The world’s largest retailer has recently launched a sustainability platform with the purpose of slashing one billion tonnes of emissions from its supply chain. Walmart’s Project Gigaton initiative aims to provide an emissions reduction toolkit to Walmart’s supplier network in the means of reducing the carbon impact of manufacturing, materials and use of products.
‘We are proud of the improvements we’ve made in reducing our own emissions, but we aim to do more,’ said Walmart’s chief sustainability officer Kathleen McLaughlin. ‘That’s why we’re working with our suppliers and others on Project Gigaton.’
Walmart is working on this with the support of different NGO’s, including WWF to create the emissions reduction toolkit.
‘This is a testament to the transformative impact that leaders of industry can have on our greatest common challenges.’ WWF president Carter Roberts said. ‘As more companies follow in the footsteps of Walmart and their suppliers, we can achieve the critical mass needed to address climate change. Today’s commitment represents an important step toward a safer and more prosperous future.’
Walmart aims to reduce emissions to 18% by 2025, being the first retailer to adopt a science-based emissions reduction plan. Furthermore, by the end of last year, Walmart was getting 26% of its electricity from renewable sources, and they are working to increase that number: they have partnered up with Tesla to develop energy storage systems, in order to balance energy generation at its Southern California stores.