Walmart Launches New GHG Emissions Reduction Initiative

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Walmart, Bentonville, Ark., USA, this week announced that it has set a goal to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its global supply chain by the end of 2015. This represents one and a half times the company's estimated global carbon footprint growth over the next five years and is the equivalent of taking more than 3.8 million cars off the road for a year. The project will place an increased load on the company's product suppliers, who will be under additional pressure to reduce the footprint of their products and packages throughout their entire life cycle.

The company explains that it is collaborating with the Environmental Defense Fund to develop the approach it will use to accomplish this goal. The approach looks at the supply chain on a global scale, and will engage several other key participants/advisers through the design and implementation team, which will identify projects, quantify reductions, engage suppliers, and ensure proper procedures are followed for each GHG reduction claim.