Kohl’s receives EPA’s 2020 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence Award and 2019 WasteWise Regional Award
It is becoming ever more clear in today’s world that companies have the unique opportunity to make a big impact in communities through the way they do business. At Kohl’s, supporting healthy communities starts with supporting healthy environments to build better futures for the families we serve. Our company continues to identify and incorporate sustainable solutions into the way we do business, guided by our previously announced 2025 sustainability goals and leveraging business practices and decisions that enhance the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
For the ninth consecutive year, the EPA has recognized Kohl’s with its ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence Award in 2020. The Sustained Excellence Award is presented to partners that have gone above and beyond the criteria needed to qualify for recognition. Kohl’s relies on the EPA ENERGY STAR® program for emerging tools and technical information to protect the climate and improve efficiency.
As of 2019, 90% of our stores are ENERGY STAR®-certified, including 12 additional stores certified during the calendar year. We’ve updated lighting fixtures with LEDs at more than 125 stores, estimated to save 31 million kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, and installed new HVAC technologies at more than 465 stores. Beyond the buildings themselves, ENERGY STAR®-rated equipment and appliances like refrigerators, copy machines, televisions, and computers are used to help reduce energy consumption and affect our carbon footprint.
The EPA has also recognized Kohl’s with its 2019 WasteWise Regional Award for excellence in waste management, leading large businesses in its practices of recycling and preventing waste. A key focus area for us is the management and reduction of waste across our operations. Kohl’s set a goal in 2019 to divert 85% of Kohl’s U.S. operational waste from landfills by the end of 2025. During 2019, we achieved a 84% waste diversion rate from landfills against this goal, recycling more than 140,000 tons of material.
To learn more about Kohl's approach to corporate social responsibility and environmental, social, and governance efforts, view our 2019 CSR Report.