Walmart | A Message From Our Chief Sustainability Officer

Over the past 30 years, global prosperity has increased by many measures. Life expectancy, school enrollment and access to drinking water are up and technology has opened new doors for billions of people. Yet at the same time this progress occurs, growing population, globalization and technological disruption have created new social and environmental challenges. Inequality is increasing in many countries, while water supply, forests, air quality, biodiversity and our climate are under unprecedented pressure.

Last November, Walmart renewed our commitment to using our strengths as a large global retailer to do our part in helping to address these challenges. Our “Leadership 2025” agenda reaffirmed and extended our aspiration to help increase economic opportunity, enhance sustainability of value chains and strengthen local community resilience.

This report describes progress in support of that agenda, through our major environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. As explained in the pages that follow, achieving fundamental, lasting resolution of complex ESG challenges requires systemic transformation and leadership across many sectors: companies, governments, civil society—and customers too.

Read Kathleen's complete message & explore the Walmart Global Responsibility Report 2017