reducing greenhouse gas emissions

We disclose our company's carbon emissions each year through the Carbon Disclosure Project link opens in a new windowand we’re working toward our goals to lessen our impact through more energy-efficient store design, new lighting technologies and experiments with renewable energy. We also joined the more than 50 food retailers in the Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill programlink opens in a new window working to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the environment.

earning the ENERGY STAR

Conserving energy is important, so we partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency link opens in a new window(EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energylink opens in a new window to meet their efficiency standards. One thousand of our stores have already earned ENERGY STARlink opens in a new window certifications, and feature low-wattage light fixtures; LED lights and motions sensors in the refrigerators; and other energy-saving initiatives. Three years early, in 2017, we reached our goal of earning ENERGY STAR status in at least 80 percent of our U.S. buildings by the end of 2020.

running on solar and wind power

As part of our commitment to supporting our communities, Target has a long-term interest in designing and operating energy-efficient and sustainable buildings. Our goal is to support renewable energy by increasing the number of buildings with rooftop solar panels to 500 by 2020 and working toward a goal to be 100% renewable overall. We’re increasingly meeting a portion of our energy needs with solar and wind power. Currently, our stores that use solar power generate between 15 and 30 percent of their energy from solar, easing the burden on local power grids. We may sell the renewable energy certificates for that energy. Target is also proud to buy a portion of wind energy generated by the Stephens Ranch project in Texas and, beginning in 2019, the Solomon Forks wind project in Kansas once construction is complete.  These projects combined will offset ~13% of Target’s total energy usage with clean wind energy.

enhancing communities

Being a retail leader in smart development means enriching communities, neighborhoods and surrounding areas by revitalizing business districts, attracting additional services and designing to the neighborhood. For example, we take steps to protect and preserve water resources and the surrounding habitats on and near our property using conservation easements. When we can, we also clean up and redevelop landfills and other brownfield areas, giving them new lives as sites for our stores.

reducing waste

We’re careful about our recycling and disposal practices for electronic waste as well as merchandise and materials we use in our supply chain. Our teams work together to improve our packaging designs using fewer components, minimize the volume of trash we produce and reuse, donate or recycle more materials. Our goal is to divert 70 percent of our retail waste from landfills through reuse or recycle programs by 2020.

strong stewardship

We're making an effort to re-work previously developed sites and retail spaces. Approximately one quarter of our stores are located in space that was once used for another purpose. For example, our Target store in downtown Chicago (pictured) is housed in the historic Louis Sullivan-designed building that was formerly home to the flagship Carson Pirie Scott department store.

And we’re growing responsibly. As we build more stores in convenient locations for guests, especially in urban areas, we’ll continue to focus on responsible growth—where guests live and work, and near mass transit.

more efficient transportation

Another of our goals is to adopt cleaner and more fuel-efficient transportation practices. While we don’t own or operate the fleets that carry our freight, we work closely with carriers, vendors and other partners to help put more efficient processes in place. In 2008, we joined the EPA's SmartWay Transportation Partnership, which includes an annual carbon footprint assessment of domestic transportation operations.

stormwater management systems

When it rains, it pours. So as part of our commitment to smart development, we’ve created a comprehensive stormwater management system for each of our stores, and we’re always exploring new design innovations to reduce and improve the quality of stormwater runoff. Examples of these systems include bioswales (landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water) at our store in Redmond, Wash., rain gardens at our store in Edina, Minn., and permeable pavement at our store in Brandon, Fla.