This month, Starbucks begins its first market tests of a recyclable and compostable hot cup solution as part of the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/starbucks-and-closed-loop-to-develop-recyclable-compostable-cup-solution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">NextGen Cup Challenge</a>, which seeks to address single-use packaging waste by developing an industry-wide recyclable and compostable to-go cup solution. This is a step forward in the company’s journey to better manage its waste by ensuring more reuse and recycling.

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In 2018, Starbucks and co-founder McDonald’s, committed $10M in partnership with Closed Loop Partners to establish the NextGen Consortium and Cup Challenge. Additionally, Starbucks invested $5M in Closed Loop Partners’ Infrastructure Fund that finances recycling and circular economy infrastructure across North America. 

The NextGen Cup Challenge began with a six-month design competition that received hundreds of ideas from industry experts and cup scientists alike. From there, the Consortium then identified <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/closed-loop-partners-announces-12-winners-of-the-nextgen-cup-challenge/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="12 winning teams (opens in a new tab)">12 winning teams</a> to further work with on their potential to serve as solutions for various business models.

In March of 2019, Starbucks announced a commitment to <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/greener-cups-fewer-straws-and-tracing-your-coffees-journey-via-app/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">conduct market tests</a> with the cup technologies in select stores in five cities, including Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Vancouver and London. Starbucks then conducted months of internal research and development at their Tryer Center, putting the various cups through an array of tests for quality and performance measurements. In addition, the company evaluated manufacturing logistics, scalability, and pricing of each cup.

Nearly a year later, Starbucks has identified one of the cup solutions that is ready to introduce into the hands of partners and customers to test the overall experience in stores. The cup, being tested in select stores for a limited time, features an innovative cup liner, called BioPBS™, which makes the cup certified compostable and recyclable. Customers will not see any noticeable difference from the current cup as Starbucks aims to create a seamless customer experience with the new cup. 

The testing doesn’t end there. Starbucks is currently working with Closed Loop Partners, the Consortium and other businesses on continuing to test and validate the recyclability of the various challenge winners, including the BioPBS™ cup. We are also continuing the work with key stakeholders in the recycling industry to advocate for increasing the overall recyclability of cups and ensure they are ultimately accepted within municipalities. 

The journey to find a more sustainable cup solution is part of Starbucks aspiration to be <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/kevin-johnson-letter-sustainability/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="resource positive (opens in a new tab)">resource positive</a>, giving more than it takes from the planet. In addition to market testing, the company continues to evaluate a variety of <a href="https://www.closedlooppartners.com/the-journey-to-innovate-how-we-drink-on-the-go-2-years-into-the-nextgen-consortium/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">NextGen Cup Challenge winning concepts and cup technologies</a>, as well as plans to learn from other reusable and recyclable innovations to find the best sustainable solutions for its business, partners (employees) and customers.

This month, Starbucks begins its first market tests of a recyclable and compostable hot cup solution as part of the NextGen Cup Challenge.

Fact Sheet: Starbucks Tests a NextGen Cup Solution in Vancouver

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Starbucks Canada

https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2020/nextgen-cup-fact-sheet/

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On Tuesday, Starbucks announced “a bold, multi-decade aspiration” to cut carbon, water and waste each by 50 percent by 2030 and give back to the planet by becoming resource positive in the future.

Starbucks chief executive officer Kevin Johnson announced Tuesday a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/kevin-johnson-letter-sustainability/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">renewed focus on sustainability</a>, all with an eye toward someday “giving more than we take from the planet.”

“Our aspiration is to become resource positive — storing more carbon than we emit, eliminating waste, and providing more clean freshwater than we use,” Johnson wrote in a letter posted Tuesday.

His letter included preliminary targets for 2030 as well as the company’s commitment to be transparent in its reporting against short- and long-term goals. He also vowed to work with Starbucks partners, customers and other stakeholders on this journey. The company will spend the next year continuing to test and learn before formalizing these sustainability targets as part of the company’s 50th anniversary in 2021, he wrote.

“Our&nbsp;eyes&nbsp;are&nbsp;wide open&nbsp;knowing that&nbsp;we do not have all the answers or&nbsp;fully understand&nbsp;all&nbsp;the complexities and potential consequences,” Johnson wrote. “Now, it’s time to create an even broader aspiration –&nbsp;and it’s work that will require visionary thinking, new ways of working, investment of&nbsp;resource&nbsp;and urgent action.”

Starbucks has over 31,000 stores worldwide with 400,000 partners serving 100 million customers a week and the road ahead will require commitment and creativity from partners and customers across the globe as well as from entrepreneurs, non-profits and suppliers, he said.

Here are five important things to know about Tuesday’s announcement:

1. Starbucks wants to halve its carbon emissions, waste output and water impact in the next decade while growing the business at the same time.

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Johnson’s letter outlined three preliminary targets: By 2030, Starbucks will aim to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent, reduce waste sent to landfills from stores and manufacturing by 50 percent driven by a broader shift toward a circular economy, and will also conserve or replenish 50 percent of the water currently being used for direct operations and coffee production.

2. There’s a new way to track progress.

Starbucks has long used science-based research to assess our progress. Now, the company has also released a comprehensive environmental footprint of carbon emissions, water use and waste in Starbucks global operations and supply chain. Created in partnership from Quantis and World Wildlife Fund, it will serve as a baseline for measuring future progress. “As we move forward, we will be transparent in reporting short- and long-term progress against our goals,” Johnson wrote.

3. From more plant-based food and beverages to reusables, Starbucks is looking far and wide for opportunities to transform.&nbsp;

Starbucks identified key areas in which it can make big impacts by 2030, including expanding plant-based and environmentally friendly menu options; shifting from single-use to reusable packaging; investing in innovative agricultural, water conservation and reforestation practices; looking for ways to better manage waste (including food waste) in stores and in communities; and developing more eco-friendly operations, from stores to supply chain to manufacturing. 

4. Yesterday’s groundwork = a head start.

<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Over the years (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-sustainability-timeline/" target="_blank">Over the years</a>, the company has partnered with other organizations and invested in ways to bring sustainable practices to scale, including the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/20-million-people-fed-through-starbucks-foodshare-program/" target="_blank">Starbucks FoodShare</a> program, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/closed-loop-partners-announces-12-winners-of-the-nextgen-cup-challenge/" target="_blank">NextGen Cup Challenge</a>, becoming a leader in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/environment/leed-certified-stores" target="_blank">L.E.E.D.&nbsp;(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)</a> stores, investments in renewable energy and a goal to eliminate plastic straws by the end of 2020. It has also spent two decades, in partnership with <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.conservation.org/" target="_blank">Conservation International</a>, to achieve the milestone of sourcing 99% of coffee ethically through&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/farmer-support/farmer-loan-programs" target="_blank">C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity)&nbsp;practices</a>. Research shows that implementing C.A.F.E. practices over the years has more than halved what the company’s carbon footprint would have otherwise been. “This pledge to become ‘resource positive’ is bold and necessary – exactly what I’ve come to expect from Starbucks,” said Dr. M. Sanjayan, chief executive officer of Conservation International. “For more than two decades, Conservation International has partnered with Starbucks to source coffee in ways that are good for the people and the planet. We succeeded – today, 99 percent of Starbucks is ethically sourced – but we have not rested. Now we are working to bring the entire coffee sector along to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural product. This is what it will take to meet today’s challenges: bold vision paired with action that does not rest.”

5. A greener green apron.

Starbucks partners are mobilizing for change in increasing numbers. More than 18,000 partners have enrolled in an online “Greener Apron” course on sustainability and environmental stewardship in the last two years, and the number continues to grow. Lisa Ference, a store manager in Conway, Ark., is among those. Her “aha moment” came a few years ago when an oil spill near her home devastated a local lake, and ever since she’s felt strongly about getting involved and speaking up for wildlife and the environment. She was thrilled by Tuesday’s news from Starbucks. “I feel certain that over the next decade we will become the model for other companies seeking to become resource-positive as this is, in my opinion, also the pathway to sustaining our business in the long term,” she said. “There are so many reasons to be grateful for this company, but the most important is that our mission and values are a reflection of my own. Sustainability is a flagship issue in my personal journey, one that I feel incredibly passionate about, and it’s a privilege to work for an organization that doesn’t wait to be summoned to act. We do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

The announcement is an important moment for Starbucks, said Sheila Bonini, senior vice president leading private sector engagement for <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">World Wildlife Fund</a>, the world’s leading conservation organization. Bonini said a lot of companies make environmental commitments, but what excites her most are the moments down the road when those companies get to celebrate each step toward meeting those goals.

“I’m impressed with Starbucks leadership – with their ambitious strategy to tackle sustainability as well as their humility and willingness to look at all parts of the business to try to achieve it,” Bonini said. “We are already starting to see some catastrophic effects of climate change. It’s clear our level of consumption and production today is more than the planet can take. We all need to address it. We need to address it yesterday.”

She believes it’s important for companies to not only make it easier for people to act sustainably, but to help them understand why it’s important. 

“People want to be green, but we have to help them get there,” she said. “We’re all partners in this.”

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Learn more about our sustainability initiatives:

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Starbucks Sustainability Commitment Greener Stores

On Tuesday, Starbucks announced “a bold, multi-decade aspiration” to cut carbon, water and waste each by 50 percent by 2030.

5 Things to Know About Starbucks New Environmental Sustainability Commitment

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https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2020/5-things-to-know-starbucks-sustainability-commitment/

Sustainability has been at our core since the beginning, back when Starbucks began in 1971.&nbsp; Over the years, with the help of our partners, customers, industry experts and advocates, we’ve looked for ways to help protect our planet, including introducing a cup sleeve made from recycled content, ethically sourcing 99 percent of our coffee, co-developing the LEED for Retail program, investments in renewable energy, championing the creation of a recyclable and compostable paper to-go cup and more. We recently announced a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/kevin-johnson-letter-sustainability/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="new sustainability commitment (opens in a new tab)">new sustainability commitment</a> to be resource positive, including preliminary goals of reducing carbon, water and waste 50 percent by 2030.

To learn more, read on for an at-a-glance look at Starbucks sustainability milestones: 

Opens its first store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, selling whole bean coffee, tea and spices.

Begins its first test of a coffeehouse concept, serving to-go beverages in paper cups.

Unveils Starbucks Mission Statement: “To establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles as we grow.”

Establishes environmental mission statement, committing to “a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business.”

Rolls out <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/starbucks-coffee-grounds-for-the-garden/" target="_blank">Grounds for Your Garden</a> program in U.S. and Canada.

Establishes a relationship with the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund to explore ways to reduce the environmental impact of its cups.

Introduced soymilk, Starbucks first non-dairy milk alternative.

Develops a cup sleeve made from recycled content to help eliminate the practice of double-cupping.

Establishes The Starbucks Foundation, whose mission is to strengthen communities around the world by creating opportunities for populations that face barriers, advancing sustainability initiatives, and promoting civic engagement.

Forms partnership with Conservation International to create Starbucks first ethical sourcing program. 

Issues its first <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/global-report" target="_blank">Corporate Social Responsibility Report</a>.

Introduces ethical coffee-sourcing guidelines developed in partnership with Conservation International.

Partners with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to develop the LEED for Retail program.

Launches C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices with Conservation International, with SCS Global Services overseeing the verification system of suppliers. 

Opens first Farmer Support Center opened in Costa Rica. Since then, eight other centers have opened around the world to support coffee farmers with climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Publicly reports its first inventory of greenhouse gas emissions.

Makes its first renewable energy purchase, equivalent to 5 percent of U.S. stores electricity consumption. 

Designs and builds its first LEED certified store in Hillsboro, Ore.

Quadruples renewable energy purchases to equal 20 percent and begins buying renewable energy certificates (RECs) in partnership with World Resources Institute’s Green Power Market Development Group. Designated as one of the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/2006awards.pdf" target="_blank">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partner of the Year</a>.

Launches the retail industry’s first hot beverage paper cup with 10 percent post-consumer recycled fiber (PCF).

Announces 2015 “Shared Planet” commitments, including: ethically source 100 percent of its coffee; develop a recyclable cup and increase cup reusability; implement front-of-house recycling and reduce energy consumption in stores; build LEED certified company-operated stores and cover 100 percent of U.S. store operations with renewable energy. Implements global LED lighting conversion program. 

Commits $20 million to a variety of farmer loan funds, providing coffee farmers access to capital to cover expenses during the growing and harvesting cycles and make strategic investments in their farms. 

Partners with Conservation International to launch climate change campaign and five-year global commitment to support farming communities and encourage the protection of their land, water and forests.

Introduces a new polypropylene plastic cup that uses 15 percent less plastic than previous cups and emits 45 percent less greenhouse gas during production.

Hosts first Cup Summit in Seattle, inviting local governments, cup manufacturers, recyclers and stakeholders to find a comprehensive recyclable cup solution.

Opens Farmer Support Center in Kigali, Rwanda.

Unveils new, locally relevant design strategy to reduce environmental impact and incorporate reused and recycled elements. Starbucks becomes one of the first retailers to join USGBC’s LEED Volume Certification pilot program.

<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2009/starbucks-opens-leed-certified-coffee-roasting-plant/" target="_blank">Opens LEED-certified roasting plant</a> in Sandy Run, S.C.

Hosts second Cup Summit in Boston and announces Paper Recovery Alliance with the Foodservice Packaging Institute.

Opens Farmer Support Center in Mbeya, Tanzania.

Rolls out <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/earthsleeve-global-rollout/" target="_blank">cup sleeves</a> made from less paper and more post-consumer content, saving nearly 100,000 trees each year.

Starbucks Mexico opened its <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/store-design/chalpultepec-reforma" target="_blank">first LEED® certified store</a> and achieved the Silver Certification level, making it the first LEED® Silver store in Latin America.

Committed to helping coffee growers and workers who represent Starbucks collective supply chain, Starbucks opens <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2018/starbucks-farmer-support-centers/" target="_blank">its second Farmer Support Center</a> in Latin American and the Caribbean region in Manizales, Colombia.

Opens its first <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2013/innovative-new-drive-thrus/" target="_blank">store made from reclaimed end-of-life shipping containers</a>. Starbucks would go on to open more than 45 of these modular stores in the United States, and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2018/starbucks-opens-first-container-store-in-taiwan/" target="_blank">more around the world</a>.

Opens Farmer Support Centers in Manizales, Colombia and Yunnan, China.

Purchases Hacienda Alsacia, its first 240-hectare coffee farm in Costa Rica, to serve as a global agronomy Research and Development facility and working farm. 

Offers a $1 reusable cup in the U.S. and Canada, and a £1 cup in the United Kingdom to help reduce cup waste.

Starbucks Japan offers environmentally friendly napkins made from 70 percent post-consumer recycled milk-carton fiber and 30 percent FSC® certified paper. 

Opens 500th LEED® certified store, more than any other retailer in the world.

<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://news.starbucks.com/news/recycling-in-one-of-the-worlds-largest-coffee-roasting-plants" target="_blank">York Roasting Plant</a> achieves 100 percent zero waste certification.

Is a founding partner with Conservation International and other industry leaders to launch the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/making-coffee-the-worlds-first-sustainably-sourced-agriculture-product/" target="_blank">Sustainable Coffee Challenge</a>, an effort to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural product.

Launches <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/one-bag-for-every-tree-10-million-trees-milestone/" target="_blank">One Tree for Every Bag</a> program, which provides more than 25 million rust-resistant coffee trees to farmers whose farms are affected by coffee rust.

Purchases enough renewable energy to power 100% of its company-operated stores in the U.S., Canada and UK.

Reaches <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/starbucks-ethical-sourcing-program/">99 percent ethically-sourced</a> coffee milestone with Conservation International.

Achieves its 25 percent water reduction target through global water conservation measures.

Announces additional commitment of $30 million as part of its <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/starbucks-more-than-doubles-global-farmer-loan-commitment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Global Farmer Fund</a> program, which supports coffee farmers in improving the infrastructure on their farms and replacing older coffee trees with new ones.

Introduces coconutmilk, a non-dairy milk alternative.

Completes global rollout of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/earthsleeve-global-rollout/" target="_blank">new cup sleeves</a>, which are made from less paper and more post-consumer fiber.

Introduces almondmilk, a non-dairy milk alternative.

Issues its first Sustainability Bond in the United States.

Reaches milestone of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-opens-1000th-leed-certified-store" target="_blank">1,000 LEED certified stores</a> in 20 countries, including the historic Starbucks Roastery in Seattle.

Opens its third Farmers Support Center in Latin America, in Chiapas, Mexico, to offer technical support to coffee producers.

Partners with Feeding America to launch its <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/starbucks-food-donation-program/" target="_blank">FoodShare food donation program</a> with a goal to rescue 100 percent of food available to donate from U.S. stores by the end of 2020.

Launches <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/starbucks-partners-for-sustainability/" target="_blank">Greener Apron program</a> for partners to become certified in environmental sustainability.

Announces commitment to provide <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2017/starbucks-100million-coffee-trees/" target="_blank">100 million climate-resilient coffee trees</a> to farmers by 2025.

Launches “Alimento para Compartir” in Mexico, a program that seeks to contribute to fight food insecurity in Mexico City and six other states.

Issues its second Sustainability Bond, this time in Japan.

<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2017/starbucks-uk-to-tackle-food-waste-with-charity-partner-action-against-hunge/" target="_blank">Expands food waste initiatives across EMEA</a>.

Eliminates straws in all Starbucks stores in Korea through strawless lids and paper straw alternatives.

Achieves 98 percent recycling of coffee grounds in Korea.

<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2018/starbucks-rolls-out-5p-paper-cup-charge-to-all-stores-across-britain/" target="_blank">Rolls out 5p Paper Cup Charge</a> in Starbucks stores in the UK

Achieves 100 percent zero waste certification at the Starbucks roasting plant in Carson Valley, Nev.

Opens Hacienda Alsacia Visitor Center to welcome visitors from around the world to experience Starbucks Hacienda Alsacia coffee farm, a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/starbucks-farm-research-and-innovation/" target="_blank">hub for coffee research and innovation</a>.

Invests in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/solar-and-wind-power-fuel-starbucks-store/" target="_blank">North Carolina solar farm</a> to power 600 Starbucks stores in North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., as well solar farms in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/starbucks-and-cypress-creek-solar-farms-team-up-to-power-360-stores-in-texas/" target="_blank">Texas</a>, providing enough energy for the equivalent of 360 Starbucks stores across the state.

Sustainability has been at our core since the beginning, back when Starbucks began in 1971. Read on to learn about Starbucks sustainability milestones.

Starbucks Sustainability Timeline

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https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2020/starbucks-sustainability-timeline/

A letter to our Starbucks partners, customers and all stakeholders:

At Starbucks, we live our mission of inspiring and nurturing the human spirit every day through the convening power of coffee.&nbsp;As ceo, I am joined by a leadership team privileged to steward&nbsp;our company into the future, staying true to this enduring&nbsp;mission, sharing success with our partners and leading with environmental consciousness.&nbsp;As we approach the 50th anniversary of&nbsp;Starbucks in 2021, we&nbsp;look ahead with a heightened sense of urgency and&nbsp;conviction&nbsp;that we must challenge ourselves, think bigger and do much more in partnership with others to take care of the planet we share.&nbsp;Today,&nbsp;I’m excited to be able to share with you&nbsp;our commitment&nbsp;to pursue&nbsp;a bold, multi-decade aspiration to become resource positive and give more than we take from the planet. This is an aspiration that we take on recognizing it will come with challenges and will require transformational change. Like most things that are worthwhile, this will not be easy. It will require all of us to play a role, and so we invite you to join us.

As many of you know, sustainability has been at&nbsp;Starbucks&nbsp;core since the beginning&nbsp;and consistent with our belief that we can build a great business that scales for good.&nbsp; And for many of us, its personal. Every day,&nbsp;our partners bring a sense of community and connection to our customers around the world.&nbsp;And every day, partners and customers take pride in our ethical and sustainable sourcing standards for coffee and our longtime support for coffee communities. 

We know that leadership in sustainability takes&nbsp;commitment, investment, innovation, partnership and, yes, time.&nbsp; It took nearly two decades of dedicated effort in partnership with Conservation International to achieve the milestone of sourcing 99 percent of our coffee ethically through&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/farmer-support/farmer-loan-programs" target="_blank">C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity)&nbsp;practices</a>. Our environmental footprint research shows that by implementing these standards,&nbsp;we have more than halved what our coffee’s carbon footprint would have been otherwise.

Becoming a leader in <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/environment/leed-certified-stores" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">L.E.E.D.&nbsp;(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)</a> stores took partnering with experts at the U.S.&nbsp;Green Building&nbsp;Council&nbsp;and a commitment&nbsp;to bring sustainable practices to scale.&nbsp;

Along the way, we have shared&nbsp;with&nbsp;the world&nbsp;what we&nbsp;have&nbsp;learned&nbsp;through open-source agronomy,&nbsp;farmer support centers&nbsp;and&nbsp;industry consortiums.&nbsp;Since 2001,&nbsp;we’ve published an annual&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/2018-starbucks-global-social-impact-report/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Global Social Impact Report</a>&nbsp;– one of the longest-running and most transparent reporting commitments of any public company. These annual reports not only highlight our progress but also reinforce our accountability for goals and aspirations which evolve with new information, innovation, and&nbsp;important lessons&nbsp;when we fall short. For example, we established reusability and recycling goals in 2008 that&nbsp;were&nbsp;unprecedented for our industry&nbsp;but also largely dependent on radical changes in customer behavior. What we learned was that, absent the same rigorous analysis, partnerships and investments that made us leaders in sustainable coffee and green building, our results underperformed our high expectations and underscored the need for a different approach.

Today,&nbsp;more than ever, the world needs leadership in environmental sustainability.&nbsp;We agree with the consensus of scientific experts who note that without drastic action from everyone – governments, companies and all of us as individuals – adapting to the impact of climate change in the future will be far more difficult and costly, taking a toll on our supply chains, our business, and more importantly, the lives of everyone involved, including coffee farmers, our suppliers, Starbucks partners, customers and every community we serve.&nbsp;

Now, it’s time to create a new, bold, broad aspiration –&nbsp;and it’s work that will require visionary thinking, new ways of working, investment of&nbsp;resource&nbsp;and urgent action. In that sense, I see today as a milestone for our business as we declare our concern about our planet’s future and commit to do more. 

Our&nbsp;aspiration&nbsp;is to become resource positive – storing more carbon than we emit, eliminating waste, and providing&nbsp;more clean freshwater than we use.&nbsp;This aspiration is grounded in Starbucks mission. By embracing&nbsp;a longer-term economic, equitable and&nbsp;planetary&nbsp;value proposition for&nbsp;our company,&nbsp;we&nbsp;will create greater value&nbsp;for all stakeholders.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Recently,&nbsp;we worked&nbsp;with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Quantis to quantify the carbon, waste and water footprint of our operations and supply chain across the globe. This was the first time we had conducted that footprint assessment&nbsp;for all three of those areas,&nbsp;globally.

These benchmarks&nbsp;provided&nbsp;a&nbsp;clear&nbsp;starting point, which&nbsp;led us to define&nbsp;five&nbsp;environmental strategies that will begin to move us&nbsp;toward a resource-positive future:

While&nbsp;we’re&nbsp;confident these strategies&nbsp;are&nbsp;directionally&nbsp;right, our&nbsp;eyes&nbsp;are&nbsp;wide open&nbsp;knowing that&nbsp;we do not have all the answers or&nbsp;fully understand&nbsp;all&nbsp;the complexities and potential consequences.&nbsp;We&nbsp;do&nbsp;know&nbsp;that this journey will require&nbsp;new innovations and&nbsp;creative&nbsp;ideas from entrepreneurs, non-profits, our suppliers, our licensees, our partners and our customers.&nbsp;We will&nbsp;also&nbsp;be working in concert with&nbsp;widely&nbsp;accepted Science-Based Target initiative to help track our progress in conjunction with other companies.

As we&nbsp;move forward,&nbsp;we will be transparent in&nbsp;reporting&nbsp;short- and long-term&nbsp;progress against our&nbsp;goals.&nbsp;We’re starting by&nbsp;setting&nbsp;three&nbsp;preliminary targets&nbsp;for 2030 that will be the focus of our research and operational plans over this next year:

On Starbucks 50th&nbsp;anniversary in 2021, we will formalize our 2030 environmental goals based on what we have learned&nbsp;between now and then. Specifically, this year we will conduct comprehensive market research and trials to better understand consumer behavior and incentives to encourage consumer use of reusable containers. Working in collaboration with experts and advocates, this research will help inform aspirational and attainable reusability goals in various markets and globally by next year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For all of us as stakeholders, I want to reemphasize that the journey we undertake is not only the right one for Starbucks&nbsp;responsibility as a corporate citizen of the world&nbsp;but&nbsp;is&nbsp;also&nbsp;fundamental to our brand relevance and, therefore, our overall business results.&nbsp;As such,&nbsp;we&nbsp;remain committed to our long-term, double-digit EPS growth model and&nbsp;will continue to&nbsp;deliver targeted financial results by&nbsp;prioritizing the right investments across our partners, customers and planet in support of our “Growth at Scale” agenda.

Today is a milestone&nbsp;for our business as we declare our concern for our planet’s future and commit to do more.&nbsp;I invite you to join us.

Kevin Johnson ceo,&nbsp;Starbucks&nbsp;Coffee Company

Learn more about our sustainability initiatives:

An aerial shot of the Starbucks logo made of greenery

Starbucks ceo Kevin Johnson announced Tuesday a renewed focus on sustainability, all with an eye toward someday “giving more than we take from the planet.”

Starbucks Commits to a Resource-Positive Future, Giving More Than It Takes from the Planet

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https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2020/kevin-johnson-letter-sustainability/

Today in a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/kevin-johnson-letter-sustainability/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="public letter (opens in a new tab)">public letter</a> citing the company’s enduring mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit, Starbucks chief executive officer Kevin Johnson announced a multi-decade commitment to be a resource-positive company, aspiring to give more than it takes from the planet.

The announcement included science-based preliminary targets for the reduction of carbon emissions, water use and waste by 2030, and outlined five strategies the company has identified to move toward them.

Starbucks is committed to becoming resource positive. Here's a look at our 2030 preliminary targets.

Starbucks Sustainability Commitment Infographic

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Infographic: Starbucks Sustainability Commitment

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