Walmart pledges major cuts to supply chain GHG by 2015

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is counting on its suppliers to cut 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its supply chain over the next five years.

The retail giant estimates that more than 90 percent of its emissions comes from the supply chain, and the remainder from its stores and logistics operations, reports the Financial Times.

It established a partnership group that will identify projects to help suppliers cut their energy use and carbon footprint as well as qualify their reductions.

The group consists of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), PricewaterhouseCoopers, ClearCarbon, the Carbon Disclosure Project and the Applied Sustainability Center (ASC) at the University of Arkansas.

Walmart wants suppliers to first focus on products with the highest carbon footprint. This means reducing emissions at any stage in the product’s life cycle, which includes the sourcing of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, end use or end-of-life disposal.

Meanwhile, Walmart Canada announced plans to open up to 40 more supercentres in 2010.

The new stores will be at least 10 percent smaller than previous versions, topping out at about 175,000 square feet. Walmart opened 28 supercentres last year in Canada.

President and chief executive David Cheesewright told investors in Toronto this week the company wants to be the fastest-growing retailer in Canada.

In addition to its existing 200 conventional general merchandise stores, the new supercenters would give the company a total of 324 stores across the country.