Last week, Kohl’s Department Stores released its first annual corporate sustainability report.
The report, available at www.kohlsgreenscene.com, includes updates on the company’s primary environmental strategies: (more…)
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation has stepped up its efforts toward environmental sustainability.
Last month, the company announced several new company-wide sustainability commitments –all of which underscore how Target has incorporated “going green” into its overall business strategy.
More specifically, Target says it plans to: (more…)
In an effort to enable retailers to better integrate sustainability into their real estate footprint, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) has released a new retail specific rating system for LEED building certification.
The LEED for Retail rating system was modeled after the long-established LEED for New Construction and LEED for Commercial Interiors rating systems; however, the new retail system includes key considerations for retail space, such as occupancy, waste streams, energy consumption and water use.
Developed with the support of nearly 100 pilot participants, including RILA members’ Delhaize America, Best Buy, Target, Staples and REI, LEED for Retail underscores the retail industry’s commitment to sustainability initiatives. More than 650 retail projects have already achieved LEED certification. Perhaps more importantly, more than 4,000 additional retail projects have been registered and are working towards LEED certification. (more…)
Staples wants to drive sustainability innovation in product manufacturing, packaging and distribution –and the company has challenged its key suppliers with a competition designed to spur action towards these goals.
Staples’ new “Race to the Top” sustainability challenge calls on suppliers to compete not only in terms of product quality, cost and features, but also in finding eco-friendly solutions for product manufacturing, packaging, and distribution. The company says that ultimately, the strategy aims to increase environmental, economic and social sustainability and remove waste and inefficiency of all types.
Similar to initiatives already in use at P&G and Walmart, Staples’ Race to the Top strategy includes collaboratively developing sustainability scorecards for products and packaging. These scorecards, which will specifically track design innovations and environmental attributes, are designed to drive more accountability throughout the supply chain. According to Staples, the supplier scorecard designations will increasingly be scientifically-based and focused on the sustainability attributes that matter most for particular types of products. (more…)
Last week, Kohl’s Department Stores announced that over the past four years, the company has improved its energy efficiency by more than 20 percent –and saved nearly $50 million in electricity costs.
Kohl’s says 500 of its stores have now earned the Energy Star label from the US Environmental Protection Agency and US Department of Energy and that beginning in spring 2011, all newly constructed stores will pursue Designed to Earn the Energy Star designation, which is awarded for building designs with an estimated energy performance that meets Energy Star criteria.
The company has pursued a wide range of energy efficiency initiatives, including: (more…)
