Kohl’s Named ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Tenth Consecutive Year

Recognition honors Kohl’s continued environmental, social and governance (ESG) stewardship and the company’s longstanding commitment to energy efficiency

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is proud to receive the 2021 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy. This year marks the 10th consecutive year that the EPA has recognized Kohl’s with the Sustained Excellence award, the highest honor bestowed by the ENERGY STAR program and selection from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners.

“Kohl’s has been a longtime partner of the EPA on our journey to continually implement the best practices available in energy efficiency across our store network and facilities to reduce our carbon footprint and do our part to fight climate change,” said Steve Thomas, Kohl’s chief risk and compliance officer. “This recognition is a tangible way to show our associates, our customers, our communities and our business partners the work that our teams do ‘behind-the-scenes’ to operate our business efficiently and conscientiously.”

More than 90% of Kohl’s stores are ENERGY STAR certified, including two stores newly certified within the past calendar year. Kohl’s continues to retrofit its stores with high-efficiency lighting to reduce emissions and save electricity. In 2020, the company converted 45 stores to lighting fixtures with LEDs, which will help save more than 10 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year.

Kohl’s customers can check to see if their local Kohl’s stores are ENERGY STAR certified by looking for the ENERGY STAR decals at the front entrances of certified stores. For a complete list of 2021 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.

Environmental Stewardship at Kohl’s

In addition to the ENERGY STAR award, Kohl’s is proud to have been recognized recently in the following areas for demonstrating its commitment to implementing the company’s environmental sustainability initiatives.

• In 2020, Kohl’s was recognized with a SmartWay® 2020 Excellence Award from the EPA as an industry leader in freight supply chain, environmental performance and energy efficiency. Kohl’s was one of just 17 shipper and logistics companies to receive the distinction last year, in recognition of the company’s sustainability efforts and exceptional performance moving goods in the cleanest and most energy-efficient way possible, leading to cleaner and healthier communities.
• The EPA also recognized Kohl’s with its 2019 WasteWise Regional Award for excellence in waste management, leading large businesses in its practices of recycling and preventing waste. Kohl’s set a goal in 2019 to divert 85% of its U.S. operational waste from landfills by the end of 2025. During 2019, the company achieved a 84% waste diversion rate from landfills against this goal, recycling more than 140,000 tons of material. The 2020/2021 WasteWise Awards will be announced in Fall 2021.
• Kohl’s was also named to the 2020 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America by S&P Global, marking the third year in a row the company received this recognition based on financially material ESG factors. The DJSI helps to evaluate a company’s impact on people, communities and the planet for socially-conscious investors.

For more details about Kohl’s commitment to sustainability, please refer to the company’s 2019 CSR Report or the forthcoming 2020 ESG Report later this month. Additional information about Kohl’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts can be found on the company’s corporate website, Corporate.Kohls.com.

About Kohl’s

Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a leading omnichannel retailer. With more than 1,100 stores in 49 states and the online convenience of Kohls.com and the Kohl's App, Kohl's offers amazing national and exclusive brands at incredible savings for families nationwide. Kohl’s is uniquely positioned to deliver against its strategy and its vision to be the most trusted retailer of choice for the active and casual lifestyle. Kohl’s is committed to progress in its diversity and inclusion pledges, and the company's environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) stewardship. For a list of store locations or to shop online, visit Kohls.com. For more information about Kohl’s impact in the community or how to join our winning team, visit Corporate.Kohls.com or follow @KohlsNews on Twitter.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40% of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped American families and businesses avoid more than $450 billion in energy costs and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR can be found at: https://www.energystar.gov/about and https://www.energystar.gov/about/origins_mission/energy_star_numbers