Inspiring Positive Change: Starbucks Sets Planet-Friendly Targets

WHEN they’re not providing coffee lovers with artfully-crafted drinks, Starbucks is working to become more environmentally friendly! Since 2015, Starbucks has taken great strides to improve the sustainability behind their business processes - and they’ve been completely transparent about how they plan to continue making positive changes.

In a public letter explaining the Starbucks’ mission to inspire positive change, chief executive officer Kevin Johnson announced a “multi-decade commitment to be a resourcepositive company.” Through sustainable and climate-friendly initiatives like targets for reducing carbon emissions and waste, Starbucks aspires to give more than it takes from the planet.

Starbucks has already taken strides to make its processes more environmentally friendly and ethical. In partnership with Conservation International, they achieved the milestone of sourcing 99 percent of their coffee through C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) practices. By implementing those standards, they effectively halved their carbon footprint!

Starbucks is also part of the L.E.E.D. program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), partnering with experts at the U.S. Green Building Council to bring sustainable practices to life in their stores. As well, Starbucks has been publishing its Global Social Impact Reports since 2001, “one of the longest-running and most transparent reporting commitments of any public company.” These public reports show that Starbucks is committed to upholding their promises, and allows the public to hold them accountable as well.

The letter also outlined five major ways that Starbucks plans to achieve its climatefriendly goals.

Starbucks plans to expand its plant-based menu options, migrating toward an environmentally friendly menu. They also plan to shift to reusable packaging, removing single-use plastic from their stores.

Starbucks also intends to invest in innovative and regenerative agricultural practices, including reforestation, forest conservation,

and water replenishment. As well, their investments will go towards finding better ways to manage waste and ensure more recycling to eliminate food waste - making stores more eco-friendly, to boot.

In his letter, Johnson also detailed the preliminary targets that Starbucks has set for 2030;

A 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions in direct operations and supply chain.

50 percent of water withdrawal for direct operations and coffee production will be conserved or replenished with a focus on communities and basins with high water risk. A 50 percent reduction in waste sent to landfill from stores and manufacturing, driven by a broader shift towards a circular economy.

A 50 percent reduction in wastesent to landfill from stores andmanufacturing, driven by a broadershift towards a circular economy.

STARBUCKS FOODSHARE

For years, Starbucks has successfully donated pastries - but fresh food poses a bigger challenge. By investing in research and quality assurance testing, Starbucks launched the FoodShare program in 2016, in partnership with Feeding America. The goal is to donate healthy, nourishing, and readyto-eat meals to the 1 in 8 Americans who struggle with hunger and food insecurity. Dedicated drivers are sent to each store to collect food that is ready for donation, providing nutritious meals for those in need, and minimizing food waste.

In 2019, the Starbucks FoodShare program expanded to Canada, partnering with Second Harvest. Over 1,100 Starbucks locations in Canada are now committing to send 100 percent of the food available for donation to those in need. To date, Starbucks has donated more than 25 million nourishing meals to those in need across the U.S. and Canada.

“A lot of people don’t realize that hunger is an issue in our country every day,” said Matt Knott, president of Feeding America. “One in six children in our school classrooms may not have enough to eat. It’s a hidden issue for many.”