More than 50 years ago, on April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day celebration was held. More than 20 million Americans gathered to celebrate a day that would mark the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement.
Hugh Cherne was in the crowd that day, and at the time he didn’t know the profound impact it would have on his future career or lead him to Best Buy. Now the company’s associate director of sustainability, the day lives on in Hugh’s memory as one that helped make him who he is today. It was then that Hugh’s passion for protecting the environment began.
Since joining Best Buy in 2000, Hugh has played an important role in helping the sustainability team set and achieve ambitious goals for the company. As a leader in the space, he has helped reduce our carbon emissions by 62% since 2009 and co-chaired our Water Stewardship Action Committee, significantly reducing water use company-wide. He also played a role in Best Buy signing The Climate Pledge, a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2040.
Earlier this year, Hugh was named a First Movers Fellow by the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program, a program for consummate innovators within companies who are creating new products, services, and management practices that increase business value and make of the world a better place.
“I am extremely honored to have been selected for this program that pushed me to think outside the box,” said Hugh. “It was an incredible opportunity to meet with other leaders in the sustainability and social impact space, all of whom are committed to driving meaningful and lasting change.”
During his time on the prestigious show, Hugh focused on thinking about new ways to make sustainable technology more accessible, especially as it relates to underserved communities, ensuring that everyone has the access and ability to live in a sustainable way. more sustainable life.
“This program and the work I do at Best Buy is about creating the future we all want,” said Hugh. “With the complex impacts arising from climate change, we need to collectively come together to design solutions that enable a more resilient, prosperous, equitable and sustainable world.”
Best Buy has a long history of prioritizing sustainability efforts across the country. Through initiatives that include recycling more than 2.5 billion pounds of electronics and appliances to offer ENERGY STAR® certified products to help customers reduce their carbon emissions, we proudly continue our journey toward building a more sustainable future.
For more information on Best Buy’s sustainability efforts, click here.
Source: corporate.bestbuy.com