Suzanne Hilker

By Suzanne Hilker Company News PR News Alerts Sustainability

14 Sep: Best Buy Named to Dow Jones Sustainability Index

Best Buy has been named to the Dow Jones Index for Sustainable Investing (DJSI) for the fifth consecutive year.

The Index is the official sustainability performance ranking of the largest 600 North American companies. It follows a best-in-class approach to measure and compare companies on environmental, social and corporate governance criteria. Investors around the world use it as a tool to evaluate leadership and make decisions about which companies they want to invest in.

This year, Best Buy increased its ranking in the retail category, scoring in the 88^th percentile, 20 points above the average retail company.

By Suzanne Hilker PR News Alerts Sustainability

26 Aug: Environmental Management is a Win-Win

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.

By Suzanne Hilker Sustainability

14 Aug: Geeking Out at School

There was chanting, there was laughing and there was a lot of geeking out over technology.

I spent the last two days with more than 100 very enthusiastic Twin Cities-area students at Geek Squad Academy in St. Paul. Best Buy puts on these camps across the country to give underserved kids hands-on experience with technology to help develop skills and inspire future careers. The curriculum invites them to become “Junior Agents” through exploring digital citizenship, film production, computer programming and robotics, as well as 3D printing and circuitry.

By Suzanne Hilker Company News PR News Alerts Sustainability

23 Jul: How We Work Toward Conflict-Free

Everyone has a cell phone these days, but have you thought about what goes into making it and where the parts come from?

Making products such as cell phones involves countless people, including workers around the world who mine and process the raw materials. Take tungsten, tin, tantalum and gold (known as 3TG), for example. These minerals are used in myriad products, including consumer electronics, and are mined from deposits found across the globe, with reserves in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries.

By Suzanne Hilker Company News PR News Alerts Sustainability

10 Jul: Best Buy Included in Prestigious FTSE4Good Index

Best Buy made the prestigious FTSE4Good Index for the second year in a row.

The index includes publicly traded companies with strong environmental, social and governance practices. FTSE4Good Indices are utilized by socially responsible investors and other stakeholders to measure sustainability performance. Best Buy received the highest possible score in the environment category, on the heels of announcing that we exceeded our 20 by 20 carbon reduction goal.

For a deeper dive into our sustainability practices, check out our Fiscal Year 2015 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Report here.

By Suzanne Hilker Company News Featured PR News Alerts Sustainability

25 Jun: A Decade of Dedication

Happy 10^th Anniversary, Best Buy Sustainability Report!

We’ve come a long way since our first Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability report in 2006. During this journey, we have tried 50 different ways to make an infographic, coerced co-workers into posing for photos, dabbled in QR codes, and conquered GRI G4.

We’ve gone from “rah-rah” Best Buy to digging into serious issues that affect our business and the world. From E-waste Recycling to Human Rights, we have stayed true to our objective over the years – to positively impact our world.

By Suzanne Hilker Company News PR News Alerts Sustainability

23 Jun: Best Buy Ranked 2nd Among Greenest Retailers

It’s not easy being green, a wise frog once said. But shouldn’t it be easy?

At Best Buy, we believe being sustainable is good for business, and we have proof. Contrary to the old adage that it costs more to be “green” – it really can save money. Our recent 20% carbon reduction attainment saved Best Buy more than $50 million. Our leaders get it – they made sustainability a priority even through the Company’s turnaround.

It’s also easy to say you’re a “green” company.

By Suzanne Hilker Company News Sustainability

06 Apr: Best Buy Named ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Again

We are a big fan of ENERGY STAR® products – they save our customers money and they help the environment by using less energy. And we are proud to say that ENERGY STAR likes us, too.

The Environmental Protection Agency named Best Buy 2015 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – for the second year in a row.

Here are a few ways that we spread the good word about ENERGY STAR:

Best Buy prominently features ENERGY STAR on BestBuy.com, where more than 1 billion visitors each year can learn about and identify ENERGY STAR certified products.

By Suzanne Hilker Sustainability

23 Mar: Fewer Chemicals, Same Fire Safety for Insignia TVs

Note: This story has been updated.

Over the past several years, there has been heightened awareness about potentially hazardous chemicals in products. Consumers have become increasingly aware of what they put on their skin, handle on a daily basis and store in their homes. Some consumer electronics contain chemicals necessary to protect against immediate safety concerns like fire hazards. At Best Buy, we’re actively working to protect our consumers through safer alternatives or by eliminating potentially harmful chemicals.

With that in mind, we’re making improvements to our private label products.

By Suzanne Hilker Sustainability

20 Feb: Brighter, Better and Energy Efficient: New Lights at 800 Best Buy Stores

We transitioned the stores from high wattage, high-bay metal halide fixtures (think old gymnasium lights) to more efficient, lower wattage fluorescent fixtures. It reduced our lighting energy usage by nearly half – the equivalent of removing more than 12,000 households from the grid. And it’s saving the company money.

This was a simple change that could be scaled across the chain, creating big results. It’s getting us much closer to our goal of reducing carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2020.

By Suzanne Hilker Sustainability

12 Jan: A Smart Home is also a Sustainable Home

Not only do Connected Home products make your life easier and provide peace of mind, they provide additional environmental benefits, turning your smart home into a sustainable one. Automating your home’s temperature, lighting and other appliances reduces wasted energy when you are not home and saves you money in the process. Going one step further, you can monitor and start conserving water when irrigating your lawn.

Smart Thermostats
They save energy and money by not heating or cooling an empty house.

By Suzanne Hilker Sustainability

10 Nov: How Best Buy Makes a Net Impact

Minneapolis was abuzz with nearly 2,000 “change-makers” looking to solve some of the world’s biggest problems at the 2014 Net Impact Conference. Net Impact is a leading nonprofit that empowers a new generation to use their careers to drive transformational social and environmental change and Best Buy proudly boasts the second corporate chapter in existence, putting us right in the middle of the conversation.

The three days were full of meaningful dialog with peers, thought-provoking presentations from experts in all facets of sustainability and ideation sessions with the best and brightest business students.

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