Walmart Inc. and Schneider Electric, collaborate to provide increased access to renewable energy for Walmart’s US-based suppliers, enabling them to lead on climate action. The groundbreaking initiative, called the Gigaton PPA (GPPA) Program, is designed to educate Walmart suppliers about renewable energy purchases and accelerate renewable energy adoption by participating suppliers through aggregate power purchase agreements (PPA).
The program directly supports Walmart’s Project Gigaton, which aims to avoid one gigaton of carbon dioxide from Walmart’s global value chain by 2030. Currently, more than 2,300 suppliers from 50 countries are participating in Project Gigaton. Suppliers have reported a cumulative 230 million metric tons of avoided emissions since 2017 – more than 20% of the goal – through energy, waste, packaging, agriculture, forests, and product use and design.
Zach Freeze, Senior Director – Sustainability, Walmart said: “The Gigaton PPA Program is an innovation-in-action needed to help our suppliers take the next step towards low-carbon emissions, helping to build a more sustainable future for our communities. Through Schneider Electric’s work with our suppliers, the program aims to democratize access to renewable energy, and accelerate its use with our supplier base.”
The GPPA initiative was designed to help overcome challenges making it possible for more companies to learn about energy purchases, access renewable energy, reduce emissions and increase their ability to contribute towards Project Gigaton.
The company has collaborated with Schneider Electric’s Energy & Sustainability Services (ESS) to run the GPPA Program, utilizing Schneider Electric’s NEO Network, a global collaboration platform and community of more than 300 corporate renewable energy purchasers and solution providers. Schneider Electric’s team of leading renewable energy experts will engage participating Walmart suppliers and facilitate a multi-phase education and project selection process to advance supplier progress towards the execution of aggregated renewable energy purchases.
Steve Wilhite, Senior Vice President, Schneider Electric said: “It is our honour to work with Walmart on this revolutionary program. The company is demonstrating significant leadership by increasing access to utility-scale renewable energy opportunities for their suppliers as part of the Project Gigaton ambition. The GPPA program aims to bring a significant amount of new wind and solar to the grid at a time when climate action is most urgent.”
For more than a decade, Walmart has been working with suppliers, NGOs and others to inspire positive change across global supply chains. Walmart has set a goal to be powered 50% by renewable energy by 2025 and currently the company powers an estimated 29% of its operations with renewable energy. Walmart and Schneider Electric are also members of the Renewable Energy Buyer’s Alliance, a coalition that brings together purchasers and suppliers of renewable energy to make the process of transitioning to cleaner energy sources easier.
