Petco earns EPA Energy Star Leader recognition

San Diego -- Petco said Tuesday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the pet specialty retailer as an Energy Star Leader for reducing energy consumption by more than 10% across its building portfolio.



The company's efforts have prevented more than 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from entering the atmosphere.



"At Petco, we're committed to making a better world for people and pets, which includes reducing our environmental impact across our business," said Jim Myers, CEO. "Energy efficiency is an integral part of that commitment and our broader approach to driving more sustainable business practices across our company. We're proud to join the EPA's list of Energy Star leaders and of the important accomplishments that earned this recognition."



Energy Star Leaders are named for reducing energy consumption by at least 10% across a portfolio of buildings, based on EPA's standardized tools for tracking energy use. Petco has been an Energy Star partner for several years, but became much more active in using the program's data management tools in 2009, further improving energy efficiency.



"With Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager tool, we were able to see the efficiency scores of every Petco store, distribution center and office building," said Kristin Rock, energy manager and a leader on the company's sustainability team. "The tool provided valuable insight into our most and least efficient locations so we could target and prioritize our energy reduction efforts."



Significant investments in energy management controls, efficient lighting and HVAC systems, and Energy Star appliances lowered Petco's total energy use from 2007 through 2009, even as the company added 114 stores during that time.