By Zanub Saeed
Starbucks and Staples are the latest corporations to join United States President Barack Obama's Better Buildings Challenge initiative, said Energy Efficiency News.
The program was set up by the president last year to encourage private section organizations to pledge to reduce their energy usage in their facilities, including corporations, factories, and franchise stories, by at least 20 percent by the year 2020, noted the Energy Efficiency News report on Monday.
The two are the latest to join the program; other companies and franchises who are already participating include Best Buy, Kohl's Department Stores, and Walgreens Co, listed The U.S. Department of Energy on their website.
"Investments in energy efficiency that save millions in energy costs are making the American economy more competitive, protecting our air and water, and creating jobs," Energy Secretary Steven Chu told Energy Efficiency News. "These new partners in the Better Buildings Challenge [are] leading by example and showing the savings that energy efficiency makes possible."
Starbucks, Staples, and the J.R. Simplot Company have promised to upgrade over 50 million square feet of their commercial building space, which included 14 manufacturing locations, as part of their effort to save energy, noted the Energy Efficiency News report.
Starbucks specifically will be targeting to reduce its energy consumption by the U.S. by at around 25 percent by 2015, while Starbucks is looking for the same percentage in energy consumption reduction by the year 2020, as well as a 50 percent reduction in its carbon footprinting by 2015, said the Energy Efficiency News report.
Starbucks and Staples join over 70 organizations, including state and municipal partners, and education partners, in trying to reduce their facilities' energy consumption, noted the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge website. So far, the companies have committed to reducing energy at over 1.7 billion square feet in the U.S., and have financed over $2 billion to aid in this program.
