Environmental Certification Center of Ministry of Environmental Protection China and Wal-Mart Sign MOU to Increase Cooperation in Environmental Sustainability

Participants to cooperate in information exchange, green store standards drafting and certification

Beijing, China – Environmental Certification Center of Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and Wal-Mart China today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Sustainability at the Wal-Mart chain store in Wangjing, Beijing today. Encouraged by their mutual interest to advance globally the importance of openly discussing advances in environmental sustainable policies and practices, the participants will use their best efforts to cooperate in the area of environmental sustainability such as the green store standards drafting and certification.

The customer’s rising awareness of environment protection urges more environmental requirements on products and shopping environment. The burden to the environment reduced, the green supermarket also helps the customer to establish a healthy environmental consumption conception. Therefore, the establishment and popularization of eco-label standards and certifications has a great significance, which at the same time benefits the green supermarket’s further development.

“The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding will greatly promote the development and perfection of the green supermarket standards in China, and contribute to China’s sustainable environment development,” said Chen Yanping, director of CECC, “Wal-Mart’s rich domain knowledge and global network recourses will also help a lot.”

“As the global biggest retailer, Wal-Mart has the responsibility and opportunity to boost the mode and steps for a sustainable development, to help impel the standardization and progress of green supermarkets in China and advance the whole retailer industry,” said Ed. Chan, Wal-Mart China President and CEO on the signing ceremony, “So we keep a close cooperation with the government for practical progresses and to realize our goal to protect the environment by mutual communication and cooperation”

Environmental Certification Center of Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) , also named China Environmental United Certification Center Co., Ltd, is the only institution which has authorization of product eco-label certification. The company and Wal-Mart will work closely in green store standards drafting and certifications of green supermarkets will be completed and carried out by means of multi-information communication, spot surveys, demonstration and validation, which boosts an active development of the environment protection in the areas of circulation and consumption.

Wal-Mart made a significant step on the way to realize its environmentally and socially sustainable supplier chain strategy through signing the Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Sustainability, which is also an important part of the Sustainable Development Summit-Beijing 2008 held by Wal-Mart earlier.

On the summit, Wal-Mart pledged to reinforce measures to protect the store environment to be a leading corporation of sustainable development in China. The company will design and open a new store prototype that uses 40 percent less energy and will reduce energy use at existing stores by 30 percent by 2010. In addition, during the next two years, Wal-Mart China will aim to cut water use in all of its stores in half by investing in new hardware and systems and employee education as well as other measures.

The first new store prototype in China – Wangjing Wal-Mart Market will open on 25th, September this year in Beijing. The store will make the first attempt to widely apply LED lights in general lighting, ice box lighting and pantry lighting, and use HFED in some parts of the market as light source. As the new prototype to protect the environment and save energy, the store is equipped with the highly-efficient generator, compressor, and recycle systems of heat and waste water, saving electricity by 23% and water by 17% every year compared with former stores in 2005.

Ed. Chan complemented, “In environment protection area, the sustainable development goal established by Chinese government agrees with Wal-Mart’s sustainable development strategy. The two sides’ signing of memorandum will set up a good example for enterprises to establish a mutual profitable partnership with the government on sustainable development.”

The sustainable development of commercial practice is gradually changing Wal-Mart’s business mode, providing millions of customers with “greener” products and new perspectives for Wal-Mart to survey its operation flow and supply chain. Within next three to five years, the company will commit itself to integrating the environmental and social standards into the global procurement system, and building up a sustainable supply chain which covers the company, suppliers and all communities in its service. The goal and steps are upholding our commission: Save Money, Live Better!