Contributed by John Federovitch

Walmart set a science-based target to cut its carbon footprint in line with international goals. The objective of Project Gigaton is to eliminate 1 gigaton worth of emissions by 2030. That’s equal to taking more than 211 million passenger vehicles off our nation’s roads and highways for a year. Click the image to the left for a closer look at Project Gigaton.

Walmart believes climate change is an urgent and pressing challenge, and it is clear that we must all do our part to reduce, avoid and mitigate the impact of rising greenhouse gas levels, and the associated risks to the prosperity of communities we serve.

According to analysis from U.S. federal government agencies, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe. When more frequent and extreme weather strikes, we all can bear a substantial burden. Within the last 12 years, destructive weather events such as Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Harvey, Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina have caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damages to the U.S. economy

In light of these climate threats and associated costs, now more than ever, U.S. businesses are looking for ways to increase development of renewable energy sources like wind and solar and invest in energy efficient operations. Walmart is one of many companies that have made firm commitments to using 100% renewable power in the future and increasing their focus on customer and supplier engagement.
 
Walmart is now one of America's leading commercial on-site solar and large-scale wind users and an early mover on promising new technologies like battery storage and electric vehicle solutions.

Project Gigaton is a recently announced initiative where Walmart will work with our suppliers to reduce emissions in our supply chain by one gigaton by 2030, the equivalent of taking more than 211 million passenger vehicles off our nation’s roads and highways for a year.

Renewable energy and efficiency investments both in our own operations and together with suppliers have enabled us to support jobs, help reduce the impact on the environment and save money. It’s right for our customers, for our associates, and for our bottom line.

As a renewable energy professional and Georgia Tech alumnus, I strongly believe that climate change presents risks for our communities and provides us with the imperative to act. I’m proud to see the contributions being made by Georgia Tech in the sustainability space, such as the innovations developed by the Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory and Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute’s (SEI) clean energy collaborations.   

Knowing that SEI and the faculty and students of Georgia Tech share the same sense of passion, responsibility, and urgency to act is heartening. We need to continue to reap the valuable benefits of your research and insights. Georgia Tech knows what’s at stake from an ecological, energy and economic standpoint.

There are also valuable connections among fellow students, millennials and leading influencers in academia. I encourage everyone to keep tapping into your networks and develop technologies to help move us towards a more sustainable future.