This means that Office Depot will “continue to work to improve energy efficiency” in its retail outlets.
The retailer has also promised to track its energy consumption at each individual location using ENERGY STAR tools to score performance.
Director of Environmental Strategy at Office Depot Yalmaz Siddiqui said: “Carbon reduction starts with energy reduction. The ENERGY STAR programme has been at the forefront of this effort for years. We’re proud to add the ENERGY STAR Commercial Buildings Partnership to the portfolio of EPA programs we already participate in, including Smartway, Climate Leaders and Energy Star for Retail.”
Chief of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial Branch Jean Lupinacci said: “ENERGY STAR partners such as Office Depot are leading the fight against global warming by improving the efficiency of their buildings and facilities. We applaud these efforts to help protect our global environment for generations to come.”
Vice President of Construction at Office Depot Edward Costa said: “The ENERGY STAR rating system will help Office Depot ensure that each of our retail store locations is running as energy efficient as possible. While we have been tracking the electricity usage in our facilities for a number of years now, the ENERGY STAR program will help validate our efficiencies at the individual store level by affirming those locations that are successfully lowering energy use and help us ensure that all stores are meeting our goals.”
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Last year, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $19 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 29 million vehicles.