A gigaton of CO2 is 1 billion metric tons, or roughly the amount of greenhouse gas produced by 211 million cars a year. Known as greenhouse gasses, this man-made carbon output has been directly linked to our rapidly changing climate.
Walmart wants to wipe out a gigaton of human CO2 emissions by 2050 — not just by cutting down on its own use of energy and fuel, but by working with its hundreds of suppliers to reduce their emissions as well.
No one doubts that the Arkansas-based retailer has tremendous influence. It is the world’s largest company by revenue. With more than 22,000 stores and billions of annual sales, it has the clout to command the attention of the hundreds — even thousands — of smaller companies that stock its shelves with a familiar array of goods.
With ‘Project Gigaton’, Walmart publicizes the achievements of suppliers who track and reduce their carbon emissions. But the real financial reward comes from the actions themselves. Companies participating in the project are saving money by cutting down on packaging, by recycling their waste and opting for alternative energies.
Some of Walmart’s ‘Giga-Gurus’ include 3M,Samsung, Levi Strauss & Co, Procter & Gamble, MillerCoors and Bic, as well as lesser-known Chinese companies like Way Dong Company Ltd, which manufactures chalk, and Hayco Enterprises (Shenzhen) Ltd, which produces plastic goods.
Most of the companies were already committed to reducing their carbon footprint and are now contributing to Walmart’s database by tracking the amount of emissions they are saving. But a few others have used ‘Project Gigaton’ to review their production efficiency and launch new, greener initiatives.
Even a massive company like Walmart needs a little help from its friends.
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