Wal-Mart 2.0?

Will Wal-Mart flex its muscle to convince suppliers to go green?The CEO of Wal-Mart, Lee Scott, was supposed to have had an awakening after Hurricane Katrina. Wal-Mart's supply chain was instrumental in getting desperately needed supplies to survivors througout the region after the storm hit. Since then Mr. Scott has been moving Wal-Mart toward sustainble business practices and pushing their suppliers in this direction as well. Many in the environmental community held their noses, a few clapped, most were skeptical. Others have been taking a wait and see attitude toward the giant retailer, waiting for proof that it is not just PR. Today, I read about Wal-Mart's new effort to influence China to supply cleaner products. The article said that Wal-Mart still wants low prices for its consumers, but not at the expense of polluting the air and water in China. Now that's a switch, isn't it. Let's hope they can nudge China toward greener supply chain practices.