The Home Depot issued its 2019 Responsibility Report, which details the company's 2018 progress on its commitment to its three pillars — Operate Sustainably, Focus on People and Strengthen Our Communities, including a commitment to reducing carbon emissions 50 percent by 2035.  Additional highlights include:

Operate Sustainably:

In 2018, the world's largest home improvement retailer set science-based targets to achieve a 40% reduction in its carbon emissions by 2030 and a 50% reduction by 2035

U.S. store energy use decreased 26% compared to 2010, ahead of the company's stated goal for a 20% reduction in consumption by 2020

Supply chain efficiencies implemented by The Home Depot reduced carbon dioxide intensity by 6% per dollar sold

Under the company's responsible sourcing policy, The Home Depot conducted 1,362 factory audits and 1,649 follow-up visits in 2018

Focus on People:

The company announced a new goal to invest more than 1 million hours per year over the next five years in training and development to help associates grow their careers

The report also includes additional disclosure on the diversity of its more than 400,000-associate workforce, which was 44% minority and 38% female in 2018

According to the annual Voice of the Associate survey, four out of five associates feel emotionally committed to The Home Depot

Strengthen Our Communities

In 2018, The Home Depot Foundation committed an additional $250 million to veteran causes, taking the total commitment to half a billion dollars by 2025

The foundation also gave nearly $5 million in 2018 to help communities affected by natural disasters

The foundation announced a $50 million commitment to train 20,000 skilled trades men and women by 2028

New to the report this year is the inclusion of 10 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that align with The Home Depot's sphere of influence. The report also includes additional charts on materiality touchpoints, progress on stated goals and an ESG transparency chart that highlights The Home Depot's key environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics from 2016 through 2018.

In addition to these improvements, the report includes detailed information about the company's diversity and inclusion programs; data security oversight; ethical business practices that extend to global suppliers; Home Depot's efforts to reduce environmental impact through the products it sells; and the company's commitment to improving the lives of military veterans, easing the U.S. labor gap and helping victims of natural disasters.

"Our associates, suppliers and customers drive our sustainability success," said Ron Jarvis, vice president of environmental innovation for The Home Depot. "The 2019 Responsibility Report showcases outstanding examples of our core values – how we work together to create a business that's inclusive, ethical and sustainable. We continue to challenge ourselves to think innovatively and keep raising the bar for sustainability."