Walmart takes a White House pledge
New York -- Walmart has joined an elite group of corporate titans in taking a pledge to fight climate change. Among other things, the retail giant will double its solar commitment.
Walmart on Monday signed a pledge to take measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase low-carbon investments and invest in clean energy as part of a new White House climate change initiative, the “American Business Act on Climate Pledge.”
In addition to Walmart, the companies taking the pledge included Alcoa, Apple, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Cargill, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Goldman Sachs, Google, Microsoft, PepsiCo, and UPS. Together they account for more than $1.3 trillion in revenue in 2014 and a combined market capitalization of at least $2.5 trillion. The Obama Administration will announce a second round of pledges in the fall.
“At Walmart, we believe climate change is an urgent and pressing challenge, and we must all do our part to reduce, avoid and mitigate the impact of rising greenhouse gas (GHG) levels,” the retailer stated.
In 2014, Walmart said it operated with 9% less energy per square foot compared with its 2010 baseline, and 26% of its electricity used was generated from renewable sources (the chain has a goal of being powered by 100% renewable energy).
Walmart has reduced the GHG intensity of its operations for eight consecutive years, and said it is on track to hold absolute emissions flat over this decade, even with its continued growth as a company.
As part of the new White House initiative, Walmart made several new pledges on Monday. The chain pledged to:
• Drive the production or procurement of 7 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy globally by Dec. 31, 2020 – an increase of more than 600 percent versus our 2010 baseline.
• Double the number of on-site solar energy projects at our U.S. stores, Sam’s Clubs and distribution centers by 2020, compared with our 2013 baseline.
• Reduce the total kWh-per-square-foot energy intensity required to power our buildings around the world by 20 percent by 2020 versus our 2010 baseline.
• Gain increasing visibility into key metrics regarding yields, water usage and GHGs in our food supply chains by 2025. Walmart is now working with suppliers, representing approximately 70% of our food sales, to report their yield, water and GHG footprints all the way back to the farm.
• Establish joint agricultural partnerships with 17 suppliers, cooperatives and service providers on 23 million acres of land in the U.S. and Canada, with the potential to reduce 11 million metric tons of GHG by 2020.
• Achieve zero net deforestation in product sourcing by 2020 as part of The Consumer Goods Forum.