I finally caught a free moment, and wanted to catch everyone up.  It has been a wonderfully busy couple of months as we build the work around what we announced a few days ago…the Sustainability Index.  Please take a  look at the webcast; it is definitely worth watching.  www.walmartstores.com/milestone

There was a surprising amount of press about the announcement, which was good, but the think I was most excited about was that most publications kept the spirit of the announcement…collaboration.  It is essential that this project include all the key partners: NGOs, manufacturers, scientists, academics, and yes, retailers too. 

We are starting this Index work with something that is just a beginning step.  You see, before we can really dig into products, we need to learn a little more about our suppliers and help them know what we prioritize.  That is the intent behind an initial questionnaire that contains 15 simple questions.  We worked with a lot of stakeholders to create this small list of questions so that it is simple, clear, and focused on the most important first steps.  I think it comes pretty close to accomplishing this, but obviously, 15 questions will never tell you all you could want or need to know in order to influence your supply chain.  Included in the questions are: whether you are measuring carbon, solid waste, and water; whether you know where ALL the factories are that produce your finished goods, and questions regarding your workforce. 

Now, the real work begins.  The world knows our intent (and hopefully all understand our desires to do this very collaboratively), the supply base has a beginning step as they work to make progress doing the things the 15 questions ask about, and now we are diving into the supply systems for the products we sell.  With great examples of product transparency from folks like SC Johnson,  we have a lot to build from…but the road ahead is long.  Please be patient as we drive it.

PS...the label you see at the top is just a hypothetical...what you might see one day.  But, it is important we don't get caught up in the customer label right now.  That is a future discussion, for now, I believe we need to stay focused on getting the right data the right way.  Who knows, maybe the customer won't even need labels in 5 years...