10. The History and Progression of Sustainability Programs in the Retail Industry

The retail industry’s economic and environmental impact encompasses global supply chains and many thousands of facilities; it therefore has a significant impact on human health and the environment, and a responsibility for reducing this impact. This chapter begins with an overview of retail’s most common and significant environmental impacts and examines the origin of sustainable planning and operations, the business case for sustainability programs, and the maturation of retail sustainability programs.

Companies start sustainability programs for different reasons—some internal to the company and some as a result of external pressures. These pressures continue to drive further action, advancing and maturing sustainability programs across the industry. Those programs tend to grow and mature around common dimensions, beginning with a focus on the basics, primarily complying with regulatory requirements, then growing to cover operational efficiencies that save costs, reducing reputational risks, and eventually innovating on the very core of their businesses. The chapter includes business-actionable steps for retail sustainability practitioners and ends by describing the critical programmatic components for a strong retail sustainability program.