Huge-mongous retailer Wal-Mart is back at its favorite activity of all time (besides counting its money and sprawlin', of course): setting environmental goals for itself and its suppliers. At a company confab in Beijing, Wal-Mart execs promised a host of eco-improvements in the next few years. Soon, they said, suppliers will have to be certified by a third party to ensure they're complying with local environmental and labor laws; suppliers will also have to start providing Wal-Mart with information on where all their products come from. Eventually, suppliers will also have to improve their energy efficiency and, by 2012, 95 percent of their products will have to come from factories that receive the highest ratings from Wal-Mart and third-party audits of environmental and social practices. Company spokesfolks also said that all 113 of Wal-Mart's Chinese stores will aim to use 30 percent less energy by 2010. "I don't expect people to immediately jump off their chairs and say this is wonderful," said CEO Lee Scott. "There will be a healthy dose of skepticism on some people's part."
source: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters
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Pdub Posted 11:08 pm
28 Oct 2008
While here on James Island, SC, Wal-mart is attempting to expand their current site over a local protected wetland and wildlife preserve. The same adjacent wetland that Wal-mart contractually agreed to protect when they built the current store.
Said Wal-mart, "Oh, that? That was, like, seven years ago. Who remembers that?"
Wal-mart cares for profits, not communities. Let's not buy into their green-washing of themselves.
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sarasal Posted 11:29 pm
28 Oct 2008
Sadly, Wal-Mart has not yet embraced the notion of sustainability. If it continues on like this, our notion of success through consumption will force humans from this planet. Until it replaces the ethic of consumption with sustainability, anything Wal-Mart does should be greeted not only with skepticism but with well-deserved opposition. I will continue to boycott its stores and encourage everyone I know to do the same.
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