Walmart Raises Targets To Zero Emissions By 2040

(RTTNews) - Amid the growing climate crisis, Walmart said it is raising its ambition to zero emissions by 2040, without the use of carbon offsets, across its global operations.

The retail giant, along with the Walmart Foundation, also committed to help protect, manage or restore at least 50 million acres of land and one million square miles of ocean by 2030.

With the move, the company said it aims to become regenerative, and want to take an important role in transforming the world's supply chains to be regenerative.

Under its plan, Walmart would harvest enough wind, solar and other renewable energy sources to power its facilities with 100% renewable energy by 2035. Further, it will electrify and zero out emissions from all of its vehicles, including long-haul trucks, by 2040.

In addition, Walmart plans to transition to low-impact refrigerants for cooling and electrified equipment for heating in its stores, clubs, and data and distribution centers by 2040.

The company and its Foundation would continue to support efforts to preserve at least one acre of natural habitat for every acre of land developed by the company in the U.S.

Further, regenerative agriculture practices, sustainable fisheries management and forest protection and restoration will be adopted.

As of now, the company powers around 29 percent of its operations with renewable energy and diverts around 80 percent of its waste from landfills and incineration globally.

Walmart is also working with suppliers through its Project Gigaton initiative to avoid a gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Last week, tech major Microsoft teamed with energy giant bp plc to form strategic partnership to drive digital innovation in energy systems and advance net zero goals. In January 2020, Microsoft announced its goal to be carbon negative by 2030 and remove more carbon from the environment than it has emitted since its founding by 2050.

Telecom giant AT&T also recently announced its commitment to be carbon neutral by 2035.