Sustainability

New York -- Tiffany & Co. today released its annual Corporate Responsibility Report, which affirms what the retailer says are efforts to positively improve the entire jewelry supply chain. This includes promoting responsible mining standards and increasing awareness about critical issues affecting the industry, such as the environmental concerns surrounding the development of the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska.

New York -- Swedish retailer Ikea has bought a wind farm in Ireland to power its furniture stores in Dublin and Belfast, according to a report by the Belfast Telegraph.

The Irish facility’s four turbines are expected to generate 25,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity and bring the total number of Ikea-owned windmills to more than 100 in the U.K., Germany, France, Poland, Denmark and Sweden.

Ikea uses sustainability to drive innovation and shape investments. The company’s latest investment involves a 7.65 megawatt Carrickeeny wind farm, which it plans to purchase from global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power. 

Mainstream has started construction on the project, which is located in Leitrim in the northwest of Ireland and is expected to be operational in early 2014. As part of the deal, Mainstream will operate and maintain the wind farm on behalf of Ikea for its 20-year lifespan.

Spokane, Wash. -- Ecova, a total energy and sustainability management company, has been selected by specialty retailers Shoe Carnival and Five Below to provide utility expense and data management services. Ecova will assist the chains in monitoring, understanding and reducing energy across their portfolios.

A spectacular mixed-use development will soon break ground in Gainesville, Fla. — at the intersection of I-75 and Archer Road. When complete, Celebration Pointe will run more than a half-mile along I-75, the heart of Gainesville’s most successful retail corridor.

The project’s specs are awesome: 125 acres, 1 million sq. ft., 300,000 sq. ft. of upper-moderate and specialty retail, a huge restaurant and entertainment component, Class A office space, nearly 1,000 multifamily residential units, a branded hotel.

CHICAGO — The Quaker Oats Center of Excellence has established a scientific advisory board and an online hub for resources and oat research. Developed in 2012 by the Quaker Oats Company, the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence explores the relevance and benefits of oats through science, agricultural sustainability and innovation.

Newly appointed advisory board members were selected due to their extensive experience within their fields and will be called upon to share knowledge, information and insights based on their areas of expertise:

By Adam Siegel, VP sustainability and retail operations, Retail Industry Leaders Association [email protected]

By Colleen A. Conry, Jane D. Goldstein, Natalie Logan and Alicia Suarez

On April 24, 2013, 1,127 people were killed when Rana Plaza, a garment manufacturing complex in Savar, Bangladesh, collapsed. This tragedy highlights the working conditions that may exist in Bangladesh and other countries. It also draws attention to the challenges faced by U.S. companies that want to conduct their business in an ethical and socially responsible way, particularly when operating through third-party suppliers in foreign countries.