User:Redrose36/Costco

Sustainability Efforts
With a wholesaler such as Costco, just in the food and beverages industry, different aspects of operations such as transportation, water management, energy and refrigeration, minimization of waste, and packaging are taken into consideration by Costco.

Costco's sustainability commitment aligns with 7 out of 17 of the UN's sustainable development goals. They include clean water and sanitization (6), decent work and economic growth (8), reduced inequalities (10), responsible consumption and reproduction (12), climate action (13), life below water (14), and life on land (15).

Climate Action
As of December 2021, Costco was the one out of three of the largest companies in the S&P 500 that remained without a climate change commitment.

In January 2022, 70% of the shareholders with voting rights agreed to focus on Costco's scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions deal with a company's indirect contributions to climate emissions. This includes emissions from transportation, decomposition of materials in landfills, energy consumed during the manufacturing process and in cultivating raw materials...etc.

Costco has developed a five-pillar action plan that targets its scope 3 emissions. The five pillars are: supplier energy transition, regenerative and deforestation-free agriculture, sustainable livestock, energy efficient items, and sustainable packaging. With these five pillars, Costco aims for a scope 3 emissions reduction of 20%.

Minimizing Waste
Costco has taken several measures to reduce its waste contributions in landfills. Minimizing waste falls under UN sustainable development goal number 12, responsible consumption and reproduction. Some of these efforts include providing reusable bags, removing single use straws, working with suppliers to minimize plastic use in various products, developing sustainable alternatives for products such as cleaning supplies, and investing money to increase research on other forms of sustainable packaging.

Effects of Climate Change
Extreme weather conditions and natural disasters that stem from climate change such as droughts, earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, rising sea levels and more can have significant effects on the wholesale company's operations. Potential effects include damage to properties (stores and warehouses), a decrease in a sufficient workforce, limitations in frequent member visits to store locations, difficulty in the supply and delivery of products from manufacturers (especially those overseas), suspension of operations, decrease in daily hours of operations and more. In these ways, Costco's operations and financial performance is affected by climate change.

Gasoline Industry
In addition, as a gasoline retailer, Costco depends on gasoline and diesel fuel to run its gas stations. With emerging government regulations and environmental restrictions requiring a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide, Costco's profitability can be affected as a result on the limitations exercised on its gasoline industry. Its reputation can also be affected if Costco fails to meet the set standards regarding its business operations.