Companies Going Green May Create Environmental Domino Affect
Medill Reports:
It seems a month does not pass without Wal-Mart announcing another environmentally friendly initiative.
This month the giant retailer declared it will offer compact fluorescent light bulbs made with 33% less mercury. The energy efficient, 10 year lifespan bulbs are more environmentally benign and could help WalMart sell its goal of 100 million compact fluorescent bulbs by 2008.
Over the past year, Wal-Mart has announced the purchase of solar generating projects, sustainable seafood and produce, and the creation of a packaging scorecard that tracks suppliers’ products for recycled material and emissions. The scorecard will influence Wal-Mart’s purchasing decisions starting in 2008.
These environmental actions are typical of a second-generation of corporate greening. Companies like Wal-Mart, FedEx, Home Depot and Office Depot are flexing their corporate environmental power, extending their green policies beyond their own operations to impact suppliers and consumers.
“If you look at the (greenhouse gas) footprint of (Wal-Mart’s) value chain…the bigger part is going into making, packaging, shipping and using the products that they sell. They have a unique leverage through their purchasing clout,” said Gwen Ruta, director of corporate partnerships at Environmental Defense, an organization that works with companies for environmental solutions.
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