Walmart Sets Goal to be Zero Emissions Company by 2040

Walmart is doubling down on addressing the growing climate crisis by targeting zero emissions across the company’s global operations by 2040.

Walmart has announced it is doubling down on addressing the growing climate crisis by targeting zero emissions across the company’s global operations by 2040. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are also committing to help protect, manage or restore at least 50 million acres of land and one million square miles of ocean by 2030 to help combat the cascading loss of nature threatening the planet.

“We want to play an important role in transforming the world’s supply chains to be regenerative. We face a growing crisis of climate change and nature loss and we all need to take action with urgency,” said Doug McMillon, president and chief executive officer, Walmart, Inc. “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, but 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 avoid the worst effects of climate change, the world must take immediate action to drastically reduce and remove greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why the firm claims that it is building on its long-standing commitment to climate action by raising its ambition to zero emissions by 2040, without the use of carbon offsets, across its global operations by:

• Harvesting enough wind, solar and other renewable energy sources to power its facilities with 100 percent renewable energy by 2035;
• Electrifying and zeroing out emissions from all of its vehicles, including long-haul trucks, by 2040; and
• Transitioning to low-impact refrigerants for cooling and electrified equipment for heating in its stores, clubs, and data and distribution centres by 2040.

“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.”