Recently, Wal-Mart has been rolling out plans for what it calls a sustainability index — a measure of how green the products it sells really are. It is asking each of its suppliers, an enormous list of businesses, 15 questions about the life of their products from manufacturing through disposal: questions about greenhouse gas emissions, social responsibility, waste reduction initiatives and water use. (via Can Wal-Mart Be Sustainable?)
As “green” and “sustainability” become shared values and norms in the external environment, businesses must adjust.
Benefits?
- Micro: “It is a sound idea. And probably a very good marketing tool.”
- Macro: “Given Wal-Mart’s huge purchasing power, if it is done right it could promote both much-needed transparency and more environmentally sensitive practices.”
