Walmart’s Project Gigaton – How to Cut Emissions at Speed and Scale

Start by aligning your suppliers. Listen to data, working together with partners, set a first-year target that translates into concrete reduction milestones; keep the real purpose in view.

First steps to progress include launching collaborative programmes with suppliers; share a transparent report on baseline; measure impact in metric tonnes of CO2e; track progress monthly; build loyalty amongst partners through recognition programmes; explain reasons behind choices; where possible apply energy efficiency, fleet optimisation, packaging reduction, plus product reformulations; long practice becomes routine.

Where value appears, focus on suppliers and their ecosystems; deploy long-term practice; listen to on-site data; launching joint pilots with momentum; bold steps include publishing a real impact report; this document quantifies reduction; confirms progress; loyalty grows through clear results among partners; source backs the credibility of learned insights; achieving resilience across networks.

Achieving broad-reaching impact requires a steady cadence of programmes that cross-functionally apply bold metrics; launching pairs product teams with operations; sourcing; the reasons for success include transparency, trust; a credible report demonstrates progress; source behind these results holds weight for markets considering adoption; learned insights should be shared openly; apply these lessons to your own plans; listen to the data; momentum remains a long-term priority.

Scope and Targets: Translating the Gigaton ambition into annual milestones

Recommendation: define a year-by-year map of reductions anchored to categories; establish a measurement cadence; provide toolkits to supply-chain partners; announce progress quarterly.

Scope and targets translate the global ambition into annual milestones through three pillars: planning, measuring, momentum. A solid process begins with a baseline; then maps annual reductions by category, region, supplier cohort; track progress in real time.

1. Baseline, targets, milestones
   • Baseline year 2023; apply a consistent carbon-footprint metric across operations and supply chain to lower footprint.
   • Translate gigaton-level ambition into annual reductions by category (operations, packaging, freight), with regional breakdowns.
   • Agree annual targets; include absolute and intensity metrics; these figures form the basis for regulatory reporting.
2. Toolkits, access and capacity
   • Publish toolkits detailing planning templates, measuring methods, supplier engagement playbooks.
   • Provide access to dashboards, data templates, and training modules; ensure major supplier cohorts have an access point; toolkits, which clarify roles and expectations.
   • Case examples illustrate success; they’ve shown shared resources accelerate momentum.
3. Measuring, planning, governance
   • Adopt a single measuring framework (GHG protocol aligned) with regular audits; track reductions by sector, supplier cohort; count progress toward milestones.
   • Publish a quarterly scorecard highlighting significant reductions, risk areas, next steps; include regulatory signals that could affect pace.
   • Build risk controls to maintain momentum; plan contingencies for supply disruption and market shifts.
4. Engagement, external signals, cadence
   • Establish a governance group with representation from operations, sourcing, sustainability; schedule monthly check-ins; prepare annual reviews for external announcements.
   • Coordinate with regulatory bodies on timelines; align with events to stimulate investor confidence; use the group to prepare a credible case for stakeholders.
   • Encourage retailers, suppliers to collaborate; highlight significant wins; use case studies to drive broader adoption across the retail network.

Operational Levers by Sector: Packaging, Transportation, and Store Operations that drive the largest cuts

Recommendation: adopt science-based programmes across Walmarts suppliers included in the programme to achieve a measurable reduction in packaging mass, lift recyclability, shift toward reusable designs; build a flywheel that enhances resilience, improves capital efficiency; yields bigger results globally; benefits sales trajectory over time.

Packaging Levers

Packaging Levers: Target 20–30% lighter packaging for thousands of SKUs; swap to high-recycle content; deploy primary packaging redesigns to improve freight density; measure via science-based measuring cadence; share results across facilities; signal changes to buyers; listen to feedback from store teams to refine specs.

Transportation and Store Operations Levers

Transport levers drive a lower GHG footprint across fleets: optimise routes; consolidate shipments; shift to rail where feasible; implement idle-time reductions; tools include dynamic scheduling; lane optimisation; cross-dock strategies; measure across miles travelled; thousands of loads become signals of change; collaboration across Walmarts, carriers, suppliers holds results that inform capital decisions; this leads to a stronger flywheel.

Store operations leverage cold-chain improvements; LED retrofits; energy management to reduce energy intensity; monitor with science-based programmes; listen to frontline crew for feasible changes; benefit includes capital savings, building resilience across the network; since thousands of stores joined the programme, the data informs ongoing improvements.

Data Foundation: Collecting, standardising, and using emissions data across the supply chain

Start with a single, harmonised data foundation; apply a public standard data model; deploy a centralised data lake with automated quality checks. This changed capability yields sustained visibility; enables smart decisions; drives quicker actions across the supply network toward bigger impact. Since leadership champions the approach, your team can scale results faster. Responsibilities rest with their teams; they themselves manage ingestion, monitoring, calibration.

Collect emissions data from every supplier; across their factories; use a single, auditable report format; apply a public data dictionary; since data flows from many facilities, automated normalisation, measurement remain essential. Events such as onboarding, supplier audits, production shifts trigger real-time rebalancing. They rely on these inputs to inform risk, performance. Additionally, assess nature-related risks: biodiversity, wildlife near facilities.

Data Collection Practices

Standardisation rests on a universal taxonomy; a public core of units; auditable cadences for data submission. Each supplier maps data to shared fields; this reduces discrepancies; speeds reconciliation. As measurement practices mature, you gain a clearer view of power flows toward sustainability; where to focus effort becomes evident. The standard framework has demonstrated its usefulness across many industries; the results are significant for risk planning and supplier collaboration.

Standardisation; Utilisation

Use the data to inform risk rankings; prioritisation of suppliers; investment toward innovation. Results could inform informed decisions; they tackle climate impacts; they shape public commitments; wildlife protection becomes part of site selection; operation at sites remains sustained towards higher performance. Dashboards provide visibility; feedback loops keep factories focused on sustained gains; across many regions, this yields bigger, measurable results; they themselves empower teams to act promptly.

Actionable Roadmap: Quick-win actions, owner roles, and milestone-based rollout

Start with a 90-day action sprint focusing on three high-impact, cheaper measures that are created, designed, delivering measurable greenhouse gas reductions; set owner roles; establish fast feedback loops.

Assign owner roles: sustainability lead; procurement head; operations manager; business-unit leader.

Establish a measurement cadence: weekly dashboards; monthly reviews; quarterly audits.

Choose options with existing capability; minimal capex; rapid payback.

Engage suppliers, internal teams, investors and customers across the globe to realise shared benefit.

Lessons learned from early pilots become standard practice; compliance ensures legal sign-offs.

Science-based methodology underpins the plan; practice-based iterations rely on operational data; measurement informs the next phase, broader collaboration, economic benefit to the broader future of the company's operations; zero-waste targets guide changed behaviour; waste streams are redirected towards reuse and recovery.

Legal and regulatory readiness remains a prerequisite; nature-based options where applicable contribute to net benefit; this structure keeps greenhouse improvements scalable, reproducible, financially viable; investors view these steps as a path toward sustainable growth, global engagement, a stronger ecosystem.

More action, bigger results; practice often yields lessons created earlier; this makes collaboration across worlds stronger; investors support future outcomes; zero-waste mindset changed the economics for companies' operations.

Етапи

Phase 1 (0–90 days) focuses on quick-win actions; Phase 2 (91–180 days) widens scope to top suppliers; Phase 3 (181–360 days) broadens reach across sites; categories.

Measurement framework

Data sources: energy meters, packaging logs, supplier scorecards; cadence: weekly, monthly, quarterly; governance: cross-functional council; KPI examples: GHG intensity, waste diversion rate, cost savings; reporting cycles align with fiscal milestones.

Validation and Public Reporting: Third-party verification, transparency and progress communication

Implement independent third-party verification of all GHG data; hire an accredited verifier; publish an annual assurance report; host a public dashboard accessible to stakeholders. This builds loyalty with customers, suppliers, regulators; strengthens future resilience; supports capital efficiency.

Set a baseline anchored to 2020; measure across Scope 1, 2, 3 greenhouse gas sources; report absolute reductions; report intensity shifts (per unit of product; per packaging unit); require supplier data quality checks; verify material packaging improvements.

Publish quarterly progress via a public dashboard; include notes on regulatory requirements; tie results to goals; show practical examples: packaging redesign; energy efficiency projects; refrigerant management; highlight economic impact and benefits for consumers.

Establish a cross-functional governance body with sustainability, procurement, finance, regulatory affairs; define responsibilities; implement audit trails; require supplier engagement through contracts.

Transparency through public data strengthens loyalty; improves regulatory readiness; boosts global competitiveness; conveys credible signals about future performance; practical steps include energy efficiency upgrades; packaging redesign; supply chain optimisation.