Wal-Mart kicks off IRDC's opening keynote

The opening keynote for this year’s conference, Wal-Mart Gets Green, will take attendees inside the world’s largest retailer for a look at sustainable development activities that can positively impact your bottom line. In this eye-opening session, Wal-Mart’s vp of prototype and new format development, Charles Zimmerman, will discuss the ROI of specific initiatives—and the cumulative effect of those efforts on the environment.

IRDC: Tell us a little about Wal-Mart’s history with green initiatives. Has sustainability taken on greater significance within the company in recent years?

CZ: I think you need to separate “green” from “energy efficiency.” We have been doing things that were highly energy efficient for about a decade or so. However, “green” or “sustainable” efforts beyond energy efficiency are relatively recent and really didn’t begin until the fall of 2005 following our CEO’s speech “Leadership in the 21st Century.” Prior to that speech our energy efficiency initiatives were somewhat treated as a “competitive advantage.” However, part of the above speech dealt with the fact that we were committed to sharing everything we learn with regards to sustainability with everyone, including our competition. Therefore, you are seeing a lot more press on these efforts as we share our results with the world.

IRDC: Does the sheer size of Wal-Mart make implementation of these building initiatives more difficult?

CZ: No, it makes it easier. We have a bigger laboratory to experiment within, and we have more projects (thus, more opportunities) to try different things.

IRDC: What’s the one thing other retailers would be surprised to learn from Wal-Mart’s experience in this realm?

CZ: The phenomenal paybacks associated with investment in this area. Most of our initiatives have paybacks of less than two years, and nearly all less than three years. Yes, they all cost more initially, but the paybacks are proven and significant.