Wal-Mart Uses its Economic Clout to Force Better Environmental Practices in China

For the sake of balance, I think Wal-Mart should get credit for the good it does when it does well.

• "...a company that cheats on overtime and on the age of its labor, that dumps its scraps and its chemicals in our rivers, that does not pay its taxes or honor its contracts will ultimately cheat on the quality of its products. And cheating on the quality of products is the same as 'cheating on customers. We will not tolerate that at Wal-Mart."
• "They are the rule setters," said Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, a Beijing-based group. "Before Wal-Mart only cared about price and quality, so that encouraged companies to race to the bottom on environmental standards. They could lose contracts because competition was so fierce on price."
  

It's fair game to note that Wal-Mart comes late to this game, but their arrival is welcome. In that way this is similar to the integration of the military that Truman forced. Once the military took the bit, it became a model of integration and our all-volunteer force is among the finest, most-capable and professional forces in the world. Imagine the scale of the positive environmental impact that this can have if Wal-Mart enforces this standard for it's Chinese suppliers. It could be huge, and China is one of the worst environmental offenders in the world.
- posted by john @ 3:16 PM