Our vision is to co-create an equitable and regenerative future together with our guests, partners and communities.
Target takes a holistic view of sustainability, with efforts focused on our business driving positive impact for both people and planet while also generating business results. We see sustainability efforts as part of an interconnected system, where our actions help address climate change, restore natural systems and drive opportunity and equity for our teams, communities and partners. These actions impact and reinforce one another to create change that is good for all.
Our work to bring solutions that better serve our communities and our environment can be seen across our business, including our sustainable product assortments, the increasing renewable energy footprint in our operations, our team members’ voluntary donations of their time and how we leverage our business assets to meet the needs of our communities.
Target Forward continues work toward these commitments and builds on our durable business model and culture of care that serves our guests, team members, partners and communities well — and delivers strong results.
The list below is a starting set of milestones we have established through ongoing listening and collaboration with our partners and communities. We will evolve and add to this list as we work to achieve our vision of a more equitable and regenerative future for all. Progress against these Target Forward goals will be updated annually through our sustainability and governance reporting.
As a company and a member of the global community, it’s imperative for the health of both our business and our planet that we embrace new ways to move forward. We know sustainability is tied to business resiliency and growth, and that our size and scale can drive change that is good for all. Target Forward deepens our collaboration with our partners and builds on our past efforts to ensure a better future for generations to come.
Target aims to elevate owned, national and emerging sustainable brands that are affordable, inclusive and inspirational.
Target is committed to a sustainable and inclusive supply chain that is just and equitable for all workers.
Target plans to partner across the value chain to design solutions that eliminate waste, while providing ease and convenience.
Target commits to being a net zero enterprise by 2040.
Target aims to create an equitable and inclusive workforce and workplace.
Target will help enable the vitality and resilience of our team and the communities we serve.
By 2030, Target intends for the leading raw materials (e.g., forest products, cotton and more) that go into our owned brand products to be 100% recycled, regenerative2 or sustainably sourced.
In several of our owned brands, including Everspring, Universal Thread, Spritz and Cat & Jack, we are already implementing our Chemicals Policy and Forest Products Policy.
Focus areas of these policies and programs include:
Our teams will continue designing to eliminate waste — using materials that are regenerative2, recycled or sourced sustainably — to create products that are more durable, easily repaired or recyclable.
By 2025, Target aims to offer two circular owned brands.
By 2025, Target intends to have 100% of our owned brand plastic packaging be recyclable, compostable or reusable.
Target aims to empower team members to create the employment experience of their choice through personalized scheduling.
Expanded access to comprehensive health benefits for hourly team members working a minimum average of 25 hours/week.
In 2021, launched a new debt-free education assistance benefit, giving our U.S.-based team members access to free undergraduate and associates degrees, certificates, bootcamp programs, textbooks, course fees and more with no out-of-pocket costs required.
Improved access to more stable schedules and transparency around scheduling policies to accommodate team members’ desired hours, including a new mobile scheduling app that allows team members to conveniently add or swap shifts.
By 2025, Target and Target Foundation plan to evolve our philanthropic practices and place-based solutions to invite participation from communities.
We’ll continue to evolve and add to this list of milestones as we work to achieve our vision of a more equitable and regenerative future for all. We will provide updates on our goal progress in our annual sustainability and governance reporting.
1. To calculate the percentage of renewable electricity in Target’s operations, we evaluate both the amount of renewable electricity from Target’s projects and the renewable electricity in the grid. This total renewable electricity is then compared to Target’s total electricity use per the following equation: Target’s Renewable Electricity % = (Target Renewable Electricity Projects + Renewable Electricity in the Grid) / Target Electricity Use.
2. Operating the business in a way that does not just stop harming the environment but helps restore and regrow natural systems. For example, regenerative agriculture is a rehabilitation approach to farming systems that focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity and improving the water cycle.
3. Developing and manufacturing Target owned brand products, including taking steps to eliminate waste, keep products and materials in use longer, and decrease our dependency on natural resources.
4. Data covers food and beverage, and essentials and beauty categories only.
5. Net zero, as defined, is achieved when a company’s scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions are reduced to a level that is consistent with a 1.5°C pathway, and any residual emissions are removed from the atmosphere through either nature-based or technological carbon removal solutions (e.g., forestry, regenerative agriculture, carbon capture technology), by no later than 2050, in alignment with the Paris Agreement. Target has committed to net zero greenhouse gas emissions across our enterprise, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement.
6. Fulfillment only.
7. The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse and recovery of products, packaging and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water or air that threaten the environment or human health, as established by the Zero Waste International Alliance. The threshold to be considered “Zero Waste” is normally set at a minimum of 90% diversion rate.