Wal-Mart Criticized For Its Failure To Live Up To Its Sustainability Promises

Wal-Mart has failed to live up to its global sustainability objectives — 100 percent renewable energy, zero waste, and stocking only products that are sustainably manufactured and environment-friendly, according to some environmentalists and market analysts. Wal-Mart's lack of control over its suppliers in the Far East has prevented the retailer from improving sustainability of its supply chain. In China, for example, almost four-fifths of Wal-Mart's suppliers source more than 50 percent of their merchandise from shadow factories. Worse, some China suppliers are suspected of doing business with some of the forced labor camps in the country.