Sears Holdings Wins EPA's Highest Honor -- the "Corporate Commitment Award" for World-Class Programs in Energy Management and Product Retailing

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of its leadership in energy efficiency and commitment to continuous improvement, Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD) has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR® program's highest honor: the ENERGY STAR "Corporate Commitment Award."

Sears Holdings received this distinction as a result of superior achievements and best practices encompassing Product Retailing and Energy Management that Sears executes above and beyond industry energy efficiency standards. Sears Holdings is just the fifth corporation to earn the Corporate Commitment distinction in the EPA's history, and is the first company to receive the award since 2005.  Additionally, Kmart achieved ENERGY STAR Leaders recognition for reducing energy consumption since 2008 by more than 10 percent in its portfolio of buildings.

"It is a remarkable honor for Sears Holdings to receive this rarely awarded designation for Corporate Commitment, and to us it is a validation that we are focused on the right things—our customers and making their lives better," said Lou D'Ambrosio, chief executive officer and president of Sears Holdings. "One of our greatest priorities is to provide our shoppers with meaningful savings. ENERGY STAR products—appliances in particular, offer financial benefits over a product's lifetime. We are very proud to be recognized for our commitment to being a leading retailer in this space."

Sears Holdings has joined forces with ENERGY STAR for more than 13 years and continues to demonstrate its dedication as a sustainable retailer. Through internal and external initiatives, Sears Holdings empowers and educates both associates and customers about the importance of energy efficiency and the significant impact that purchasing products that earn the ENERGY STAR, the government-backed symbol of energy efficiency, has on the environment.

"As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ENERGY STAR program, EPA is proud to recognize Sears Holdings with the 2012 ENERGY STAR Corporate Commitment Award," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Sears Holdings and all our ENERGY STAR award winners truly demonstrate how the leadership and commitment from EPA's partners has made a difference in the lives of Americans since 1992 saving them billions of dollars in energy costs and improving the health of our families, the planet and our future."

Some notable accomplishments leading to Sears Holdings receipt of the ENERGY STAR Corporate Commitment award in 2012 include:

• Product Selection: Sears merchants continued working to maintain and increase the selection of ENERGY STAR qualified products. Some successes include nearly doubling Sears ENERGY STAR "Trim a Home" Seasonal SKUs, releasing new ENERGY STAR qualified Craftsman® products, and earning the Most Efficient designation on four Kenmore® Elite clothes washers. Additionally, in 2011, Sears Home Services became involved in the Electric Vehicle charging station industry and continued to encourage customers to be energy efficient in their product and service selections. Sears Commercial, the Business-to-Business division of Sears Holdings, provided a robust selection of innovative energy efficiency products and services to a variety of industries, including home appliances, to a variety of industries including building/property management, education, hospitality, insurance, healthcare and government.
• Marketing: In support of the "ENERGY STARs Across America" campaign, Sears held a variety of educational and sales events at stores and other venues nationwide. Numerous events were promoted through online and social media channels, from the "Get Your Green On" show at Kenmore Live Studio in Chicago, to the "Tap into Savings" flash mob at a Sears store in Massachusetts. Sears also showcased ENERGY STAR qualified products and information, and encouraged visitors to take the ENERGY STAR pledge on its green website (sears.com/green).
• Partnership: Sears has been a strong supporter of promoting the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient designation, introduced this year, both in stores and online and will continue to collaborate as more categories are added. Additionally, Sears is excited that both Kmart and Kenmore joined in support of the ENERGY STAR program this year and looks forward to developing these relationships.

Through its Energy Management efforts, Sears Holdings incorporated ENERGY STAR principles supporting the ENERGY STAR commercial buildings program, as well as a variety of initiatives—from installing motion sensors to control lighting in its stores, to corporate executives reviewing energy performance. Among the initiatives that contributed to this distinction include the following:

• ENERGY STAR Leaders: In 2011, Kmart Corporation achieved ENERGY STAR Leaders recognition for exceeding the Leaders 10% energy reduction threshold for its portfolio of buildings. In fact, since January 2008, Kmart has reduced energy consumed in its buildings by 11.4%. This equates to a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 176,046 MtCO2e/year. Kmart has achieved this accomplishment through store lighting retrofits at over 860 facilities, the use of building energy management systems, and sound energy disciplines.
• ENERGY STAR Buildings: Sears Holdings has earned the ENERGY STAR certification for 151 buildings in 2011.
• Building Competitions: In 2011, Sears Holdings participated in two groundbreaking energy competitions. Sears Grand in Cape Girardeau, Mo., proved a fierce competitor in the ENERGY STAR National Building Competition, placing 32nd among 245 participants with a 20 percent energy reduction. Furthermore, in consultation with the EPA, Sears Holdings launched its first energy competition, the Kmart Kilowatt Challenge.
• Energy Savings: Since 2006, Sears Holdings has achieved an extraordinary 1,371,648,000 kWh* in electricity savings. Performance reports from EPA's energy management tool, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, illustrate Sears Holdings' progress, specifically a 6.5 kBtu/square foot reduction (4.31 percent improvement) in 2011.

"Sears Holdings has so fully integrated the ENERGY STAR program into our energy goals, it has become a part of our DNA," said Mike LeRoy, energy director for Sears Holdings. "With Sears' expansive building footprint encompassing thousands of retail stores nationwide, we emphasize best-in-class energy management as a powerful tool to reduce our environmental impact."

EPA's annual ENERGY STAR Awards event honors organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. Sears Holdings' accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 2012.

For more information on Sears ENERGY STAR efforts, visit http://www.sears.com/energystar, and for details on Sears Environmental Sustainability Initiatives, visit http://www.sears.com/green or follow @EnviroSears on Twitter.

*Reduction was calculated using the year over year kWh savings from FY06-FY10, then adding FY11 savings (over FY10 year to date electricity usage). FY11 year to date runs through September. Calculations include sites that have since become inactive but do not include Lands' End data.   

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with over 4,000 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, consumer electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Sears Holdings is the 2011 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands'' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart. We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 11 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation. For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at www.searsholdings.com. |Twitter: @searsholdings | |Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SHCCareers.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated with energy use. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $18 billion on their utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas equivalent to those of 34 million cars. Products, homes and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR prevent emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA.  For more information, go to energystar.gov.

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation