Starbucks Global Responsibility Report

From 2001-2009, Cone worked closely with Starbucks on its Global Responsibility (GR), formerly CSR, strategies and communications, including the Starbucks Annual GR Report. This type of reporting has become an important communication tool for Starbucks to provide transparency and inform stakeholders of its GR/sustainability practices and performance. The company also uses these annual reports to discuss successes and challenges related to its GR initiatives, engage key stakeholders in dialogue, and provide all audiences with the opportunity to determine for themselves how well the company is upholding its commitments and living its values.

Cone worked with Starbucks to identify key issues for inclusion in its 2007 and 2008 Reports, building on a materiality assessment that Cone conducted to ensure the most significant issues of importance to the company and its stakeholders were being addressed. Cone interviewed internal subject matter experts, examined source documents and conducted external research to develop report content on these material issues. The annual reports have also contained coverage of sensitive matters, such as a misunderstanding in 2007 between Starbucks and the Ethiopian government over trademarks of regional designations, which was successfully resolved.

The annual work products Cone has produced for Starbucks include:

• Integrated 2009 Progress Update dashboard on the Starbucks.com website
• A full online version of Starbucks 2008 and 2007 Annual GR Reports
• Short printed report focused on the company’s coffee purchasing practices
• In-store highlights brochure geared for customers