Starbucks scales Greener Store expansion across Asia Pacific towards a more sustainable future

Five Greener Stores across Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are amongst the first in the Asia Pacific region to be certified, with over 20 more expected in 2023

With over 3,500 Greener Stores certified across 20 markets, Starbucks is on a path towards achieving its goal of 10,000 Greener Stores total by 2025

Greener Stores set a new benchmark in environmentally responsible retail for design, construction, and operations, poised to support the company’s 2030 goals of reducing carbon, water, and waste footprints by 50%

Starbucks today announced its first Greener Stores in the Asia Pacific region, as part of the company’s global expansion of its Greener Store Framework to over 3,500 stores in 20 markets. Located in Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, the five stores are amongst the first of their kind in the company’s Asia Pacific region, with over 20 more expected to be certified this year. This latest round of certifications sets the company well on its way to achieving its goal of 10,000 Greener Stores globally by 2025.

In support of Starbucks 2030 goals of reducing carbon, water, and waste footprints by 50%, the open-source Greener Stores Framework was co-developed with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The framework includes a set of 25 performance-based standards across environmental impact areas such as energy efficiency, water stewardship, and waste diversion, designed to accelerate the transformation of retail towards lower-impact stores.

“We're excited to continue expanding our Greener Store portfolio worldwide, a key step towards reaching our ambitious resource positive goals. Having been on a sustainability journey for many years now, we’ve already seen results of our Greener Stores in the United States where they first piloted. In fact, when compared to historic store practices, these Greener Stores have shown to deliver 30% water savings and 30% energy reduction,” said Michael Kobori, Starbucks chief sustainability officer. “With a company of Starbucks scale – any one action, no matter how small, has the potential for massive impact. We are heartened by our partners around the world who are stepping up to adopt our Greener Store standards. This is testament of their energy and passion for sustainability that continues to drive our innovation.”

Greener Stores: paving the way towards a more sustainable future

The new Greener Stores in the Asia Pacific region help reduce Starbucks environmental impact through performance-based standards that incorporate design and extend throughout the life of a store. Each Greener Store has a unique combination of sustainable features that qualify for third-party verification on a quarterly basis. This ranges from features like energy and water efficient equipment and appliances, low-emitting paints and sealants, Grounds for Your Garden program, as well as energy efficient HVAC temperature systems and more. Additionally, the new Greener Stores in Asia include elements that go beyond the standard to deliver more robust energy, carbon, water, and waste reductions.

Singapore’s first Greener Store is strategically located at Jurong Lake Gardens, a showcase for sustainable design and operations, set amidst lush greenery, restored wetlands and habitats for biodiversity. The Greener store itself is similarly designed with long-term, eco-conscious operations in mind, with responsible design, construction and operation, including energy and water efficiency.

Thailand has certified three Greener Stores that operate entirely on electricity, and feature precise energy monitoring capabilities using a detailed energy management system (EMS) that captures energy use data in real-time to maintain high performance and efficiency. The system will enable the stores to identify inefficiencies and help control and conserve energy in the future.

In Vietnam, the Greener Store is equipped with 100% LED lighting and sun shading features that reduce heat gain and energy consumption within the store. The store operates entirely on electricity and has a long-term contract to buy Renewable Energy Certificates to offset the energy used in stores.

“The new Greener Stores in the Asia Pacific region are poised to set a new standard in sustainable retail which we hope will accelerate our movement towards Starbucks resource positive goals,” said Scott Keller, senior vice president, Store Development & Design. “As one of our fastest growing regions, we want to ensure that we are driving growth with a sustainable future in mind for our communities and planet – and Greener Stores are one of the ways that will help us achieve that vision.”

Starbucks also today announced its first in-region Greener Stores in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), as the company continues its global expansion of the Greener Store Framework to leverage its scale for good to accelerate the global movement towards a more sustainable future. The company is also expanding in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) by building all new stores in the region under the Greener Stores framework by the end of 2023 and going forward. In China and Japan, Starbucks plans to update its existing store portfolios by applying Greener Store standards. The aim for Starbucks China is to operate 2,500 Greener Stores in the market by 2025.

Starbucks has set bold global aspirations towards a resource-positive future and can only achieve its goals with the help of partners, customers, industry experts and advocates. The company continues to innovate new ways to reduce their impact on the environment and strive to give back more to the planet than they take from it.