Sustainability

Dallas — The Container Store Group Inc. has launched its Employee First Fund, an employee assistance fund that will provide grants to employees experiencing unforeseen emergencies, a major medical situation, are suffering from a catastrophic event, or facing other challenges in life which they are not financially prepared to handle. The Container Store is contributing $100,000 to kick-off the fund, and after that, employees and other stakeholders have the opportunity to make donations.

Los Angeles, Calif. — CIM Group has acquired a seven-asset portfolio that includes an office tower with ground floor retail and an enclosed regional shopping mall.

Leiden, Netherlands – Ikea Group reported progress in its “People and Planet Positive” sustainability strategy during fiscal year 2013. Highlights include:

• Sold 22.4 million LED products, including 12.3 million LED bulbs.

• Ikea Group has committed to own 137 wind turbines and installed 550,000 solar panels, taking the company closer to producing more renewable energy than the total energy it uses by 2020.

Former Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., president and CEO Mike Duke is among an impressive roster of top business executives slated to participate in a Wall Street Journal executive conference called ECO:nomics — Creating Environmental Capital.

The event, scheduled for April 2-4 at the Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara, Calif., is billed as a day of no holds barred interviews in an interactive format that offers unparalleled networking.

Government regulators tend to complicate retailers’ lives more often than not, but one federal agency is winning praise from a key trade group for its common sense approach to compliance.

Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Notice of Data Availability (NODA) as part of its process to improve existing regulations that have been applied to the handling of unsold or returned consumer products at retail facilities. The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) released the following statement today in response to EPA’s notice.

The Estée Lauder Cos., whose brands include Aveda, Bumble and Bumble, American Beauty, Flirt! and M•A•C Cosmetics, has appointed Guillaume Jesel to the newly created position of SVP/general manager, Global Corporate Innovation.

Jesel will transition from his current role as SVP global and North America marketing for M•A•C Cosmetics to his new position, effective March 31. In his position, Jesel will report to Carl Haney, EVP global research and development, corporate product innovation, package development for Estée Lauder Co.

Plano, Texas – J.C. Penney Company has entered into a new partnership to develop the vacant land around its Plano, Texas, home office in the Legacy Business Park. The new partnership will be managed by Team Legacy, a venture of the Karahan Companies, Columbus Realty, and KDC.

Belmont, Calif. -- SunEdison, a solar technology manufacturer and provider of solar energy services, announced the completion of a 306 kW DC (direct current) solar system for Whole Foods Market in Brooklyn, N.Y.

SunEdison designed the system using an innovative parking canopy structure that collects rainwater while protecting customers from the elements. The two companies have worked together since 2004 and have jointly deployed 1.5 MW (megawatts) of solar projects.