Dominique Browning wrote an article about the positive environmental impact of Wal-Mart’s work and of their collaboration with EDF. That prompted these thoughts:
Wal-Mart is changing the global manufacturing system in a way that is greener as well as more demanding in terms of Human Rights and Labour, and – they are increasingly reporting on this – and having suppliers report on this too. That should mean that we are all, globally, gaining access to enormously much more information that is verifiable, testable and possible to argue with. However, most of this information is held by Wal-Mart, and they use it as they see fit.
If we want to change consumption habits in richer countries, and I would argue that we do, then the availability of this information is critical to our having an understanding of the full impact of our purchases. The drive for efficiency in manufacture and distribution, married to the need to report it (using public reporting tools like the Carbon Disclosure Project), would give journalists, NGOs, governments and interested citizens the ability to know. And, it would allow interest groups to make the high cost of cheap goods visible.
But sunshine doesn’t just disinfect, it illuminates. Transparency would reward those companies that are making good progress towards sustainability.
The column started with a call for accountability. The power of the information Wal-Mart has is that it enables accountability. Let us ensure it is open.
Related posts: