LEED for Retail is a USGBC Rating System established in 2009 - whether it was because of Starbucks and their concerns or for other reasons I'm happy to see that the rating system is being adapted to suit the needs of different industries. All too often we are presented with a one size fits all solution and I believe that USGBC is working hard to expand its types of ratings.
I applaud Starbucks for taking the lead (no pun intended) and making this a priority in their strategy. What I would be interested in seeing is their strategies affect on their current stores. Can they suggest renovation to their landlords? Can they insist if they are in a position to? Would it be cost effective? Overall, new stores are great, but they already have one on every block - what about those buildings...

Kudos to Starbucks for committing to LEED certification for all company-owned stores. However, the reality is that Starbucks does not own the majority of its stores; it leases them just like most other retail tenants, and "greening" retail centers has not caught on nearly as quickly as other types of real estate. In office properties, the landlord is much more likely to construct LEED certified buildings because the landlord pays the majority of the operating expenses himself per the standard lease structure of office tenants. As a result, the landlord is eager to incorporate any sort of efficiencies that will help him minimize operating and maintenance costs going forward. On the contrary, retailers typically pay their full share of the property's operating expenses, thus the landlord isn't as concerned with minimizing these costs. Thus far, tenants have not communicated much demand for green spaces; certainly not to the extent that they would be willing to pay considerably more in rent. Consequently, the only efforts I have observed from retail center owners are the occasional solar panels on roofs and small wind turbines on tall lightposts in the parking lot.

It is great to see Starbucks, a company recognized for innovation, take the steps to make a large-scale commitment to green buildings. As a large, international company, Starbucks has an enormous amount of influence on consumers and their lifestyle. While the term “sustainability” is increasingly recognized, large scale implementation will help to provide tangible examples for those that may not know what a green building may look like (or not look like). My hope is that the comfort level with Starbucks as a brand will transfer to LEED and sustainable buildings as a whole.
The flexibility of USGBC is to be commended—when presented with a limitation in existing programs, they encouraged the development of a new program to certify the technical basis behind the construction, not just the individual building. The challenge for LEED volume construction is to maintain the high standard despite the large variation of commercial buildings that Starbucks stores occupy. Ideally, Starbucks will also receive benefits from consumers that appreciate the company’s environmental commitment and further patronize their stores to support this commitment.

I found this article very useful because it tells us how we can actually participate in the green building movement. This article is especially helpful for those individuals or corporate managers who are interested in participating in the green building movements but don’t have a clue where to begin. The 10 suggested ways cover various aspects of the building to be more environmentally friendly, although some suggestions may not be concrete enough for anyone to follow easily, such as measuring water usage and waste. However, in general, I believe this is a good starting point. I have never thought of conducting energy audit to determine the performance of the equipment in our building. Assessing the current consumes and wastes energy will be the very first step and will show us the big picture of current status and what to do. In particular, I agree with their suggestion of making building occupants more informed to promote energy conservation and engage them in the movement.

It is good to know that one of my favorite coffee companies, Starbucks, decided to participate in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification for all new company-owned stores. What impressed me more was that although the building certification program did not practically fit into retail businesses, Starbucks did not just stop there but instead, made extra effort to come up with creative solution that best fits its business model. Starbucks approach to its green building program is also consistent with its culture of innovation as well as with its goals. I believe Starbucks can not only cut costs by using energy more efficiently but can also build stronger brand because many customers and partners will appreciate Starbucks’ commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

Great to see that Starbucks is developing its own green programs, but don't forget two things:

1. LEED is Starbuck's own program after they refused toa dopt those of others, so in a way it's already a compromise, and
2. We need to see this kind of thing taken up en-masse before it has true impact, and that includes independent non-chain stores too.