Target Reduces GHG Emissions by 5 Percent Over 2007 Levels

June 21, 2012

Target has decreased its greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent since 2007 measured on a square foot, and 3 percent measured per million dollars of retail sales, according to the retailer’s recently released sustainability report.

Target logo These declines place the company squarely on track to meet its 10 percent greenhouse gas reduction goal on a square foot basis and a 20 percent reduction against sales by 2015.

In 2010, the company reported that it produced .0112 tons of CO2 equivalent per square foot and 46.75 tons of CO2 equivalent per million dollars of retail sales.

The company’s sustainability report outlines progress against existing goals and also introduces four new goals, which were added to address changing needs in the areas of education, environment and team member well-being.

“When Target launched its corporate responsibility goals in 2011, we reinforced our longstanding commitment to creating a brighter future for our team members, our communities, and the world we live in,” said Tim Baer, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. “Target’s corporate responsibility goals foster greater transparency and accountability on initiatives that help put more U.S. children on the path to graduation, reduce our impact on the environment, and help Target team members and their families live healthy, balanced lives.”

The retailer slightly reduced its water use by 0.3 percent per square foot in 2011 from a 2009 baseline, using 3.45 billion gallons of water. “Although our absolute water use exceeded our baseline, we also increased our total square footage, resulting in a decrease in water use per square foot. Our progress needs improvement to reach our goal of reducing our water use by 10 percent per square foot by fiscal 2015,” the company wrote. “We’re exploring water-saving opportunities in 2012 by installing water sub-meters in pilot stores and focusing on heavy water-use locations.”

Other 2011 wins include:

Earning the Energy Star- label at 21 percent of it buildings, up 13 percent from 2009. In 2011, 168 U.S. Target buildings earned the Energy Star, bringing the total to 386 buildings. “We need improvement to reach our goal to certify 75 percent of our U.S. buildings by fiscal 2015. In 2012, we’ll expand our strategy to include sites that require additional certification steps.”
Improved inbound transportation efficiency by 29 percent and outbound efficiency by 22 percent in 2011, exceeding its five-year goal to achieve 15 percent and 20 percent improvements, respectively. “We consider our progress on track, rather than achieved, because we anticipate that broader company initiatives will offset these gains in 2012. New small-format CityTarget stores and stores remodeled with expanded food formats will demand more frequent deliveries on smaller trucks.”

A Miss and New Goals
In 2011, Target actually increased its waste to landfill by 1 percent, bringing its total to 33 percent, which makes its 15 percent waste reduction goal by 2015 harder to reach, although the retailer claims it is still on track. “We attribute the increase in certain categories of waste to changing regulatory requirements,” the company wrote. “In 2012, our ongoing in-store recycling program and new operational recycling programs will help to offset this increase.”

The new goals include:

Increasing sustainable seafood selection: As announced in 2011, Target commits to ensuring its fresh and frozen seafood offerings are 100 percent sustainable and traceable by the end of fiscal year 2015;
Improving owned-brand packaging sustainability: Enhance at least 50 owned-brand packaging designs to be more sustainable by the end of fiscal year 2016;
Increasing Diabetes HbA1c Testing Compliance: Increase the percentage of team members and their families enrolled in a Target health plan completing diabetes HbA1c testing to 87 percent by the end of fiscal year 2015;
Increasingreading proficiency: Establish a baseline that will inform a specific 2013 reading-proficiency outcome goal. The baseline will be influenced by completing an additional 32 Target School Library Makeovers at in-need schools, providing $1.5 million in grants to more than 100 Target School Library Makeover alumni schools to increase reading achievement, and Implementing innovative literacy pilots in two additional school districts.

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Keywords: carbon emissions, sustainable packaging, waste reduction

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