Walmart is calling on suppliers representing 70 per cent of its business sourced in China to participate in an energy efficiency programme by the end of 2017 as part of a global supply chain sustainability initiative.
The retailer forecasts significant potential savings over the next three years saying an improvement in energy efficiency by ten per cent would translate to lowering greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1 million tonnes.
Speaking at Walmart’s supplier summit in Shenzen, senior vice president Ignacio Lopez said: “We hope that today’s announcement will continue to pave the way for our operations to become more sustainable in China and globally, as well as continue to set the tone for the industry as a whole.
So far, 40 factories in China have participated in a 2014 pilot programme, and some 500 factories will be invited to participate in the programme by the end of 2017.
