Starbucks Coffee Co. is making a commitment to design, build and operate 10,000 “Greener Stores” worldwide by 2025.
The “Starbucks Greener Stores” framework is built upon comprehensive performance criteria that help ensure the company’s approach to designing, building, and operating its company-owned stores sets a new standard for green retail, according to Starbucks.
Over the next year, Starbucks plans to develop an accredited program to audit all existing company-operated stores in the United States and Canada against the framework criteria. The goal of 10,000 global “Greener Stores” encompasses existing stores, new builds, and renovations.
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The framework will be co-developed by leading experts, such as the World Wildlife Fund, and audited and verified by SCS Global Services, a third-party verification organization that also oversees Starbucks Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices.
The framework will also be open-sourced as an effort to benefit the broader retail industry, the company said.
“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, but it is also cost-effective as well. The energy and passion of our green apron partners have inspired us to find ways to operate a greener store that will generate even greater cost savings while reducing impact.”
“Starbucks Greener Stores” will have performance-based standards that incorporate design and extend throughout the life of a store and focus on:
Energy efficiency and water stewardship
Renewable energy
Healthy environment
Responsible Materials
Waste diversion
Engagement
“Willingness for Starbucks to independently verify a large-scale complex deployment of a robust, impact-driven, and an innovative multi-attribute Greener Stores program to address climate change, demonstrates leadership, integrity, and transparency, which are core values shared by SCS,” said Stanley Mathuram, vice president at SCS Global Services.
The “Starbucks Greener Stores” framework is expected to save the company an incremental $50 million in utilities over the next 10 years. The initiative was announced at The Global Climate Action Summit, held Sept. 12-14 in San Francisco.