Wal-Mart Rolls Out New Sustainability Goals

Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke announced new goals in the retail giant’s efforts to ramp up its sustainability efforts.

At the Walmart Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting, the company committed to achieving the following goals by Dec. 31, 2020:

• Drive the production or procurement of 7 billion kWh of renewable energy globally every year, a 600 percent increase over 2010 levels
• Reduce the kWh/sq. ft. energy intensity required to power Walmart’s buildings globally by 20 percent compared to 2010 levels.
• In the U.S. alone, Walmart hopes to install solar power on at least 1,000 rooftops and facilities by 2020, a significant increase from just over 200 solar projects in operation or under development currently.
• In addition to onsite solar, the company will continue to develop projects in wind, fuel cells and other technologies. It will also procure offsite renewable energy from utility-scale projects, such as large wind projects, micro-hydro projects and geothermal.
• Walmart projects to increase LED usage in sales floor lighting, parking lots and other applications.
• Walmart will also focus on market-relevant scalable technologies, including high efficiency HVAC and refrigeration systems and sophisticated energy/building control systems.

“More than ever, we know that our goal to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy is the right goal and that marrying up renewables with energy efficiency is especially powerful,” said Duke. “The math adds up pretty quickly – when we use less energy that’s less energy we have to buy, and that means less waste and more savings. These new commitments will make us a stronger business, and they’re great for our communities and the environment.”

Walmart’s six-fold increase in renewable energy projects is expected to be equal to eliminating the need for roughly two U.S. fossil fuel power plants, the company said. Based on external estimates of projected energy costs and other factors, the two new commitments are anticipated to generate more than $1 billion annually in energy savings once fully implemented.

The retailer also hopes to avoid 9 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the equivalent of taking 1.5 million cars off the road by 2020 through energy efficiencies in its buildings.

For the first time, the company is projecting a decrease in GHG emissions even with anticipated growth in stores and sales.

“When I look at the future, energy costs may grow as much as twice as fast as our anticipated store and club growth,” Duke said.

Wal-Mart highlighted several achievements made in its recent go-green efforts, notably:

• In 2012 alone, Walmart added nearly 100 renewable energy projects, bringing the total number of projects in operation worldwide to nearly 300 today.
• According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, Walmart has more solar power capacity and number of systems than any other company in America.