Arguably, Walmart has done more than any environmental group, politician, government regulator or Silicon Valley clean tech firm to nudge the U.S. economy towards sustainability in the last five years.
Walmart's 2011 Global Responsibility Report, published last week, makes clear that despite the recession and some recently rough going for the company -- lately its stock has lagged the S&P500 -- Walmart is pushing ahead towards its big goals: To generate no waste, to be 100 percent-powered by renewable energy and to sell lots more products that sustain people and the environment.
Yet a closer look at the report demonstrates that there are limits to what any company, even one as vast as Walmart, can do. Most of its environmental gains have come from doing what Walmart has always done very well -- driving efficiency in its stores and supply chain. When sustainable initiatives cost more money, as they sometimes do, progress has been halting.
Still, Walmart deserves at least two cheers, maybe two-and-half for its efforts, particularly in the current political climate.
Read more at GreenBiz.com
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