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Key strategies & goals

Target’s sustainability programme is branded “Target Forward”.   Some of the major pillars include:

1. Climate & greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
	•	Target commits to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3) across its enterprise by 2040.  
	•	Near-term goals include: by 2030 reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions by 55% (vs 2017 baseline) and scope 3 emissions by 32.5% below 2017 levels.  
	•	To enable this, Target is focusing on energy efficiency, adoption of renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind), upgrading refrigerants, transportation/fulfillment emissions reductions and supplier engagement.  

2. Circularity & waste reduction
	•	Target is seeking to design its owned-brand products “for a circular future” by 2040.  
	•	They launched an initiative called “Target Zero” (in 2022) which curates products with less packaging waste: reusable, refillable, compostable, recycled content, etc.  
	•	They aim to eliminate “problematic” plastics in packaging and to make reuse/recycling easier.  

3. Responsible resource use & sustainable sourcing
	•	Target is working on sourcing raw materials more sustainably (forest products, cotton, palm oil, seafood, plastics) for its owned-brand products.  
	•	For example: by 2030 their leading raw materials for owned brands are to be 100% recycled, regenerative or sustainably sourced.  
	•	They have policies and partnerships in place for chemicals management, biodiversity (soil health, water stewardship), and reducing microplastics/fiber fragmentation.  

4. Buildings, operations & energy efficiency
	•	Target invests in sustainable building design: upgrading stores to more efficient systems, switching to natural (CO₂) refrigerants, installing solar panels on roofs/parking canopies.  
	•	For example: one store (Vista, CA) operated with a rooftop solar + parking canopy system, generating more than 100% of its own energy—making it a “net zero energy store”.  

5. Supply chain & supplier engagement
	•	Recognizing that a huge part of their environmental impact lies upstream (suppliers), Target is working to have its suppliers (by spend) set science‐based scope 1 and 2 targets. E.g., in FY 2023, 71% of supplier spend already had such targets.  
	•	They also launched “Forward Renew” (previously Supply Chain Renewables Initiative) to assist suppliers in shifting to renewable electricity.  

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Examples of progress & specific initiatives
	•	In FY2023, Target reported that 66% of its electricity was procured from renewable sources (for its operations) after achieving an interim milestone ahead of schedule.  
	•	The reduction in scope 3 emissions in FY2023 (vs 2022) was 14% for certain categories.  
	•	They provide EV charging stations at 200+ stores (mentioned as part of Earth Month 2024 efforts) for guest convenience and to support electric vehicle adoption.  
	•	Owned brand packaging: for their Good & Gather grocery brand: a packaging change eliminated ~50 tons of plastic waste annually, improved lead times and reduced costs.  

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Why these matter
	•	Retailers like Target have large footprints: store operations, supply chain, logistics, product manufacturing, packaging, waste streams. By addressing multiple fronts (energy, materials, sourcing, packaging, supply chain), they can significantly reduce environmental impact.
	•	Setting explicit, time-bound goals (2030, 2040) creates accountability and encourages innovation and investment.
	•	Engaging the supply chain is important because many environmental impacts (e.g., agriculture, raw materials, manufacturing) happen upstream of the retailer.
	•	Circularity (designing products for reuse/recycling) decreases waste generation and reduces resource extraction.
	•	Renewable energy and efficiency help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and decarbonize operations.

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Some potential limitations / things to watch
	•	While Target has ambitious goals, actual progress on some (especially scope 3 emissions) remains challenging. For example, while they reduced scope 1 & 2 somewhat, supply chain (scope 3) reductions are still modest relative to the magnitude of the challenge.  
	•	The “net zero by 2040” goal is aspirational and will require ongoing investment, innovation, and supplier alignment.
	•	Implementation across the wide range of products, brands and international suppliers is complex and can create bottlenecks.
	•	Some frameworks (e.g., verification, third-party certifications) are described but the depth of audit/verification can vary.
	•	Consumer behaviour and end-of-life product disposal (which are harder for a retailer to control) remain significant factors in the ecological equation.

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Summary

In short: Target is actively reducing its ecological impact by:
	•	Setting aggressive climate/ghg goals (net zero by 2040).
	•	Transitioning to renewable energy and energy-efficient operations.
	•	Designing products and packaging for circularity and waste reduction.
	•	Sourcing raw materials more sustainably (cotton, forest products, seafood, plastics).
	•	Engaging suppliers to align on sustainability goals and renewable energy.
	•	Reporting progress transparently and iterating.