renewable certificates.
• The company completed Scope 3 emissions screening and evaluated suppliers representing 70% of 2025 purchasing spend for responsible sourcing and environmental performance.
• An independent lifecycle study by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute found refinishing floors generates 83% to 89% lower emissions than full replacement over a 15-year period in German market conditions.
• Bona launched bio-based floor cleaners in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific to reduce fossil-derived chemical inputs.
• The company restored 17.82 hectares of land around Brazil’s Tietê River through a partnership with WeForest, supporting biodiversity and local communities.
• Bona received the 2025 Sustainability – Best Practice (Manufacturer) award from European Cleaning Journal, providing industry recognition of its environmental programme.

Practical considerations for UK businesses tracking supply chain carbon

Bona’s approach to Scope 3 emissions offers a template for UK businesses. The company started with a screening exercise to identify major emission sources. It then prioritised supplier engagement based on purchasing spend. This pragmatic method focuses resources on the areas with the greatest impact.

For UK SMEs, Scope 3 data collection often feels overwhelming. The GHG Protocol divides Scope 3 into 15 categories covering everything from purchased goods to employee commuting. Few businesses have the resources to measure all categories in detail. Starting with purchased goods and services makes sense because this category usually dominates the total. Asking suppliers for carbon intensity data or using industry average emissions factors can establish a baseline.

Public sector tenders increasingly require carbon reporting. The PPN 06/21 framework for carbon reduction plans applies to central government contracts above £5 million. Many local authorities and housing associations apply similar criteria to smaller contracts. Suppliers must show how they measure emissions and what reduction targets they have set. Businesses without this information may lose scoring points or face disqualification.

Renewable energy procurement is often the fastest way to cut Scope 2 emissions. UK businesses can switch to green tariffs, install on-site generation, or purchase renewable energy certificates. However, carbon accounting rules distinguish between location-based and market-based methods. Market-based accounting recognises contractual instruments like green tariffs. Location-based accounting uses the average grid mix. Both methods have a place in reporting, but market-based figures usually appear in corporate sustainability reports because they reflect purchasing decisions.

The lifecycle study commissioned by Bona demonstrates the value of quantified environmental claims. UK businesses that refurbish, remanufacture or extend product life can use similar studies to differentiate their offerings. The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment publishes guidance on lifecycle assessment methods. Product Environmental Footprints, a European Commission framework, provides sector-specific rules for calculating impacts. Third-party verification through bodies like the Carbon Trust or BSI adds credibility, though it involves additional cost.

Challenges in reaching net zero by 2040

Bona targets climate neutrality by 2040. This is ten years ahead of the UK’s national net zero deadline. Achieving this goal will require further reductions across all emission scopes. Scope 3 emissions are the hardest to address because they depend on supplier action, customer behaviour and product design decisions made years in advance.

Material substitution and circular economy principles will play a larger role as Bona moves toward its 2040 target. The company already focuses on product longevity and refurbishment. Extending this approach upstream into raw material sourcing and downstream into end-of-life recovery will be necessary. For UK businesses in manufacturing, these same principles apply. Designing for durability, repair and recycling reduces lifecycle emissions and can lower material costs over time.

Bona’s climate transition plan, due for adoption in 2026, will set out the pathway to neutrality. Transition plans are becoming standard practice for larger companies under frameworks like the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. They explain how a business will adapt operations, capital allocation and strategy to meet climate goals. UK businesses preparing for TCFD reporting or sustainability-linked finance will need similar plans. Our ESG compliance and carbon reporting services help businesses develop credible transition plans that satisfy stakeholder and regulatory requirements.

Where UK businesses can find sector-specific carbon data

Accurate carbon accounting requires reliable data. The UK government publishes emissions factors for energy, transport and materials through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero conversion factors database. This dataset updates annually and covers hundreds of activities from electricity consumption to business travel. It provides a consistent basis for calculating Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

For supply chain emissions, the Carbon Trust and industry bodies publish sector-specific benchmarks. These averages help businesses estimate supplier emissions when primary data is unavailable. However, average factors are less accurate than supplier-specific data. As supply chain transparency improves, more suppliers will provide product-level carbon intensity figures. UK businesses should request this information during procurement and build it into supplier evaluation criteria.

The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment offers training and resources on environmental reporting standards. IEMA’s guidance covers lifecycle assessment, carbon footprinting and environmental management systems. For businesses new to carbon accounting, professional development through bodies like IEMA or the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply builds internal capability. Training also helps businesses identify credible external advisers and avoid greenwashing risks.

Bona’s report demonstrates that mid-sized manufacturers can achieve significant emissions reductions while growing commercially. The company exceeded its interim target through energy efficiency, renewable procurement and supply chain engagement. The lifecycle study provides evidence that refurbishment offers substantial carbon savings over replacement. For UK businesses managing carbon footprints or competing in sustainability-linked markets, these findings confirm that operational changes and product positioning can both contribute to climate goals.