Wal-Mart joins ‘Climate Initiative’

Wal-Mart Stores has announced it will join the Clinton Climate Initiative, a program sponsored by President Bill Clinton with the goal of using purchasing resources to lower prices on “green” products.

The partnership also has the goal of collaborating on the design and development of new environmentally friendly products and practices, including developing specifications for new products and testing them.

The two groups will work together to source new products, including going to market at coordinated times in order to maximize purchasing power and drive down costs.

“This shows what can be achieved when business, government and the non-profit sector work together on some of the biggest challenges facing the world today,” said Lee Scott, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores.

One of the first technologies the two groups will explore is the use of energy-efficient LED lights for parking lots and street lamps, which Wal-Mart estimates could save cities 50 percent of their energy costs.