Sustainability

Knowing business is not just about sales, Staples leads the charge when it comes to responsible business practices.   The chain’s positive impact on society — and the planet, as a whole — has earned Staples a place on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the thirteenth year in a row. The global benchmark weighs corporate responsibility and sustainability performance among the largest 2,500 companies listed on the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index.   

Aldi’s sustainability efforts are gaining recognition.   The grocer’s sustainable distribution center and regional headquarters in Moreno Valley, Calif., have earned LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Working alongside Graycor Construction Company, Aldi improved the design and materials used in the development of both buildings.   

It’s 12,000 stores and counting for Dunkin’ Donuts.   The chain on Tuesday opened its 12,000th restaurant worldwide, in Riverside, California. The new location is part of Dunkin’s strategic westward expansion.    It plans to open more than 30 new restaurants in California this year with plans for about 300 new locations total to be developed in the state over the coming years.  

Ikea is installing the largest solar rooftop array in the state of Tennessee atop its location in Memphis.

The store’s 250,675-sq.-ft. solar array consists of a 1.46 MW system, built with 4,424 panels that will produce approximately 2,000,000 kWh of electricity annually for the store, the equivalent of reducing 1,406 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2)).

For the development, design and installation of the Memphis customized solar power system, Ikea selected Hannah Solar, an Atlanta-based full service, certified solar integrator.

North American real estate owners and developers ratcheted up their green profiles markedly this year, though they still lag global trendsetters, according to the latest results of an annual sustainability study.   In GRESB’s annual environmental assessment of real estate developers and investment trusts, North American companies averaged a score of 59 out of a possible hundred, a five-point rise from last year and just shy of the global average of 60.  

Retailers can learn how to develop a strategic process for reducing one of their major facility operating expenses — energy — at Chain Store Age’s upcoming webinar, Understanding and Controlling Energy Costs in Retail.   

A new report makes the case for taking a standardized approach to rapidly rollout of solar rooftop installations may    An analysis by the Retail Industry Leaders Association and The Solar Foundation found that Whole Foods Market’s approach to rooftop solar installations in multiple facilities could be a valuable model for other retailers to consider.  

Johnson Controls has completed its merger with Tyco.   By uniting Johnson Controls, a leading provider of building efficiency solutions with Tyco, a leading provider of fire and security solutions, the new company is positioned as a leader in products, technologies and integrated solutions for the buildings and energy sectors.