BENTONVILLE, ARK. — Walmart Inc. has announced a goal to become a regenerative company, targeting zero emissions across the company’s global operations by 2040.
“We want to play an important role in transforming the world’s supply chains to be regenerative,” said Doug McMillon, president and chief executive officer of Walmart. “We face a growing crisis of climate change and nature loss, and we all need to take action with urgency. For 15 years, we have been partnering to do the work and continually raising our sustainability ambitions across climate action, nature, waste and people. The commitments we’re making today not only aim to decarbonize Walmart’s global operations, they also put us on the path to becoming a regenerative company — one that works to restore, renew and replenish in addition to preserving our planet, and encourages others to do the same.”
To achieve its goal, Walmart plans to harvest enough wind, solar and other renewable energy sources to power its facilities with 100% renewable energy by 2035; electrify and zero out emissions from all its vehicles, including long-haul trucks, by 2040; and transition to low-impact refrigerants for cooling and electrified equipment for heating in its stores, clubs and data and distribution centers by 2040.
Additionally, 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 will support efforts to preserve at least one acre of natural habitat for every acre of land developed by the company in the US; drive the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices, sustainable fisheries management and forest protection and restoration; and invest in and work with suppliers to source from place-based efforts that help preserve natural ecosystems and improve livelihoods.
“We must all take urgent, sustained action to reverse nature loss and emissions before we reach a tipping point from which we will not recover,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer for Walmart Inc. and president of the Walmart Foundation. “People have pushed past the earth’s natural limits. Healthy societies, resilient economies and thriving businesses rely on nature. Our vision at Walmart is to help transform food and product supply chains to be regenerative, working in harmony with nature — to protect, restore and sustainably use our natural resources.”
Walmart currently powers about 29% of its operations with renewable energy and diverts approximately 80% of its waste from landfills and incineration globally. The company also is working with suppliers through its Project Gigaton initiative to avoid a gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. More than 2,300 suppliers have signed on, and since the effort launched in 2017 suppliers report a total of 230 million metric tons of avoided emissions.