February 11, 2009 New Wal-Mart President and CEO Mike Duke, who succeeds Lee Scott as head of the world’s largest retailer, says he expects the company to accelerate and broaden efforts to achieve its sweeping environmental goals.
Speaking at Wal-Mart’s “2009 Sustainability Milestone Meeting,” the last major transitional event for Duke and Scott, the incoming CEO took the opportunity to address the company and say, “how very, very committed I am to this topic of sustainability. I am very serious about it. This is not optional.”
The company’s efforts for greater environmental responsibility began in 2005, when Scott called for the Wal-Mart to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, create zero waste and sell products that help sustain the environment. Since then, the company has worked to improve its track record of environmental and social responsibility in its business operations and is demanding that its suppliers do the same.
“My message to you today I hope will be really clear,” Duke told the company at the meeting last week. “We want to accelerate our efforts in sustainability. We want to broaden our efforts.”
A video of Duke remarks at Wal-Mart’s sustainability meeting on January 26 is available for download.
