Gap Reports Greenhouse Emissions Reduction

Gap Inc. (San Francisco) issued its fourth comprehensive report on its social responsibility programs, highlighting performance and data results covering 2007 and 2008. In the report, Gap shares that it beat its five-year U.S. EPA Climate Leaders goal and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent from 2003 to 2008.

The apparel retailer has also recycled more than 45 tons of paper, cardboard and containers from its North America corporate offices, distribution centers and stores and installed a one-megawatt solar power system at a California distribution center. The company expects to generate approximately 1.9 million kilowatt-hours annually from the sun.

Among worker-related initiatives, Gap says it has developed a capacity-building program that focuses on working with factories to develop management skills and systems that help prevent problems from arising in the first place and introduced the P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement, Career Enhancement) program, which provides life and workplace skills to nearly 300 female garment workers in the developing world.

“As we celebrate four decades of Gap bringing casual apparel to the world, we also recognize the challenges we’ve faced as a global retailer,” says chairman and ceo Glenn Murphy. “We continue our promise of embracing our role and commit to always strive to do better in the years to come.”

The full report is posted on the retailer’s website at www.gapinc.com/socialresponsibility. By posting the report online, Gap says it hopes to communicate more frequently to people on important social responsibility issues and to include stakeholders and consumers in more discussions of making sustainable business and buying decisions.