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So far, 2,300 of the suppli-
Walmart .can’t .solve .it . ers have made commitments
toward addressing emissions in
alone, .and .even .our . their supplies.
suppliers .individually . Walmart monitors its suppliers
can’t .solve .it .alone, .but . on an annual basis.
collectively .what .we . “We definitely find that when

would .like .to .do .is .… . you have a specific goal, you
.address .the .current . begin to measure, and it’s time-
issues .and .fight .climate . bound. (That is a) very effective
change .together . strategy to be able to use to
work on those things together,”
—Mikel Hancock, .Walmart said Mikel Hancock, Walmart’s
senior director for strategic
initiatives, sustainability.

Meanwhile, the Walmart Foundation is funding Walmart has no intention at
research and training programs that amount to this point of requiring that its suppliers meet
what one scientist calls Walmart’s own “exten- standards for greenhouse gas emissions.
sion program” aimed at providing farmers and “Walmart can’t solve it alone, and even our
agribusiness companies in the United States as suppliers individually can’t solve it alone, but
well as emerging markets with the know-how to collectively what we would like to do is problem
reduce their environmental footprint. solve, brainstorm on how we actually … address
the current issues and fight climate change
Walmart also is a leading supporter of The together,” said Hancock.
Sustainabilty Consortium, founded by the Uni-
versity of Arkansas (located in Fayetteville, just “I don’t necessarily know that, you know, a
down the road from Walmart’s Bentonville, Ark., mandate is going to drive the additional progress
headquarters) and Arizona State University. that we’re looking for.”

The Walton Family Foundation, which is con- Among suppliers that Walmart has highlighted
trolled by the heirs of Walmart founder Sam in its reports are PepsiCo and Kellogg’s. PepsiCo
Walton, is assisting Cargill in funding the proj- has committed to cutting the greenhouse gas
ect that is paying Lillibridge for his soil-con- emissions in its supply chain 20% by 2030. As
serving practices. of 2019, those emissions had been cut by 5%,
up from 3%. Kellogg’s has committed to be
Walmart officials say they’re doing what their supporting 500,000 farmers by 2025 on “climate
customers want and that the agricultural prac- smart” agricultural practices.
tices needed to address climate change will also
lead to critical environmental benefits, including Hancock touts projects Walmart has been
improving water quality and wildlife diversity. involved with to reduce the environmental foot-
print from corn and other row crops, knowing
Walmart’s ability to meet its 2030 and 2040 that doing so is vital to reducing the climate
goals rests on its ability to get its suppliers and impact of animal agriculture as well. Roughly
ultimately farmers and ranchers to reduce emis- two-thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions
sions with no promise of compensation. associated with non-ruminant animals, hogs,

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