Target Aims For Canadian Sustainability Bullseye With All LEED Stores

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Anticipation is building for Target’s Canadian nationwide opening next year, while the Minneapolis-based retail giant aims to make sure the opening is a sustainability bullseye.

Target is planning for Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certification for all of its Canadian stores when it opens in 2013.

target store
Target Store via Kelly Martin / WikiCommons (some rights reserved)

The plan involves designing stores which will limit waste, cut greenhouse gasses, and limit water and energy use.

With Target being a member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), an organization that strives for LEED certification, officials say they look forward to meeting the environmental sustainability challenge of opening up their Canadian outlets.

“We take our role as good corporate citizen very seriously, and we’re proud that Target is making a firm commitment to sustainability in Canada,” said Target Canada President Tony Fisher.

“Striving for LEED certification at our 124 stores opening in 2013 is important as we seek to use our resources responsibly and maintain the health of our communities,” he said.

LEED standards have been relatively new within the past decade in Canada, beginning in 2002, according to the Canadian Green Building Council (CaBG), but they follow the same measures as its American counterparts.

Meanwhile, 135 countries around the world have various other LEED projects, as the USGBC notes:

“LEED projects have been successfully established in 135 countries. International projects, those outside the United States, make up more than 50% of the total LEED registered square footage. LEED unites us in a single global community and provides regional solutions, while recognizing local realities.”

Each Canadian store will take between six to nine months to renovate each store, with a cost of $10 million per location.
 
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USBGC CEO, President, and founding Chair Rick Fredrizzi believes that Target’s commitment to LEED for its Canadian stores will be good for the company’s bottom line and environmental well-being.

“By seeking to transform its portfolio to high-performing, LEED-certified sustainable buildings, Target is setting an important, positive example for the retail industry,” Mr. Fredrizzi said.

“Target will improve environmental performance and achieve operational and utility savings. In addition, the educational materials that Target has developed for its partners are outstanding resources for teaching field teams how to implement LEED across a large portfolio of building projects.”

Canadian Target shoppers will have to wait until March/April of 2013 when the former Zellers outlets will be open to the public.

Major Canadian outlets opening across the country include: Calgary & Edmonton (Alberta); Victoria (British Columbia); Winnipeg, Manitoba, & Fredericton (New Brunswick); St. John’s (Newfoundland); Regina (Saskatchewan); and Montreal (Quebec).

For a complete list of all new outlets, go to the Target website.


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Adam Johnston

is expected to complete the Professional Development Certificate in Renewable Energy from the University of Toronto by December 2017. Adam recently completed his Social Media Certificate from Algonquin College Continuing & Online Learning. Adam also graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a three-year B.A. combined major in Economics and Rhetoric, Writing & Communications in 2011. Adam owns a part-time tax preparation business. He also recently started up Salay Consulting and Social Media services, a part-time business which provides cleantech writing, analysis, and social media services. His eventual goal is to be a cleantech policy analyst. You can follow him on Twitter @adamjohnstonwpg or check out his business www.salayconsultiing.com.

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