Wal-Mart’s Promise to the Environment

In his October 2005 speech, Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott outlined a series of environmental sustainability efforts, timelines and benchmarks (PDF) the company would pursue to lessen its footprint on the world's landscape. You can download the PDF here. He defined Wal-Mart's goals as follows:

1. To be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy.
2. To create zero waste.
3. To sell products that sustain our resources and environment.

As Wal-Mart Watch stated in "A Handshake With Sam," Wal-Mart has a moral responsibility to demonstrate sound environmental stewardship in every step of its supply chain. Read more about Wal-Mart's environmental issues and what you can do about them.

Examining Wal-Mart's Environmental Promises

		It's Not Easy Being Green The Truth Behind Wal-Mart's Environmental Makeover (PDF)
		Is Wal-Mart Really a "Green" Company? While Wal-Mart has taken some commendable steps forward during the past year, the company has a long way to go to reverse the damage it has inflicted and show it is serious about its environmental efforts.  (PDF)
		Sustaining Wal-Mart The March/April issue of Wal-Mart Watch In Depth examines Wal-Mart's sustainability: not only the company's environmental efforts, but its business model as a whole. Articles examine Wal-Mart's land use strategies, exhaustive labor practices and ways the company can improve its prospects. (PDF)

Words from Environmental Task Force Members

Why You Should Care

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest company, has a history of building large stores in environmentally sensitive areas, has been cited by the EPA for Clean Air and Clean Water violations, and is, in its own words, responsible for nearly 250 million tons of greenhouse gases each year.

Recently, Wal-Mart has promised to be an industry leader for environmental sustainability. If Wal-Mart makes good on its promises to use 100% renewable energy and produce zero waste through its supply chain, the positive effects on global warming, the use of toxic chemicals in production and sustainable product sourcing could be tremendous. It is our mission to hold Wal-Mart accountable for its promises and to encourage them to be a morally responsible company. We will be watching.

For more information, make sure you check out our environment research page.

Three Areas to Watch

Wal-Mart must establish firm timelines and benchmarks for each of its sustainability initiatives, accept third-party validation and measurement of its efforts and broaden the definition of sustainability to include wages and workers conditions in three main areas of its operations--Stores, Products, and Supply Chain.

Recently Wal-Mart announced a 5 percent reduction in total packaing over a five year period beginning in 2008, indicating that the company has heard the message that it must define clear and public goals and timetables. We encourage Wal-Mart to go further and do the same for its other value networks.

		1. Stores For Wal-Mart to keep its promise to be an environmentally responsible company, it is vital for the company to keep its commitment to site and operate its stores in a sustainable manner. Click here to learn what Wal-Mart must do to keep its promise of environmentally-friendly stores.
		2. Products Wal-Mart must meet its commitment to “sell products that sustain our resources and environment” by submitting specific timetables and benchmarks for improving the company’s in-store products and by submitting to third-party validation to ensure that consumers and the environment are being treated fairly. Click here to learn more about what Wal-Mart must do to meet its commitment to sell safe and sustainable products.
		3. Supply Chain The area where Wal-Mart has the largest environmental impact or "footprint" is in its supply chain. The sourcing, production and shipping of the millions of products that Wal-Mart sells has a tremendous impact on the environment. Click here to learn more about what Wal-Mart must do to meet its commitment to an environmentally sensitive supply chain.