Starbucks’ goal is to certify 10,000 Greener Stores around the world by 2025 | Photo credit: Starbucks

Starbucks has continued to scale its Greener Stores programme by introducing the sustainability framework to Asia Pacific and the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region for the first time. 
 

Developed in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Starbucks Greener Stores Framework is designed to accelerate the transformation of retail outlets towards lower-impact stores with reduced carbon emissions, water usage and waste to landfill.  

Introduced in 2018, the Greener Store Framework assesses Starbucks outlets against 25 standards across eight environmental impact areas, such as energy efficiency, water stewardship and waste diversion. 

Starbucks has certified 3,508 Greener Stores globally across 20 markets to date, which will contribute to its target of halving carbon emissions, water usage and landfill waste from its operations by 2030. 

In April 2023, the Seattle-based coffee chain certified its first five Greener Stores in the Asia Pacific region at outlets in Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam and expects to certify a further 20 across the region before the end of 2023. 

Starbucks has also announced the first five outlets to be certified as Greener Stores in the UK, including its Battersea Power Station location. The coffee chain plans to certify 100 Greener Stores across Europe, the Middle East and Africa by the end of this year. 

Starbucks previously announced all new stores in Latin America and the Caribbean will be built under the Greener Stores Framework by the end of 2023.     

In total, 88 Greener Stores were certified by Starbucks in April 2023. Starbucks’ goal is to certify 10,000 Greener Stores around the world by 2025, which would represent approximately a quarter of its global footprint.  

“With a company of Starbucks scale – any one action, no matter how small, has the potential for massive impact. I’m so proud to see our Greener Stores framework continue to scale for good globally. The program we have created will continue to move us closer towards our resource positive goals,” said Michael Kobori, Chief Sustainability Officer, Starbucks. 
 

Starbucks said practices from its Greener Stores across the US have saved the coffee chain almost $60m in annual operating costs, including 30% cost savings across energy and water usage when compared to historic store practices.  

In March 2023, Laxman Narasimhan officially assumed the role of Starbucks CEO. Alongside realising Starbucks’ ambitious 2030 sustainability targets, his priorities include fulfilling the coffee chain’s goal of reaching 50,000 stores globally by 2030, driven by expansion in its key growth market, China, where it faces increasing competition from a resurgent Luckin Coffee. 
 

Starbucks, which currently operates more than 36,000 outlets globally, achieved 11% full-year revenue growth in 2022 to reach $32.25bn.