Sustainability & Climate Action

As champions of Maine agriculture and the local food movement, taking care of the environment has always been a priority for Rosemont Market & Bakery. Since 2005, when we opened the doors of our first market, we’ve focused on the ways in which we can consciously do business with respect for the land and the future of our planet.

After more than a decade in business, and as climate change becomes ever more urgent, our mission to not only run a sustainable operation, but also spread awareness around climate action, has become fervent. The ways in which we integrate sustainable practices into our daily operations are outlined within our Core Values and demonstrated through our certification with Ratio Institute. Furthermore, as a business centered in community, we seek ways in which we can support other organizations and use our voice to amplify legislation working to prevent global warming and promote positive climate action.

The Sustainable Food Retail Certification program helps food retailers achieve operational excellence and meet sustainability goals by benchmarking performance, reducing costs, and increasing margins. It does this by assessing a retailer’s practices across its operations, verifying them, and awarding certification based on points earned and compliance with requirements.

“As we continue to grow and serve Portland communities, the Sustainable Food Retail Certification has allowed us to track and measure the social, environmental and financial impact of our sustainability initiatives in our store operations,” said Rosemont General Manager Atticus Naylor. “From waste and energy reduction to operational efficiencies, this information will allow us to be more strategic in how we create positive impact for the communities we serve and our bottom line.”

Through the certification, Ratio Institute was able to estimate that Rosemont Market & Bakery is already saving more than 595,954 kWh of electricity per year through its energy efficiency efforts. That equates to 422 metric tons of CO²e not being released into the atmosphere, the equivalent of 92 passenger vehicles driven for one year. Those savings are valued at $66,000, an average of $11,000 per store.

“Rosemont Market & Bakery is an excellent example of a community leader and how businesses in food retail are beginning to realize the value of being more sustainable,” noted Peter Cooke, director of Programs and Partnerships for Ratio Institute. “Rosemont Marketplace believes in being a good steward and by benchmarking and advancing initiatives to reduce their impact on the planet and operating more efficiently, they are showing that they value both their employees and their customers.”

Rosemont Market & Bakery has joined thousands of others including businesses, individuals, education groups, faith groups, local governments, tribal entities, news media groups, and non-profits across the United States in support of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. While we believe small changes at home, in our business, and in our community can, and do, make a big impact, this is simply not enough. We need to do more and act quickly to reduce carbon emissions at large scale. 

Simply put, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act places a fee on fossil fuels. The fee starts small and increases over time in an effort to encourage Americans to move toward alternative energy options. In addition to paying the administrative costs of the program, the fee is distributed directly to the American people in the form of a dividend to off-set individual’s spend on clean energy solutions. To learn more, visit the Energy Innovation Act website.

Join us. We encourage our farmers, suppliers, and community members to support the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. As an individual, you can do so by calling your member of congress. As an organization, you can do so by adding your endorsement.