Sustainability Committee

Overview

RILA’s Sustainability Committee is composed of retail sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) executives focused on enabling more environmentally sustainable and circular business opportunities. Sustainability executives address issues that affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the efficient and responsible use of natural resources, and product- and material-lifecycle value retention. They also manage responses to stakeholder requests for information on sustainability performance.

The retail industry sees increasing interest in internal and external-facing sustainability goal setting, as it works to improve measurement and management of environmental performance of retail operations and product lifecycles; to facilitate product transparency and traceability and to serve as a source for innovative solutions to other core retail business challenges.

The Sustainability Committee provides RILA members a forum for executives to benchmark and hear from experts regularly on rotating topics related to the implementation, management, and oversight of retail sustainability programs. The committee has two annual in-person meetings (one co-located with the Circularity conference), benchmarking surveys, and bi-monthly, focused benchmarking calls on members’ highest priority issues.

RILA members have full access to past meeting and call content, reports and benchmarking results which can be found below.

For more information on RILA's Sustainability Committee, contact Erin Hiatt, Vice President, CSR at erin.hiatt@rila.org.

Strategic Partners

Committee Materials

Climate and Sustainability

RILA is working with federal, state & local lawmakers to ensure legislative requirements are based upon sound environmental & market impact research.

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2018 Retail Sustainability Benchmarking Summary Report

Retail Sustainability Committee 2018 benchmarking summary report.

January 1, 2018

2021 PROXY SEASON ESG LOOKBACK

In this blog, Sullivan & Cromwell discuss key takeaways for retail from the 2021 Proxy season.

November 26, 2021

Customer Electric Vehicle Charging

RILA worked with Atlas Public Policy, C2ES and DGA to help retailers understand customer EV charging station business models and potential benefits.

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2021 Sust Call Summaries

A Recap of the 2022 Retailer Environmental Roundtable

Summary of sessions from RILA's Retailer Environmental Roundtable on September 13-14.

Electric Vehicle Fleets

RILA worked with Atlas Public Policy, C2ES and DGA to help retailers understand barriers and opportunities to utilizing EV fleets.

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2021 Sustainability Committee Meeting Recaps

Extended Producer Responsibility Bills Gain Momentum

Overview of current EPR bills in the U.S. and a brief history of EPR programs that exist

August 30, 2021

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External Stakeholder Communications Library

Resources are available to RILA committee members. Please login to access or contact us to learn more about membership.

April 22, 2020

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2022 Sustainability Committee Call Summaries

Call Summaries for all 2022 Sustainability Committee Calls.

January 1, 2022

IRA Building Energy Efficiency Incentives for Retail

IRA energy efficiency incentives most relevant to the retail industry

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Carry Out Shopping Bag Compliance & Sustainability Survey

Peer survey on shopping bag regulation tracking, compliance, and sustainability approaches. (Members-only content. Please log-in to access).

January 28, 2020

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Appropriate Corporate Governance to Managing Legal Risks

RILA & Morgan Lewis Webinar on identifying and managing legal risks through corporate governance structures and processes.

November 16, 2022

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July 2019 Energy Management Committee Survey Report

Peer survey on various submitted energy topics. (Members-only content. Please log-in to access).

July 15, 2019

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Board Oversight Over ESG Issues and Disclosures

Vinson & Elkins LLP on Board Oversight Over ESG Issues and Disclosures. (Oct. 2021)

October 7, 2021

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July 2019 Zero Waste Committee Survey Report

Peer survey on various submitted waste topics. (Members-only content. Please log-in to access).

July 15, 2019

Building Energy Codes - Ashrae V. IECC

A quick reference tool for retailers on the two major energy code models in the U.S.

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July 2020 Sustainability and Zero Waste Survey

Peer survey on current sustainability and zero waste practices.

July 15, 2020

Collaborative Renewable Sourcing

FAQ on aggregated deals that allow buyers to participate in the renewables sourcing market

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July 2021 Sustainable Packaging Strategies Survey Report

RILA summarized Sustainability Committee and Zero Waste Network member responses to a benchmarking survey on sustainable packaging strategies.

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Takeaways and Resources for the Retail Industry

Several RILA members and Accenture attended COP26. Learn about key takeaways from the global event with a retail lens

November 18, 2021

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March 2020 RILA Retail Donations Survey

Peer survey on retail donation programs and challenges.

March 2, 2020

Corporate Sustainability Goals & Supply Chain Impacts

Talia Rudee from CDP and Bram Keteleer from P&G discuss SBT's and Scope 1, 2, and 3 for retail.

May 19, 2021

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Sustainability & Zero Waste Committee Survey Report

Peer survey on various submitted sustainability and waste topics. (Members-only content. Please log-in to access).

October 11, 2019

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Current ESG and Climate Disclosure Landscape

Webinar presentation by Austen Jensen, RILA and Catherine Clarkin, Sullivan and Cromwell on the Current ESG and Climate Disclosure Landscape

September 8, 2021

Retail GHG Targets Tracker

Detailed tracker of retail companies with emissions reduction, energy efficiency, and/or renewable energy goals.

Cut Costs, Increase Efficiency, and Reduce Emissions

Jennifer Wong from Convoy and Ron Guzzi from The Home Depot share insights on how to reduce empty miles.

June 2, 2021

Retail Waste Targets Tracker

Detailed tracker of retail companies with waste, recycling and packaging goals.

DOE Appliance and Equipment Standards

Quick reference tool for retailers on DOE Appliance and Equipment Standards

E-commerce Fulfillment & Emissions Webinar

Deepam Mishra and Sid Jatia from Microsoft along with Professor Anne Goodchild discuss the interconnection between e-commerce and sustainability.

June 16, 2021

Energy Resiliency in the Supply Chain

Hear Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions along with Argonne Lab and Stewart & Stevenson discuss energy resiliency.

July 28, 2021

Engaging Suppliers on Renewable Energy Sourcing

Webinar with Walmart and Schneider Electric discussing a first-of-its-kind approach to supply chain engagement on renewables.

December 10, 2020

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EPA HFC Technology Transitions Rulemaking

Beveridge & Diamond review EPA’s HFC Technology Transitions Rulemaking proposal and key questions that will inform joint retail association comments.

January 5, 2023

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ESG 101 - Understanding the Landscape Webinar Recording

Webinar featuring Leaders Arena, BlackRock, former CalSTRS Director, and HIP Investor on the basics of ESG investor criteria and trends.

October 3, 2019

ESG Disclosure Bills Introduced to States

Overview of introduced, and previously enacted, ESG disclosure bills

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ESG Peer Perspectives: Reporting in 2021

Hear from The Home Depot and AutoZone about their 2021 ESG reporting

December 17, 2020

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ESG Reporting: Balancing Transparency & Risk

Recording from the ESG Reporting: Balancing Transparency & Risk Call

November 19, 2020

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ESG Retail Reporting: RILA Committee Descriptions

This resource provides sample language for retailers to use to describe their engagement in RILA’s ESG-supporting committees and councils

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ESG Roadmap: Opportunities & Potholes Along the Way Webinar

Webinar featuring Leaders Arena and AllianceBernstein on ideas for structuring and communicating an ESG program.

December 11, 2019

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Investor Outreach on COVID-19 & Human Capital Management

RILA facilitated a discussion on ESG Fundamentals & Applications to Investor Outreach on COVID-19 and Human Capital Management

October 14, 2020

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February 2023 Zero Waste Network Benchmarking Call

Textile Circularity

February 23, 2023

Global Procurement

FAQ discussing global procurement of renewables.

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Incorporating Community Solar Into Corporate Sustainability

Overview of community solar markets + the tactics corporations are deploying to further their corporate sustainability strategies.

February 28, 2023

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Incorporating Community Solar Into Corporate Sustainability

Overview of community solar markets + the tactics corporations are deploying to further their corporate sustainability strategies.

Lightbulb Efficiency Standards

A quick reference tool for retailers on U.S. lightbulb efficiency standards.

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Making Defensible Green Claims Virtual Meeting Presentation

UL’s Catherine Sheehy on drivers for green claims; ecolabel types and verification; California-specific issues and overview of regulatory landscape

October 13, 2020

Managing Chemicals in Products Webinar

Webinar with a presentation by UL and Rite Aid discussing how and why retailers are responding to consumer demand for safer formulated products.

June 15, 2020

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Maximizing Value of Unsold Inventory Webinar

Webinar featuring a panel of industry experts and thought leaders to discuss inventory management strategies, options and financial considerations.

May 15, 2020

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November 2021 Climate Check-In: RILA Policy & Update

2021 Retailer Environmental Roundtable session with Brook Detterman (Beveridge & Diamond) and Austen Jensen (RILA).

November 3, 2021

Onsite Power Purchase Agreements (PPA)

FAQ explaining the benefits and challenges of Onsite Power Purchase Agreements

Owned Onsite Systems

FAQ on owned, onsite renewable energy assets

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Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Compliance

2021 Retailer Environmental Roundtable session with Garth Hickle (Signalfire Group).

November 4, 2021

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Packaging Legislation on the Horizon

2021 Retailer Environmental Roundtable session with Lauren Doroghazi (Multistate)

November 4, 2021

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Partnering with Your Suppliers for Hazardous Waste Reduction

2021 Retailer Environmental Roundtable session with Ashley Bell (UL) and Joe Donnelly (UL).

November 3, 2021

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PFAS Fed & State Regulatory Developments & Implications

Crowell & Moring’s Warren Lehrenbaum presents on PFAS developments, with a focus on recent FDA actions affecting “short chain” chemistries

October 13, 2020

Reducing Waste & Increasing Revenue

Hear from PreZero and Recurate how to optimize reverse logistics and approach building circular systems through resale.

July 14, 2021

Renewable Energy Credits (REC)

FAQ on Renewable Energy Credits (REC)

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Resilient Management in the Age of Responsible Retail

Recording from the Resilient Management in the Age of Responsible Retail call

October 8, 2020

Retail GHG Emissions Factors, Data & Methodology

Summary of sources for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions factors, data, and methodology relevant to retailers who are developing a company GHG inventory.

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SASB for Retail

In this webinar Taylor Reed and Neil Stewart from SASB discuss how SASB applies to retail.

May 27, 2021

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How Retailers are Setting & Implementing Targets Webinar

Webinar featuring CDP and CVS Health on Science-Based Targets (SBTs) and Scope 3 emissions reduction approaches.

July 25, 2019

Scope 1 & 2 GHG Emissions Tracking and Data Collection

Melinda Wolfe and Olivia Hill of Schneider Electric share leading practices for collecting and estimating Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions data.

February 1, 2023

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Serving the Conscious Consumer through Digital Platforms

Recording from the Serving the Conscious Consumer through Digital Platforms call

Setting and Meeting Sustainable Packaging Goals

RILA, Kim Carswell and Dr. Sandeep Kulkarni discussed best practices for setting and meeting sustainable packaging goals.

March 23, 2023

State Energy Efficiency & Building Natural Gas Laws/Codes

A quick reference tool for retailers on the energy efficiency laws and codes in the U.S.

Sustainable Fleets: Transportation + Sustainability Series

eIQ Mobility, IKEA, and Beveridge & Diamond discuss sustainable fleets.

June 30, 2021

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Sustainable Packaging Innovations

2021 Retailer Environmental Roundtable session with Kate Barry (Chainalytics), Ann Meitz (3M), and Dennis Raffa (CHEP).

November 4, 2021

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Sustainable Packaging Webinar Recording

Sustainable Packaging Coalition & Walmart on industry initiatives to improve packaging sustainability.(Members-only. Please log-in to access).

May 7, 2019

Sustainable Protective Packaging Innovation Challenge

Open innovation challenge webinar for startups & entrepreneurs to showcase their innovations in protective packaging materials.

May 5, 2020

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TCFD for Retail

In this webinar Curtis Ravenel from TCFD and Ran Tao with Estee Lauder Companies discuss how TCFD applies to retail.

May 13, 2021

Textile Circularity: The Missing Links Webinar

Discussion with industry experts on what’s still needed to make meaningful progress towards textile circularity.

July 8, 2020

The Value of Diversity Certifications Webinar

Learn about the landscape of supplier diversity groups from first-hand experts.

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Third Party Risk Management Webinar

Daniel Click, Greg Matthews & Mitushi Pitti from KPMG shared findings from KPMG's Global Third Party Risk Management Outlook 2020 Report Survey

February 10, 2021

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Top Trends for 2022 (Compliance Considerations)

2021 Retailer Environmental Roundtable Session with Jay Kairam (Walmart), Ron Jarvis (The Home Depot), and Andy Dabydeen (Canadian Tire).

November 3, 2021

Upstream Innovation - Packaging Solutions

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation discusses what upstream innovation is and how it applies to key circular economy strategies, focused on reuse. Guest presentations by Walmart, Walgreens, and Ulta Beauty

March 16, 2021