As part of a summit on sustainability in Vancouver last February 10, Wal-Mart has announced this summer’s introduction of its sustainability index in Canada. This is the first country outside the United States, where Wal-Mart will introduce the program to its network of 44,000 suppliers. This program was launched in 2009 in the United States at the request of Wal-Mart customers for sustainable, efficient, effective and safe products that are manufactured responsibly. By creating this program, Wal-Mart will contribute to the transparency in the supply chain while stimulating innovation and making it easier for consumers to compare products. The program will be set up in three phases. First, suppliers must complete a detailed questionnaire assessing a variety of topics concerning energy and climate, the efficiency of materials, resources, community, etc. Providers will assign themselves a rating to each of their answers. The second phase will collect data that will be shared with a consortium of universities to collaborate with suppliers and retailers to develop a comprehensive database on the products life cycle. The final phase will provide consumers a simple way to evaluate products and allow them to buy responsibly and to ensure transparency on the products quality and history. You will find at the following link, Wal-Mart Sustainability Index, detailed information on this program and you can download the questionnaire. This questionnaire is a useful guide to better position yourself even if you do not deal with Wal-Mart.

Samir Naoum