Starbucks, once America’s most environmentally guilt-ridden company, has finally acknowledged reality.

“We are actively reassessing our 2030 greenhouse gas emissions target due to regulatory changes, evolving international standards, and ongoing operational realities,” Starbucks said this week.

It has let dozens of people on its sustainability team go as it grapples with severe cost pressures that have forced it to close 250 of its stores in North America.

Katie Herod, a former strategy principal for Starbucks, says the company once “lived its mission and values so overtly it almost felt like a cult,” but has now clearly changed.

As our study found, corporate participation in NetZero initiatives – which would effectively phase-out oil, natural gas and coal usage – has fallen by nearly 90% over the past four years.

We welcome Starbucks as the newest convert to climate reality.