Climate

Building climate and energy resilience is how we protect what matters most: our team, our guests, our operations and our ability to grow through disruptions such as extreme weather and growing energy demand.  

Our approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions includes improving operational efficiency, investing in cleaner and more reliable energy sources, and diversifying our energy portfolio to help meet evolving business needs while managing long-term costs.  

We also work with suppliers to reduce emissions beyond our own operations, helping drive progress across our value chain. 

Our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions focus on the activities that drive the largest impact across our emissions footprint.  

• Scopes 1 and 2: Emissions from Target facilities represent 1.5% of our footprint. 
• Scope 3: Value chain emissions — generated through sourcing, production and transportation, and through guest use — account for 98.5% of our footprint. 

Target’s net zero ambition¹ supports our efforts to build a more efficient and resilient business by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption across our operations and value chain.  

We have made substantial progress, achieving our Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction and renewable electricity goals five years ahead of schedule. Since 2017, we’ve reduced Scope 3 emissions covered by our goal by nearly 11% through supplier engagement and innovation, demonstrating that science-aligned action and capability building drive measurable change. 

The greatest opportunities for Scope 3 emission reductions lie within upstream manufacturing and materials associated with Target’s owned and national brand products. Reducing value chain emissions is a critical lever in our pathway to net zero and depends on advances in industrial technology, grid decarbonization, expanded supplier capabilities and shifts in consumer behavior — all requiring cross-industry collaboration at scale.  

Over the past five years, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of where Target can drive the greatest impact and where our path to net zero depends on broader transformation across energy systems, technology, infrastructure and our value chain. Reflecting that experience, we now expect to achieve net zero beyond 2040 and no later than 2050. We’ve also extended the timeframe for our interim Scope 3 emissions reduction goal from 2030 to 2035 to better align with where we can most effectively influence progress across our value chain.  

Our approach reflects what decarbonization at scale requires. We will continue focusing our efforts where Target can have the greatest impact while partnering with suppliers, business partners and industry to help accelerate the broader transformation needed for our pathway to net zero. 

Our operations

We are building energy efficiency into our operations by switching refrigeration systems in our grocery sections to natural refrigerants, replacing natural gas heating with electric systems and transitioning to LED lighting. Renewable electricity procurement, including on-site solar and virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs), help us lower costs, support operational reliability and serve our guests consistently. 

Our value chain

Alongside our owned brand and national brand partners, we are working to reduce the most significant sources of emissions across our value chain, including those associated with producing, transporting and using the products we sell. 

We have continued to reduce scope 3 emissions while expanding supplier engagement, strengthening data and accelerating collaboration across our value chain. 

Through our supplier climate engagement programs, we collaborate with suppliers, segmented based on emissions impact, and provide tailored support to help them calculate their footprint, set science-aligned actions, scale solutions and track progress. This work includes supporting the adoption of lower-emissions technologies, advancing transportation and logistics improvements, and participating in pre-competitive collaborations that help accelerate progress across our industry. We also offer capability-building programs, including factory-level energy efficiency training and renewable energy procurement support, to accelerate decarbonization across our supply chain.