Operating 1,400 stores across the U.S., Best Buy can have a huge environmental impact – and we want to make sure ours is a positive one.
The Best Buy Environmental Management System (EMS) has recently been re-certified to ISO 14001, a voluntary global standard of quality that reflects our commitment to the environment. Achieving ISO 14001 certification is a BIG undertaking. Why did we choose to go through the rigorous process?
The simple answer is: It’s good for business.
Implementing an EMS gives us the tools and structure to effectively and efficiently lessen our environmental impact. It tracks our progress toward environmental goals such as recycling and carbon reduction. It ensures we are in compliance with environmental laws and regulations and helps our employees find and use standard operating procedures around environmental topics.
We take our EMS to another level by becoming ISO 14001 certified. An objective third party tests our processes, talks to our employees across the country about our environmental management and holds us accountable to meet our goals. Our audit partners aren’t just looking to make a naughty list, they are helping us to continuously improve our environmental performance, and that benefits our bottom line.
As a bonus, we apply the management system tools to other processes across the company such as our human rights management. Sustainability is all about finding win-wins for the business and the environment, and this is a great example.