Wal-Mart Teams up with GE on Energy Saving Program

Sep 15, 2006

Wal-Mart has joined hands with GE to launch energy saving centers at 14 Wal-Mart Supercenters in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Kunming. Featuring the theme of “building a conservation-minded society together with you”, the energy saving center showcases various environmental lighting products from GE and Wal-Mart Private Brand aiming to help customers lower cost and save energy. Energy saving tips are also available calling on customers’ participation for building a conservation-oriented society.

Compared with traditional light bulbs, energy-efficient bulb provides compact size and high luminosity. It can save energy consumption by up to 80%. The energy center is one of the environmental projects Wal-Mart is working on with suppliers. Wal-Mart will continue to introduce more environmental programs in the future.

Environmental protection is one of Wal-Mart’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Our environmental goals at Wal-Mart are straightforward: to be supplied 100% by renewable energy; to create zero waste; to sell products that sustain our resources and environment. Sustainability is becoming an integral and a lasting part of the Wal-Mart culture. Wal-Mart is aggressively investing in technologies and innovation that helps with energy saving, pollution reduction, waste control and environmental-friendly products development. As an outstanding corporate citizen, Wal-Mart is actively participating in various charitable and environmental programs including green resource utilization, energy saving project, noise control, tree planting ever since it entered China 10 years ago.

According to James Lee, Vice President Corporate Affairs, Wal-Mart (China) Investment Co, Ltd., “We believe that being a good steward of the environment and being an efficient and profitable enterprise are not mutually exclusive. In fact they are one in the same. Environment problem is our common problem. Wal-Mart can’t grow without the healthy interaction with nature. We are responsible for the well being of our common world. Taking the opportunity of Wal-Mart China 10-year anniversary, we are carrying out a series of sustainability programs with our partners. The energy saving center with GE is an important program of them. Through the event, we hope to increase the public awareness on environment protection as a response to the government’s call on building a conservation-minded society.”

Lee continues to say that Wal-Mart is pushing forward the energy saving campaign at both international and local levels. In the US, Wal-Mart is supporting this effort with a nation-wide challenge to consumers to replace 250 million lights with compact florescent lights (CFL) in the next year to promote the use of CFL in US households and businesses for energy saving.

GE’s Ecomagination is a global project launched in China early this year, aiming to solve the severe environmental problem for clients. Meanwhile, GE is increasing the investment on environmental technology research, from 0.7 billion in 2005 to 1.5 billion in 2010. According to GE, “Energy saving center is part of the Ecomagination Program, which is significant to both society and customers. GE’s first energy-saving bulb T2 Spiral® is 50% smaller than ordinary incandescent bulb, but 20% brighter, and which can save energy up to 80%. Through the promotion, we hope to bring more benefit to our customers.”

About Wal-Mart China

Wal-Mart China opened its first Supercenter in August 1996 in Shenzhen and now operates 64 outlets including Supercenters, SAM’S CLUBs, and Neighborhood Markets in 32 cities with over 33,000 associates. Wal-Mart has brought with it advanced management expertise to China’s retail industry and provided local customers with good merchandise and services during 10 years’ serving in China. For more information about Wal-Mart China, please visit www.wal-martchina.com.