Walmart adjudged as largest on-site green power generator

In addition to accomplishments and progress in the areas of social, company and environmental responsibility, the report highlights Walmart’s top achievements in 2012 to reduce its impact on the environment and improve efficiency in its stores, clubs, distribution centers and throughout the supply chain.

“We believe our customers should not have to choose between affordability and sustainability,” said Andrea Thomas, Walmart’s senior vice president of sustainability.

“The accomplishments we are sharing today represent Walmart’s focus on our customers, our business and our communities. We will continue to deliver on our commitment to operate responsibly while continuing to provide our customers around the world with everyday low costs.”

Among the accomplishments reported in the Global Responsibility Report are the following:

Focus on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

Recognized as largest on-site green power generator in the U.S.: In 2012, the EPA Green Power Partnership recognized Walmart as the largest on-site green power generator in the U.S., with more than 200 solar projects across the country.

In addition, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) cited Walmart as the most-installed onsite solar capacity in the U.S. Last year alone, Walmart installed 100 rooftop solar installations in locations such as Arizona, California, and Ohio, as well a 1-MW utility-scale wind turbine at a distribution center in California.

Announced last week, the new commitments are to scale renewables by producing or procuring 7 billion kWh of renewable energy annually and to reduce the total kWh per square foot energy intensity required to power our buildings by 20 percent by 2020.

Accelerated global transition to renewable energy and improved energy efficiency: Renewable energy now provides 21 percent of Walmart’s electricity globally. Since our last report Walmart Mexico started construction on two utility-scale wind projects and two micro-hydro projects, while Walmart India installed its first solar water heaters and Walmart Chile launched its first large-scale renewable RFP to begin the process of introducing renewable projects to local operations.

Took on, and beat, GHG emissions: Since the last report, Walmart fulfilled a pledge made in 2009 to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20 percent by 2012, a year ahead of schedule.

Our new renewable energy and efficiency commitments will avoid 3 million metric tons of CO2e, the equivalent of taking 625,000 cars off the road, in effect halting the growth of GHG emissions from the company’s largest GHG source – energy used to power buildings – by 2020, even though we still anticipate growth in stores and sales.

We are also on track to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from our global supply chain by the end of 2015.