Kohl's releases first Corporate Sustainability Report
25 May '11
4 min read
Kohl's Department Stores released the company's first annual corporate sustainability report. As Kohl's continues to implement strategies that deliver on its mission of being a leading environmentally responsible retailer, this report outlines key strategies, important benchmarks and encourages ongoing progress and innovation across the company's sustainability initiatives.
"Kohl's associates and suppliers have long made sustainability - particularly energy efficiency and waste reduction - part of their business practices," said Ken Bonning, Kohl's executive vice president of store planning and logistics. "Over the last several years, in the midst of the company's continued growth, we've worked to formalize these initiatives and set goals that will truly have a positive, long-term impact for our business and our communities. We know that sustainability is an ongoing, comprehensive process that requires commitment from associates and business partners, and this report is one of the ways we can share what we're doing and where we're going."
Kohl's corporate sustainability report provides updates based on 2010 goals surrounding the company's five primary environmental strategies: energy efficiency, waste reduction, green building design and operation, emission reduction and stakeholder engagement. Highlights include:
Energy Efficiency: As of December2010, nearly 600 Kohl's stores earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) ENERGY STAR label - more than 50 percent of the company's stores - and 100 were solar powered. Energy use at all locations is closely monitored as Kohl's continually seeks opportunities to make its stores, distribution centers and offices more energy efficient.
Waste Reduction: In 2010, Kohl's recycled 77 percent of all waste generated, including cardboard and paper, plastics, wood, construction materials, metal and more. The company also works with suppliers and associates to reduce the amount of packaging used and increase the units shipped per carton, removing millions of cartons from the supply chain.
Green Building Design and Operation: By the end of 2010, 72 Kohl's stores and the company's Milwaukee, Wis.-based photo studio earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. To date, Kohl's has more than 140 LEED-certified locations including new buildings, existing buildings and tenant spaces. Since 2008, all newly constructed stores have been built according to a prototype that received LEED initial certification at the Silver level from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Emission Reduction - Net Zero: In December 2009, Kohl's announced a goal to reach and maintain net zero greenhouse gas emissions from 2010 to 2012. This goal was met in 2010 through programs that range from energy management to an industry leading green power purchase initiative. Kohl's currently ranks first in retail and second overall on EPA's quarterly rankings of top green power purchasers with more than 1.4 billion kWh purchased in the areas of wind, solar, biomass and small hydro - enough to green 100 percent of Kohl's purchased electricity use. Kohl's ranks 12th on EPA's quarterly rankings for on-site generation through its solar program, accounting for 15,689,000 kWh annually.
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