Wal-Mart Joins Clinton Foundation to Sell Energy Efficient Products

Wal-Mart Stores will be teaming up with the Clinton Foundation's Climate Initiative to promote and distribute energy-efficient technologies across the United States and across the globe. With Wal-Mart's purchasing power, the two groups hope to make a real difference in what the US market buys and sells.

The collaboration will focus on renewable and sustainable choices for energy as well as products that rely on renewable energy. Sustainable materials will be a cornerstone of the partnership, in addition to products made from those materials. The partnership will also promote the use of efficient building materials and heating and cooling systems and electrical systems, including lighting.

Wal-Mart's CEO, Lee Scott, said in the Wal-Mart press release announcing the partnership, "This shows what can be achieved when business, government and the non-profit sector work together on some of the biggest challenges facing the world today." He added that through collaboration "we can help drive innovation, create new technology markets and ultimately reduce this country's dependence on foreign oil."

The Wal-Mart and Clinton partnership will work to promote the development of new environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies. This effort will mean the design of new products and working with suppliers around the world in producing these products. With the huge marketplace leverage that Wal-Mart commands, manufacturing costs will drop when the production numbers increase.

The partnership calls for representatives from Wal-Mart and the Clinton Climate Initiative as well as representatives from member cities to meet regularly to work on the Wal-Mart building team to encourage and promote responsible "green" building practices.

Former president Clinton announced the new partnership at the Climate Protection Summit for the US Conference of Mayors today in Seattle. The Climate Initiative will work with the 1,100 US cities, whose mayors are members of the Conference. The Initiative already has ties with the C40 Climate Leadership Group, which is made up of 40 of the world's biggest cities.

Clinton added to Wal-Mart's press release, "Climate change is a global issue that we must address immediately if we are to reverse its catastrophic effects. Together, I hope that we can have a measurable impact on greenhouse gas emissions around the world."

The former President started the Clinton Foundation in order to encourage and strengthen "global interdependence" through work in health, economics and leadership development. The Foundation has six Initiatives as part of the work the Foundation oversees. The Climate Initiative is joined by programs that address HIV/AIDS and economic Opportunities, among other issues. The Foundation works on six continents with partners in the Climate Initiative. Which is in the first phase of its work, and the partnership with Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the US, will make a huge impact.

Sources: Wal-Mart, William J. Clinton Foundation