Lowe’s Canada to update DC docks as part of GHG initiative

BOUCHERVILLE, Quebec – Lowe’s Canada, as part of a newly announced GHG reduction target, will be replacing lighting and dock door seals at its stores and distribution centres.

To achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 40 per cent below 2016 levels by 2030, Lowe’s Canada is focusing first on the completion of a series of energy-efficiency initiatives that represent a total investment of over $24 million in its distribution centres and corporate stores across the country.

Achieving this target will allow the organization to reduce its GHG emissions by 41,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalents, which can be compared to removing over 12,500 vehicles from circulation.

During the coming weeks, Lowe’s Canada will finish installing building management systems in several of its stores across the country, a project that began in 2018.

By the end of 2020, 230 Lowe’s, RONA, and Reno-Depot corporate stores will be equipped with an indoor and outdoor lighting automation system to optimize energy consumption, as well as automated and remotely controlled heating and cooling so that energy is only used during business hours. In Quebec, the implementation of this initiative was made possible thanks to $340,793 in financial support from Transition énergétique Québec.

The lighting systems in 162 corporate stores from the Lowe’s Canada network will also have been replaced by LED systems by the end of 2020. In 2022, it is estimated that these two initiatives will have allowed the organization to reduce its GHG emissions by approximately 8.6 percent, relative to 2016.

“As a responsible retailer, we have taken various concrete actions in recent years to reduce the environmental footprint of our Canadian operations. Our GHG target is ambitious, but we are determined to do what it takes to achieve it,” said Jean-Sébastien Lamoureux, senior vice-president, public affairs, asset protection and sustainable development at Lowe’s Canada.

“After our store network, we will focus on energy efficiency at two of our distribution centres. We will start with the one in Boucherville, which is adjacent to our head office, where we will replace the dock seals around 40 doors to improve insulation. As in our stores, we will also replace the lighting system and install a new building management system,” added Jean-Sébastien Lamoureux.

The work at the Boucherville distribution centre, which represents an investment of over $500,000, began in the first week of March.