Sustainability

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21 Sep: My Geek Squad Ride-Along

Last week, I traded my cubicle for riding shotgun in a Geek Squad repair van. Geek Squad Repair Double Agent Bruce Anderson, of St. Louis, let me tag along with him for the day. I wanted to see firsthand how our employees handle environmental issues, but I witnessed a lot more than that.

At Best Buy, we are committed to continuously improving our environmental performance. We focus where we can make the most impact – such as reducing our carbon emissions in our operations and selling sustainable products.

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18 Sep: Teens Teach Seniors Technology, With Help from Best Buy

Best Buy recently joined forces with two nonprofits in Washington, D.C., to help older adults connect with technology — often for the very first time — with teen mentors by their side.

The company, along with Cyber-Seniors and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, brought together 30 teens and 23 seniors at the Best Buy Teen Tech Center. The event included a reception and demonstrations led by Best Buy and Geek Squad trainers. Several other employees from area stores volunteered to help out, too, as the event happened during the Best Buy Week of Service.

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 88th percentile, 20 points above the average retail company.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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15 Jul: White House Taps Best Buy to Help Bridge Digital Divide in ConnectHome Initiative

Even as the promise of the connected home becomes reality for many of us, millions of Americans still have limited access to the high-speed broadband service that opens the door to opportunity. To help bridge this digital divide, Best Buy will offer the expertise of its talented employees and community outreach programs in a new ConnectHome initiative announced today by President Obama and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro.

The pilot program is launching in 27 cities and one tribal nation to initially reach more than 275,000 low-income households and nearly 200,000 children with the support they need to access the Internet at home.

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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.

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25 Jun: A Decade of Dedication

Happy 10th 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.

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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.

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28 May: Best Buy’s Carbon-Reduction Efforts Commended by U.S. Department of Energy

Best Buy’s five-year-long drive to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 20 percent by 2020 was recognized as an unparalleled retailer achievement at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) White House ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night.

The reduction is part of the company’s effort to address climate change.

Thanks to a combination of an industry-leading energy management system, store lighting retrofit and improved fleet and distribution practices, Best Buy was commended for exceeding its goal and reducing emissions by 26 percent since 2010. 

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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.