BENTONVILLE, Ark., November 15, 2007 – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) today released a comprehensive report of its sustainability efforts, outlining initiatives to improve the environment, health care, diversity, sourcing and highlighting the work of its foundation. The report discusses Wal-Mart’s sustainability initiatives and defines the challenges, as well as goals, for moving forward.
“This report lays out where we have come from in the last two years and how we have become a better company and a better business,” said Lee Scott, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “We are proud of the good progress we are making in a number of areas and we understand that we still have more work to do. For the future of our business and of the world, we remain committed to becoming a more sustainable company.”
In an October 2005 speech titled “Twenty-First Century Leadership,” Wal-Mart committed to three large sustainability goals: to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, to create zero waste and to sell products that sustain our resources and the environment. The report examines the progress Wal-Mart has made toward those commitments and details how the company has worked to integrate sustainable practices into its supply chain, the products it sells, the lives of its Associates and the communities where it operates and sources. This companywide emphasis on sustainability is called “Sustainability 360.”
“A lot of the attention around our sustainability efforts has focused on the environment, which is not unexpected. But our work to become a better company is about more than what we’re doing with the environment,” said Scott. “Sustainability at Wal-Mart also has broad economic and social components, including health care, economic opportunity and the quality of life of the people who make the products we sell. Ultimately, these are interwoven, and we are committed to making progress in each of these areas.”
Wal-Mart has made progress since 2005, including making improvements in its benefits programs, increasing diversity in its workforce in all demographic groups, enhancing charitable contributions from its Foundation and offering sustainable products to its customers.
Wal-Mart will continue monitoring its progress and provide status updates on its website. To read the full text of the report, a scorecard outlining key metrics and the introduction letter by President and CEO Lee Scott, please visit: http://walmartstores.com/sustainabilityprogress.
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart discount stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations in the United States. The Company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The Company’s securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT.
More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com.