Starbucks is reducing its environmental commitments and has cut jobs related to sustainability as part of a broader turnaround plan aimed at cutting $2 billion in costs. The company is re-evaluating its 2030 emissions goal and has already changed or eliminated targets for water use, waste, and packaging materials. For example, a previous goal to cut virgin fossil-fuel packaging by 50% by 2030 has been replaced with a 5% virgin plastics reduction target, and recycled content goals have been lowered from 50% to 25%.
These changes coincide with over 2,000 corporate job cuts over the past two years, which included roles on the sustainability team. The chief sustainability officer position has been eliminated, and remaining sustainability functions now report to the Chief Sustainability and Social Impact Officer. Despite its 2030 goal to halve greenhouse gas emissions from a 2019 baseline, the company's total emissions in 2025 are 7% above 2019 levels, partly due to increased reliance on difficult-to-recycle plastic cups for cold drinks, which now account for about two-thirds of beverages sold.
Starbucks' Fiscal 2025 Global Impact Report indicates a broader reset of its sustainability agenda, with some previously stated environmental and diversity targets either absent or under reconsideration. The company's goal to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 is being actively reassessed due to regulatory developments and changing standards. While some commitments remain, such as all customer-facing packaging being reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030, and exceeding its target for green-certified stores, the overall trend reflects a wider pullback in corporate environmental commitments in the U.S.
