For decades, we’ve strived to create a more sustainable world for the communities we serve, because our customers and employees expect it and the planet demands it.
To do our part, we’ve set two ambitious environmental goals:
- Reduce carbon emissions in our operations by 75% by 2030 (over 2009 baseline) and become carbon neutral by 2040.
- Reduce carbon emissions for our customers by 20% by 2030 (over 2017 baseline), helping them save $5 billion on utility costs over the life of the ENERGY STAR products they buy.
We’ve made significant progress in our operations and in helping customers reduce their emissions, and we’re committed to doing more.
“Sustainability is at the core of what we do at Best Buy,” said Tim Dunn, Best Buy’s head of environmental sustainability. “This is a critical time for climate action, and we are committed to making great strides in reducing our carbon footprint and helping our customers do the same.”
Here are a few examples of ways we’re working toward our goals.
The Climate Pledge accelerates our carbon reduction efforts
In 2020, we signed The Climate Pledge, a commitment to be carbon neutral across our business by 2040 — a decade faster than our previous goal of 2050 and years ahead of the United Nations’ Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
To achieve the goals outlined in the pledge, we will continue to launch and manage sustainability programs that touch every facet of our business. Since 2009, we have been working to reduce our carbon emissions and have decreased our environmental impact by 55% through a variety of initiatives, including the introduction of a Geekmobile fleet comprised of hybrid vehicles and helping our customers recycle more than 2 billion pounds of electronics and appliances.
Helping customers live more sustainably
In 2019, we set our first goal to help our customers save energy through products sold at Best Buy. Our commitment to helping customers live more sustainably has lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to name us an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for seven years in a row.
Additionally, we launched a sustainable product category with products focused on helping customers reduce their carbon footprint. Our environmental work has landed us at No. 1 on Barron’s prestigious list of 100 Most Sustainable Companies for the second time. We’ve also been recognized on the CDP Climate A List, where we ranked in the top tier of companies fighting climate change.
An investment in solar energy
With a goal to be carbon neutral by 2040, we made our biggest commitments yet to renewable energy in 2020.
First, we unveiled the Best Buy Solar Field in Martin, South Carolina. It will produce 174,000 megawatt hours of clean electricity annually for the local power grid – the equivalent of powering 260 Best Buy stores for an entire year.
We also invested in the Little Bear Solar Project in Fresno, California, which will produce 480,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power 715 Best Buy stores annually with clean energy.
The bees of Best Buy
Bees and other pollinators are crucial to our food system and are responsible for pollinating more than one-third of the world’s crops. That’s why we’ve partnered with groups in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to sponsor two beehives, each buzzing with about 70,000 honeybees.
The University of Minnesota Bee Squad manages our hives year-round. The bees and their wooden hives are located at Minnesota Independence College and Community (MICC), across the street from our corporate campus in Richfield, Minnesota.
It is part of our mission to positively impact the world and build a more sustainable corporate campus. Here’s all the buzz about the bees.
Introducing our eco home consultations
Technology has become an essential part of our everyday lives at home, especially with the ongoing pandemic changing how we work and learn. This month, we’re excited to introduce a new offering: eco home consultations.
Our Home Experts are ready to help customers find the right products for their space, sustainable lifestyle and budget. From how to conserve energy to cutting down your water usage or reducing your food waste, our experts can help find ways to reduce a household’s carbon footprint while saving customers energy and money.
We will continue to push forward in our efforts to take care of the planet and help our customers live more sustainably. Together, we know we can make a difference and a lasting, positive impact on the planet.
Click here to learn more about Best Buy’s sustainability efforts.