Tiffany Sustainability Report: Normalized GHG Emissions Fall 8%

by | Aug 15, 2012

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Tiffany & Co. cut its normalized greenhouse gas emissions by about 8 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to the company’s latest corporate sustainability report.

In 2010 the jewelry firm emitted around 38 pounds of CO2 equivalent per square foot of operating space. Last year this figure fell to 35 pounds per square foot, the report says. The reduction represents a 14.7 percent reduction on 2006 levels, beating the company’s 2011 goal of a 10 percent reduction on 2006 levels.

The company’s total greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.47 percent year on year, from 45,453 metric tons of CO2 equivalent in 2010 to 44,332 in 2011, the report says.

Tiffany says it achieved the reductions in both these metrics by implementing energy efficiency projects including lighting retrofits, the installation of energy recovery ventilators and HVAC improvements, as well as a mild winter. The company says it is further investigating its energy reduction strategy as it aims to further improve the efficiencies of its operations.

Other initiatives include the installation of 2 MW of solar power across the company’s two New Jersey distribution facilities, starting in 2006. Last year the company sold some of the renewable energy credits generated by these systems. Tiffany also began building a solar photovoltaic system at its Rhode Island manufacturing facility in 2011, and this should be operational in 2012, the report says.

In February, Tiffany’s Santa Monica retail store became the company’s first facility to obtain LEED certification. The store includes materials and design features aimed at increasing energy efficiency, improving water efficiency and improving air quality, the report says.

The company began collecting data on waste and water usage in 2010 but has not published information on these metrics in this report.

Being a jewelery seller, Tiffany’s says it prioritizes responsible sourcing as part of its sustainability drive. In 2011, about 60 percent of Tiffany’s merchandise was made at its US manufacturing facilities. Some 98 percent of the precious metals used in those facilities last year was directly traceable to source, the report says. The metals that are sourced by independent vendors come only from firms participating in Tiffany’s social accountability program.

The company sources its metal primarily from the US in a bid to minimize environmental and social risks in its supply chain. In both 2010 and 2011, 100 percent of the silver and gold used in Tiffany’s US manufacturing facilities was either sourced from US mines or recycled.

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