Global Responsibility Report Goals & Progress 2012
Year in Review: Fiscal 2012
Each Starbucks is part of the fabric of the neighborhood it serves. Although we are a global company with stores across the globe, each interaction is local. Starbucks is a gathering place, a place to connect, a barista offering a cup of coffee with an outstretched hand.
Since our first store in 1971, we have felt a responsibility to make a positive impact one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. As we have grown to now more than 18,000 stores in over 60 countries, we recognize that commitment to corporate citizenship is also a business imperative. We can use our scale for good, and catalyze change across entire industries so that Starbucks and everyone we touch can endure and thrive.
On a global level, we are trying to be innovative in how we think about communities. We go beyond the impact of a single company, to energize and activate our employees – who we call partners – along with our customers, suppliers and nonprofit partners. Our annual Global Month of Service is a great example, with more than 230,000 hours of service and 2,100 projects completed in April 2012, and with plans to expand in new directions in 2013.
We are seeing the impacts of climate change on our planet and are working to minimize our own environmental footprint. We are also helping our farmers run their businesses in an environmentally mindful way, making adjustments to ensure the viability of their businesses despite shifting growing conditions.
In 2012, we demonstrated the power that happens when our partners and a community come together. We opened our third community store in Houston, Texas, and helped a city take hold of its own destiny. In the words of one neighbor, “You have changed our neighborhood forever. It’s because people see this going on and now they will be more likely to take action themselves.”
We know global change ultimately resides in the power of each individual.
Unfortunately, many people have disengaged from their communities. Although they may desire change, and they may want to make a difference, they are often unsure of how and where to start. We are working to engage and activate these individuals with our Youth Leadership Grants program. Our effort now reaches more than 50,000 young people each year, creating innovative and positive solutions to local needs while empowering young people.
At our Farmer Support Centers, we work one-on-one with farmers to help them manage their businesses more effectively, improve the quality and productivity of their crops, and provide social services to their workers. By making these investments in human capital, we create ripples of change in thousands of farming communities.
Our annual Global Responsibility report is a moment to reflect on the impact we’ve made over the past year. But more than reporting on past progress, it’s an opportunity to be more intentional and focused about what we can do in the future. While there are challenges to operating such a complex, expanding global business as ours, we will continue to balance local relevance with our global reach. You have our commitment that we will continue to push ourselves in new ways.
I invite you to learn more about our 2012 goals and progress and welcome your feedback and ideas.
Blair Taylor
chief community officer
Change Region