Like many businesses in recent years, Walmart has made significant climate promises. It pledged to reduce its planet-warming air pollution, with benchmarks to meet in 2025 and 2030. However, the company recently announced that it was not on track to reach those targets and would abandon its existing climate pledge timeline, Bloomberg reported.
What's happening?
Originally, Walmart promised to reduce its operational production of heat-trapping gases by 65% by the year 2030 and to hit the 35% mark by 2025.
It is now 2025, and not only is Walmart walking back that promise, but its emissions actually also rose by 4% in 2024 compared to 2023, Bloomberg revealed.
"We anticipate achieving our near- and mid-term emissions reduction targets later than our 2025 and 2030 target dates," the company said in a statement in December, per Bloomberg.
The company did express an intention to continue trying to reach zero operational pollution by 2040, but it said that the actual possibility of reaching that goal "depends not only on our own initiatives but also on factors beyond our control."
Why is Walmart's revision of climate goals important?
In recent years, companies like Walmart have won a lot of consumer approval by making lofty promises to reduce their waste and pollution. This can lead to a boost in business as well as plenty of good press — but in many cases, it hasn't led to follow-through.
Not only are companies failing to help the planet when they put off or withdraw from climate pledges, but many also see it as deliberate greenwashing meant to mislead consumers by making the brand seem more climate-friendly than it is.
Walmart's history on environmental issues is mixed at best. Although it won accolades for electrifying delivery vehicles and a collaboration to recycle some discarded food into biofuel, it also reached a settlement recently over its improper hazardous waste disposal in California. Shoppers and employees have called out its wasteful practices online.
What's being done about Walmart's pledges?
The company hasn't officially abandoned its 2040 goal, and according to Bloomberg, it will be reevaluating short-term goals this year. It's possible that Walmart will come back to the table with a new, achievable game plan.
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Would you work for a company that doesn't have a sustainability strategy?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
No 🚫 However, it wouldn't be surprising if many shoppers would want to hold the company accountable for its failure by finding another brand to support.
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