Office Depot announced that it has achieved a 10.1% absolute reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from natural gas and electricity consumed in its North American retail stores, warehouses and offices.
Between 2005 and 2006 Office Depot reduced electricity consumption by approximately 65 million kilowatt hours and natural gas by 50,000 mmBTU. This achievement is even more impressive considering Office Depot's total facilities footprint in N.A. increased by 1.7 million square feet.
"Office Depot's environmental strategy is structured around a vision to increasingly buy green, be green and sell green," said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Environmental Strategy Advisor for Office Depot. "By reducing greenhouse gases so dramatically in one year, we have clearly shown a commitment to being green and reducing our carbon footprint."
Office Depot was able to reduce Company emissions by implementing a range of initiatives to decrease energy usage in 2006, including:
Office Depot was recognized for the Company's sustainability initiatives in 2006 with the Flex Your Power Award by Southern California Edison, one of the largest utility companies in the United States. Office Depot also recently joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders program.