Wal-Mart Wants Suppliers to Eliminate a Gigaton of Greenhouse Gases by 2030

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., long known for squeezing its suppliers on prices, is now pressuring companies including Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive Co. to help the world’s biggest retailer remove a billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by 2030.

The retailer’s target—which it’s calling Project Gigaton—equates to taking 211 million passenger vehicles off the road for an entire year, according to a statement from the company. As part of the goal, Wal-Mart will also look to reduce emissions in its own operations by 18 percent by 2025. The bulk of the reduction will come from suppliers including General Mills Inc., Campbell Soup Co., and Unilever, according to Laura Phillips, Wal-Mart’s senior vice president for sustainability.