Hi! My name is John and I work on our store development team.
With all the recent press about our renovated University Village store and its goal of LEED® certification, we’ve learned that many of you are interested in knowing what LEED is and what else we are doing in this area of store development.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It’s an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The certification provides proof that prerequisite standards are met for site construction, energy use, indoor air quality and recycling. Many items that may be documented for certification include more efficient heating and cooling systems, lighting and water fixtures, recycled content of building materials, and finishes and materials that do not emit toxic smells.
For the last six years, Starbucks has played an active role in the USGBC’s LEED Portfolio Program, as well as the LEED for Retail Program. As an extension of Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ commitment to environmental stewardship, we are aiming to achieve LEED certification for all new company-operated stores worldwide beginning in late 2010.
Now that you know what LEED is, you’re probably wondering what other Starbucks buildings are LEED certified! To date, Starbucks has achieved LEED certification for the following:
• Our newest roasting plant in Sandy Run, South Carolina
• The building that houses Starbucks Support Center (our headquarters) in Seattle
• One Starbucks store in Hillsboro, Oregon
Our 1st & Pike and University Village stores in Seattle and our new Paris Disney Village store are currently registered to be LEED certified. These stores feature plaques that explain specific green design and construction elements. Our hope is that these plaques not only inform you about our environmental efforts, but also motivate you to make environmentally responsible choices once you leave our stores.
John
To learn more about Starbucks environmental goals, please click here.
To learn more about LEED, please click here.