Bending the Arc

Back in 2017, Walmart launched “Project Gigaton,” an ambitious project to eliminate one gigaton (1 billion metric tons) of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by 2030. For reference, that’s the equivalent of taking more than 211 million passenger vehicles off the road for a whole year. This is also close to the amount Japan releases in one year as of 2021.

In February, Walmart announced that Project Gigatron had met its goals-six years early. More than 5,900 suppliers, responsible for around 75% of Walmart’s sales, participated. Companies big and small committed to taking steps to reduce their emissions in one or more of six areas: energy use, product design and usage; packaging; transportation; and waste.

The Walmart Sustainability Hub has been called the “village” for Climate Change aware companies that want to save the planet. The website offers “toolkits” of resources and information for each of the Project Gigaton pillars (Emission, Energy, Agriculture, Waste, Packaging, Deforestation, and Product Use) to help suppliers get started or advance their existing work. They also include a focus on worker dignity and safety.
A March 30, 2024 Fortune article details how the project works and the secrets to Walmart’s success. Read the full story

Walmart says, “Although we have achieved our 1 gigaton goal, we will continue Project Gigaton — because as a society we have a long way to go. Building a net zero emissions future will require a massive transition in our world’s energy and transport systems, materials and infrastructure… We hope Project Gigatron will continue to set the standard for corporate climate action - because a more sustainable supply chain is a more resilient one. A more resilient supply chain isn’t just better for our business, it’s better for people, communities and the planet.”

We hope so too, Walmart! Thanks for leading the way.