Walmart aims to be a regenerative company | 21.09.2020
“We want to play a significant role in transforming the world’s supply chain into a regenerative one,” said Doug McMillon, Walmart’s president and CEO. “We are facing a crisis of climate change and nature loss, so we all need to act urgently. For 15 years, we’ve been partnering to get the job done and continually raising our sustainability ambitions for climate action, nature, waste and people. The commitments we’re making today not only aim to decarbonize Walmart’s global operations, but they also put us on the path to becoming a regenerative company, working to restore, renew and replenish our planet while preserving it, and encouraging others to do the same. the same.”
To meet its goal, Walmart plans to harvest enough wind, solar and other renewable energy sources to power its facilities with 100% renewable energy by 2035; Electrification and zero emissions from all its vehicles, including long-haul trucks, by 2040; and by 2040, transition to low-impact refrigerants for cooling and electrified equipment for heating in its stores, clubs and data and distribution centers.
In addition, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed to help protect, manage or restore at least 50 million acres of land and one million square miles of ocean by 2030. To do this, Walmart is committed to saving at least one acre of natural habitat. For every acre of land developed by the company in the US; promoting the introduction of regenerative agricultural practices, sustainable fisheries management and forest protection and restoration; and invests in and works with suppliers to start with on-the-ground efforts that help preserve natural ecosystems and improve livelihoods.
Kathleen McLaughlin, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer of Walmart Inc. and president of the Walmart Foundation, said: “We must all take immediate, sustainable action to reverse our loss and emissions before they reach an irreversible peak.” . “People have exceeded the natural limits of the earth. Healthy societies, sustainable economies and thriving businesses rely on nature. Our vision at Walmart is to help transform supply chains for regenerative food and products that work in harmony with nature to protect, restore and sustainably use natural resources.”
Walmart currently powers about 29% of its operations with renewable energy and diverts about 80% of its waste from landfills and incinerators worldwide. The company is also working with suppliers to avoid a gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 through the Gigaton Project initiative. More than 2,300 suppliers have signed the agreement, and since its launch in 2017, suppliers have reported a total of 230 million metric tons of emissions avoided. .