CEO Lee Scott Admits “Wal-Mart Isn’t Green”
For Immediate Release
Friday, March 14, 2008
Today, in an interview at the ECO:nomics conference in California, Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott admitted, “We are not green.” When asked how his company would achieve its lofty environmental goals of 100% renewable energy and zero waste, Lee Scott replied: “I haven’t a clue.”
This is the first time Scott has admitted so candidly that the company has no tangible plan to implement the changes it has promised. Scott admits that Wal-Mart’s business model depends on growth and he fully realizes that the hundreds of stores Wal-Mart plans to open annually will far outweigh any nominal achievements in lowering energy use - an issue Wal-Mart Watch has repeatedly pointed out.
“While Lee Scott’s honesty is refreshing, the fundamental problem with Wal-Mart’s green efforts is its willingness to distract from its poor business practices with extensive public relations campaigns rather than make substantive, measurable changes,” said Wal-Mart Watch spokeswoman Stacie Temple .
“If Wal-Mart is truly committed to sustainability, then it must do what it has not yet done - set and achieve real goals and begin to reduce the amount of energy required to produce each dollar of revenue,” Temple added. “It is time for Wal-Mart to stop talking and start doing.”
Relevant links:
Wal-Mart: “We Are Not Green” [Wall Street Journal Blog]
Wal-Mart’s Environmental Effects [Wall Street Journal Video]
