Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, has again set out its stall to reduce its impact on the environment and issued plans to lower its carbon emissions.The company said today (25 February) that it is aiming to cut 20m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain between now and 2015.

The retail titan will look to hit that target by focusing on product categories with the “highest embedded carbon” as defined by the Carbon Disclosure Project and the Applied Sustainability Center (ASC) at the University of Arkansas.

Fred Krupp, president of green campaigners the Environmental Defense Fund, admitted Wal-Mart had made a “bold move”

“Today the world’s largest company begins a global race for carbon pollution cuts. It will transform a vast supply chain here at home, and around the world,” Krupp said.

The announcement is the latest in a series of plans Wal-Mart has to reduce the way its business affects the environment.

The retailer has already developed a “sustainability index” to judge which of its suppliers on environmental issues.

“We’ve been working to make a difference in these areas, both in our own footprint and our supply chain. We know that we have an opportunity to do more and the capacity to do more,” Wal-Mart president and CEO Mike Duke said.

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