Walmart’s Project Gigaton: The Supply Chain Emissions Frontier

A company’s supply chain often accounts for a significant portion of its overall carbon footprint, yet supply chain emissions are often regarded as a difficult category to address, as these emissions are outside of a company’s direct control. Leading companies practicing corporate sustainability — many of whom have already implemented strategies for internal emissions reductions such as energy efficiency and renewable energy sourcing — are looking to the supply chain to achieve even more aggressive operational emissions reductions. ­

The undisputed leader on supplier environmental responsibility, Walmart, recently expanded its already ambitious climate goals with the launch of a new initiative to eliminate one gigaton of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its supply chain by 2030 — arguably the company’s most aggressive environmental target to date. This initiative, known as Project Gigaton, aims to help Walmart’s diverse community of suppliers reduce their own operational emissions, focusing on areas such as manufacturing and materials.

The project will provide Walmart suppliers with a sustainability toolkit to encourage them in making their own emission reductions commitments. In the toolkit, the company highlights the business case for joining Project Gigaton, with reasons ranging from helping communities to creating American jobs to saving money on business operations. Walmart developed this toolkit in partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund and other NGOs.

“A challenge like Project Gigaton will catalyze leadership and innovative solutions around the globe,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).

As a signatory of the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), Walmart is in a position to make a deep impact on climate action. Including its vast network of suppliers in this effort accelerates the company’s progress toward reaching its SBTs, and securing a prosperous future for business and society alike. Of the many sources of supply chain emissions, Walmart has identified energy as a key area of focus for their Scope 3 climate efforts.

To learn more about Project Gigaton and the business case for implementing emissions reductions within supply chains, join us for our upcoming webinar with Elizabeth Sturcken of the Environmental Defense Fund on Tuesday, December 12th. Register here.