When thinking about climate change, global warming and efforts being put into place to address both, Starbucks coffee chain probably isn't the first company that comes to mind. Because Starbucks is that huge, mega-chain coffee outlet that makes saying "non-fat soy latte, no foam" sorta yuppy-ish and fun.
But Starbucks, according to Climate Counts watchdog group, is a leader when it comes to tackling world environmental issues on numerous fronts.
This summer, for example, as temperatures climb, green umbrellas are popping open on Starbucks storefronts across the U.S.A. The Starbucks green umbrella represents a season of change with the signature celebrity "Green Umbrellas for a Green Cause" campaign and auction.
The umbrellas, designed by celebrity artists Chad Lowe, America Ferrera, Lance Bass, Jo Frost and others, are works of art reflecting the theme: "Be Green this Summer."
The celebrity signature umbrellas are being auctioned off at the Starbucks website and all proceeds go to Global Green USA, a national leader in advocating for smart solutions to global warming. In addition Starbucks is donating $25,000 to Global Green.
During the past two years Starbucks has supported Global Green USA's efforts at educating the public about global warming by collaborating with them to develop and launch Planet Green Game, an interactive, educational online game that educates players about climate change while advocating individual action by encouraging players to become part of the solution.
On a similar front, the chain will begin promoting the documentary film 'Arctic Tale' at the end of July. The documentary about global warming was produced by Paramount Classics and National Geographic Films.
"Our role is really to do as good a job as we can to raise awareness about climate change and tell our customers this is an important issue," Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment, said recently.
The collaboration between Starbucks and the film industry was fueled by a concern for the issue of climate change.
"It was about the story," said Harry Clein, a marketing consultant at National Geographic Films. "(Starbucks said) this is a project we'd like to be a part of because we would be proud of it, and we like the ideas of it." The company was the first outside the creative family to see the film, he said.
"I think it's a great place for parents and people stopping for coffee on their way to work to become aware of the film," Clein said. "With a Starbucks on just about every corner - what a great town crier."
Promotional events include in-store signings, incorporation of the soundtrack in the in-store music program, DVD sales and a national day of discussion - August 15 - featuring keynote speakers and a venue for customers to talk about climate change.
"This is an opportunity for us to take it to the next step and talk about possible solutions," Lombard said. Starbucks began branching into the arts in 2004 with the release of Ray Charles' "Genius Loves Company" by Hear Music, the company's record label. The album was the label's first non-compilation release. Since then, Hear Music has produced albums by Alanis Morissette and Paul McCartney, among others.
The film, Artic Tale, narrated by Queen Latifah and directed by Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson, tells the story of a polar bear and a walrus throughout their life journeys. As global warming causes the ice to melt, they must adapt to their changing environment.
It's these lessons about climate change the producers hope the audience will take away from the film.
At the grassroots level, Starbucks maintains it also helps coffee cultivating communities it partners with. According to the corporation's website, the company strives toward building "mutually-beneficial" relationships with coffee farmers and communities by taking an integrated approach.
This includes paying premium prices to coffee farmers to aid in profits and sustainability, providing farmers with loan access, credit and investment opportunities for future building, encouraging a set of socially responsible coffee buying guidelines by offering preferential buying status to verified high scorers in farmer equity practices and investing in social programs to build schools, health clinics and other projects that benefit coffee-growing communities.
The company also employs Certified and Conservation Coffees Purchasing practices including buying Fair Trade Certified™, shade grown and certified organic, to promote responsible environmental and economic efforts. In Costa Rica, Starbucks collaborates with farmers through a Farmer Support Center to provide technical support and training.
"We revamped our coffee-buying practices several years ago to include specific criteria for environmental preservation…" Starbucks' 2006 annual report reads. "We believe this approach will help to support and encourage ecological stability and resilience in coffee-growing areas across the globe. Today we are facing…environmental risks posed by climate change that may affect various aspects of our business, including coffee production. We are mindful of our own environmental footprint and the impacts our operations may be having."