Walmart's Statement of Ethics
Sam Walton set a solid foundation of values that are still practiced today. "Personal and moral integrity is one of our basic fundamentals and it has to start with each of us," words straight from Sam Walton's mouth. Walton was very value-based and founded Walmart in that same manner.
In its 2013 Global Responsibility Report, Walmart said it has a responsibility to lead and an opportunity to make a difference on “the big issues that matter to us all.” The company further noted that it is “committed to using our size and scale to help the world live better.”
Walmart has implemented a number of initiatives, which focus on four key areas:
1. Social responsibility – Promoting women’s economic empowerment, giving more Americans access to healthy food and helping relieve hunger
2. Local responsibility – Making microloans, implementing school nutrition programs, assisting with disaster relief and promoting local farming
3. Environmental responsibility – Reducing energy use and plastic shopping bag waste, eliminating landfill waste and requiring stricter product sustainability guidelines
4. Company responsibility – Stakeholder engagement, promoting basic values, worker safety, corporate compliance and governance
In each of these areas, Walmart cites a number of pledges and successes:
Giving: The Walmart Foundation and Walmart exceeded $1 billion in charitable contributions worldwide.
Women’s empowerment: Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are providing training and career opportunities for nearly 1 million women worldwide.
U.S. manufacturing: Walmart has committed to purchasing an additional $50 billion in U.S.-produced goods over the next 10 years.
Energy efficiency: Renewable energy sources account for 21% of Walmart’s electricity worldwide.
Veterans: The company plans to hire more than 100,000 U.S. veterans over the next five years.
Diversity: Women account for almost 28% of Walmart’s corporate officers, about double the average for Fortune 500 companies.
