US retailer Walmart has launched a sustainability platform asking its suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their operations and supply chains.
This plan will provide a toolkit to suppliers, with an aim to reduce one gigaton of emissions by 2030, focusing on the areas of manufacturing, materials, and use of products.
Project Gigaton, as it has been called, is part of a series of Walmart sustainability initiatives, which includes investment in solar energy.
“We are proud of the improvements we’ve made in reducing our own emissions, but we aim to do more. That’s why we’re working with our suppliers and others on Project Gigaton,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer for Walmart.
Impact
Walmart worked with NGOs such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Environmental Defense Fund to create the toolkit, which identifies energy, agriculture, waste, packaging, deforestation, and product use and design as areas where suppliers could reduce their emissions.
"Supply chains are the new frontier of sustainability. The journey products take from source to shelf will collectively shape our planet’s future," said Carter Roberts, president and CEO, World Wildlife Fund.
"Project Gigaton is a testament to the transformative impact that leaders of industry can have on our greatest common challenges. As more companies follow in the footsteps of Walmart and their suppliers, we can achieve the critical mass needed to address climate change."
Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund agreed that Walmart is "forward-looking", and said that this plan could "catalyze leadership and innovative solutions around the globe."
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
