How Steelcase Leads Global Renewable Energy Adoption Through Long-Term Purchasing and Climate Strategy

Steelcase formally launched its renewable energy purchasing efforts in 2001, signaling its intent to become a founding member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership. This early commitment marked the beginning of what would become a long-term, evolving strategy to decarbonize the company’s global electricity use.

In its initial years, Steelcase procured renewable energy credits (RECs) from landfill gas and other renewable sources, covering a modest share of its electricity consumption. By 2006, however, the company had taken a bold and unprecedented step: purchasing the naming rights and all RECs produced by a wind farm in Panhandle, Texas. Renamed the Wege Wind Farm, the project supplied renewable energy equivalent to as much as 20 percent of Steelcase’s global electricity use through 2013, an industry first at the time.

Based in West Michigan with operations worldwide, Steelcase’s renewable energy leadership has influenced not only its own environmental footprint, but also broader corporate approaches to clean energy procurement.

Subhead: Integrating Climate Action Into Corporate Strategy

Steelcase’s renewable energy efforts are now part of a broader, integrated climate strategy focused on long-term resilience and risk management.

“Most recently, the work we’re doing is focusing attention on climate change directly,” says Maeve Burns, senior sustainability analyst at Steelcase. “A lot of the work we have done historically has been pursuing discrete initiatives in sustainability—whether that’s product certifications, renewable energy, waste reduction or water reduction. Now we are trying to collect all of that under one broader umbrella of a climate change strategy.”

This shift reflects Steelcase’s growing emphasis on understanding climate-related risks across its entire value chain and aligning sustainability initiatives with core business strategy.

Beyond formal renewable energy purchases, Steelcase has prioritized employee engagement to embed sustainability into its global corporate culture. By aligning climate goals with its mission to transform work, workers, and workplaces, the company encourages teams across regions to participate in climate action.

“We are establishing and implementing energy and renewable energy targets to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy,” Burns says. “We are committed to identifying and quantifying the risks of climate change on our business and understanding its potential impacts—not only to benefit the planet, but to make our company more resilient in the future.”

Steelcase’s leadership has been widely recognized, including receiving the 2018 West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum Climate Leadership Award.

By 2012, Steelcase began evaluating additional renewable energy strategies with the goal of sourcing 100 percent renewable energy equivalent to its global electricity consumption. The company defines clean renewable energy as electricity generated from solar, wind, geothermal, and small-scale hydroelectric facilities.

In 2014, Steelcase formalized this ambition by joining RE100, committing to source 100 percent renewable electricity annually. The company has met this commitment every year since through a diversified portfolio of renewable energy investments.

A major milestone came in 2016, when Steelcase executed a virtual power purchase agreement (vPPA) with the Grant Plains Wind Project in Oklahoma, covering more than 50 percent of its global electricity use. Additional RECs and environmental attribute certificates (EACs) from wind, solar, and hydro projects around the world enable Steelcase to reach its 100 percent target.