Starbucks Changes Approach to Social Justice & Sustainability Reporting in Global Impact Report – CoffeeTalk

Starbucks has changed how it reports on social justice and sustainability in its latest global impact report. The FY2025 report does not include terms such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA2+, and pay equity, or racial and gender statistics for its workforce, though it does set out nine sustainability commitments and a section on Communities & Environment. This differs from the 2021 report under former CEO Kevin Johnson, which emphasized broad social and environmental commitments. The recent edition, released in July, also highlights CEO Brian Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” initiative, including improved store environments, more staffing, and shorter customer wait times.

The Financial Times also reported on the shift in the report’s emphasis. Starbucks says it has focused its efforts on areas where it believes it can have meaningful impact. Critics, including Starbucks Workers United, a union representing about 5% of U.S. baristas, argue the change marks a departure from the values that originally built customer loyalty.

The 2021 report gave prominence to advancing racial and social equity, including goals linked to civil rights assessments. The current report does not use phrases such as “racial equity” or “social equity,” and recent civil rights assessments are no longer on the company’s website. Workforce statistics published in August 2020, which showed a female majority and growing representation of people of color, are not included in the latest report, nor is the mentorship program for workers of color.

Starbucks has also revised the environmental goals it set for 2030, which included 50% reductions in waste sent to landfill and in greenhouse gas emissions. The FY2025 report replaces earlier goals with updated sustainability commitments. The company says it will announce a new greenhouse gas goal and strategy in 2027, citing challenges with infrastructure and supplier readiness. The report shows improvement in waste diversion, while water consumption has risen.

Starbucks maintains its workplace equality rating from the Human Rights Campaign. Its LGBTQIA2+ and pay equity commitments now appear on its corporate webpages (Belonging at Starbucks and Pride) rather than in the report. A company spokesperson said Starbucks plans to strengthen support for employees through programs such as the Starbucks College Achievement Plan and expanded parental leave.

Pullbacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments across corporate America have accelerated in the current political climate. Some experts argue the decline began earlier, after the initial surge of commitments that followed the 2020 social justice movements. Starbucks says its core values are unchanged and that it remains committed to being a company its partners and customers can be proud of.

Correction (Oct. 14, 2026): An earlier version of this story said Starbucks omitted references to sustainability in its Global Impact Report. The report includes sustainability commitments and a Communities & Environment section. The story has been updated to reflect this and to include Starbucks’ response.

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