Leadership of ESG issues starts with our CEO — with oversight from committees of our Board of Directors — and cascades across our enterprise. Walmart’s Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) helps define the ESG agenda and provides dedicated management and oversight of Walmart’s global ESG initiatives and goals. The CSO reports to our Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and provides updates on our ESG agenda and progress to the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Walmart Board and to the Walmart executive leadership team. Board committees also have oversight responsibility for particular ESG issues. For example, the Audit Committee has oversight of our Ethics and Compliance program, cybersecurity and information security; the Compensation and Management Development Committee has oversight of our human capital management strategies, including culture, diversity, and inclusion strategies, programs and initiatives; and the Nominating and Governance Committee has oversight of our social, community and sustainability initiatives, charitable giving, and legislative affairs and public policy engagement strategy.
Walmart business leaders shape and deliver ESG strategies relevant for their segments and functions. For example, the Real Estate team leads renewable energy initiatives, the People team leads human capital initiatives, Operations teams lead waste initiatives, and Merchandising teams lead sustainable sourcing.
Additional governance bodies and working teams include:
- ESG Steering Committee: A management committee that meets at least biannually and is composed of leaders from various departments throughout the business, including the Office of the Corporate Secretary, the Controller’s Office, Investor Relations, Ethics & Compliance, Global Audit, People, Global Public Policy and Government Affairs, and Sustainability. The ESG Steering Committee stays informed of relevant projects and efforts and works to ensure enterprise-wide alignment on ESG management strategies and priority business initiatives.
- ESG Disclosure Committee: This sub-committee of the Steering Committee advises on processes and procedures for preparing disclosures and also reviews Walmart’s ESG Reports and other public statements. Members include representatives of the Office of the Corporate Secretary, the Controller’s Office, Global Audit, Investor Relations and Global Responsibility.
- ESG Department: The ESG department, led by the Vice President, ESG, reports to the CSO and works closely with Investor Relations, the Controller’s Office and the Office of the Corporate Secretary. The ESG team helps Walmart business leaders prioritize ESG issues and define impact theses; improve ESG strategies, performance and disclosures; engage with shareholders and other stakeholders; and help shape evolution of the ESG field to increase focus on shared value impact.