“Walmart is on a path to become a regenerative company, one dedicated to placing nature and humanity at the center of our business practices.”
Doug McMillon, President and CEO, Walmart Inc.
Full disclosure – I’m not the biggest fan of Walmart. Among other things, they produce vast amounts of heat-trapping emissions and fuel overconsumption. But, this week I was surprised to learn Walmart has a solid sustainability plan, with a goal of operating on 100% renewable energy by 2035. Not only that, America’s largest retailer is getting into the community solar game.
You may have noticed I bring up solar quite a bit. It’s the cheapest form of energy and is abundant. Is it perfect? Of course not, but the tradeoffs are few, especially now that panel recycling is taking off. Utility scale and community solar farms are a great solution. The main downside I see is it’s only available in some areas of the country.
In an effort to help increase access, Walmart announced it has partnered with a solar energy company called Nexamp to build 31 community solar farms in five states across the country. People nearby will be able to subscribe to get their energy from the community farms. This allows people who can’t put solar on their homes, or who rent, to participate. These projects will create around 1500 jobs, and help thousands of families reduce their energy costs, all while cutting the need for fossil fuels.
Some of Walmart’s other goals by 2040 include:
- Eliminating emissions from vehicles, including long-haul trucks
- Transitioning to electric heat pumps for all stores and buildings
- Switching to more climate friendly refrigerants
Not only is Walmart making these changes, but they are urging suppliers to become part of their quest to reduce or avoid 1 gigaton of harmful emissions by 2030. Proving that a little positive pressure can go a long way, nearly 6,000 have have already signed on. Areas of focus for what they are calling “Project Gigaton” include:
- Energy
- Waste
- Packaging
- Transportation
- Nature
- Product use & design
Sustainability makes business sense
These changes are not just happening out of the goodness of their corporate hearts – they also make sound business sense. For example, using renewable energy and cutting waste help reduce costs and bring value to shareholders.
The ripple effect is powerful, and I’m hopeful that when more retailers see the success Walmart is having, they will be follow. I don’t know about you, but the ubiquitous sunshine logo is taking on new meaning for me.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Talk about it. Help solve it.