What will a ‘new standard for green retail’ mean for Starbucks’ results?
Photo: Starbucks
Starbucks announced plans to have 10,000 “Greener Stores” — all powered by 100 percent renewable energy — by 2025.
Announced last week at The Global Climate Action Summit, Starbucks, working with SCS Global Services and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), will develop an accredited program for designing, building and operating stores to set a “new standard for green retail.”
Stores in North America will be audited against the criteria, culminating in 10,000 “Greener Stores” by 2025. Building on the chain’s past efforts around LEED certification program, the framework will be open-sourced to support other retailers’ efforts.
The Starbucks Greener Stores framework will focus on:
- Energy efficiency & water stewardship: Delivering 30 percent water savings and 25 percent energy savings over historic store design practices.
- Renewable energy: Powering stores by 100 percent renewable energy through investments in solar and wind projects.
- Healthy environment: Creating environments that promote wellness for associates and customers by addressing elements such as lighting, noise, air quality and temperature.
- Responsible materials: Ensuring materials and products for stores are responsibly and sustainably sourced.
- Waste diversion: Designing and operating stores to reduce waste.
- Engagement: Inspiring a culture of sustainability by empowering employees to be informed, take action and engage in sustainability issues and practices.
Starbucks expects the program to reduce utility costs by an incremental $50 million over the next 10 years.
“Simply put, sustainable coffee, served sustainably is our aspiration,” said Kevin Johnson, president and CEO of Starbucks. “We know that designing and building green stores is not only responsible, it is cost effective as well.”
Stores over the years have been aggressively replacing outdated lighting and refrigeration systems and taking other steps to reap significant costs savings at the store-level.
Starbucks is not along in making their sustainability efforts known. In April, Apple reached a milestone of having all its global facilities, including stores, powered by renewable energy. Said Apple CEO Tim Cook at the time, “We’re committed to leaving the world better than we found it.”