Starbucks brews up low-carbon strategy
London, 5 June: Starbucks has pledged to develop a global environmental strategy, decreasing its carbon footprint as it grows, the global coffee company said in its seventh annual corporate social responsibility report, published last month.

The majority of greenhouse gas emissions come from the firm’s coffee shops. It has promised that by 2010, 50% of the electricity used in-store will come from renewable sources and energy use will have been reduced by 25% compared with today’s levels – among a series of measures.

Starbucks’ coffee purchasing practices have been criticised by NGOs in earlier years. In 2007, the firm raised its purchases of coffee from sustainable suppliers to 65% from 53% the previous year. However, purchases of Fair Trade-certified coffee remained steady at 6% of the total.

The report was written around the Global Reporting Initiative’s G3 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines and was self-declared at ‘B+’ level. It only covers the US and Canadian operations of the firm.

Other corporate social responsibility reports published in May, via ReportAlert.info, a report announcement joint venture between Environmental Finance Publications and Corporate Register, include those from:

HSBC
Cemex
BP
Export Development Canada
Barclays
Coca-Cola Hellenic
Assa Abloy
Total
Segro
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Aviva
CB Richard Ellis Group
Halliburton Company
Catalyst Paper Corporation 
Tullow Oil plc
Royal Dutch Shell
Friends Provident
Canada Post
The Capita Group
Chevron Corporation
Danfoss
Hydro-Quebec
Motorola