Walmart

The world's largest company by revenue does not want to be a top source of greenhouse gas emissions. Walmart was already working to reduce emissions from its own operations; last year, the mega-retailer launched Project Gigaton, which aims to help its suppliers do the same. The goal: Helping suppliers avoid 1 billion tons of emissions by 2030, by using more renewable energy and more recycled content in packaging. By the end of 2017, Walmart said it had diverted about 78% of waste from its facilities that would have gone to landfills, thanks to recycling and other measures. In a separate sustainability effort, Walmart is also moving to cut waste in its grocery business—a significant move from a company that has become the largest grocer in the U.S. Such efforts don’t just protect the environment; they also protect Walmart’s operating margins. CORRECTION: This article has been updated to more accurately describe the activity covered by Project Gigaton.