WalMart, State Forest Administration Sign MOU

Protects Environmental Resources, Promotes Forest Certification

BEIJING, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Walmart (China) Investment Co., Ltd., the Walmart Global Procurement Office and the Zhonglin Tianhe (Beijing) Forest Certification Center under the State Forest Administration, signed an MOU today jointly promoting worldwide environmental sustainability activities and practices, including forest certification

Barry Friedman, Vice President of Walmart China Corporate Affairs and Ken Lanshe, Vice President of Walmart Global Sourcing signed the MOU with Shi Feng, Director of Zhonglin Tianhe (Beijing) Forest Certification Center under the SFA.

Leslie Dach, Executive Vice President of Walmart Corporate Affairs and Government Relations exchanged views with Zhang Yong Li, Vice Minister of the State Forest Administration on environmental sustainability, especially the issues on Forest certification. Barry Friedman, Vice President of Walmart China Corporate Affairs and Ken Lanshe, Vice President of Walmart Global Sourcing signed the MOU with Shi Feng, Director of Zhonglin Tianhe (Beijing) Forest Certification Center under the SFA.

Based on the MOU framework agreement, the partners will conduct training and exchange activities jointly promoting the forest certification development in China and improving the awareness of the whole society on forest certification. In the key collaborative areas specified by the MOU, all parties will provide technical consulting and professional trainings on forest certification for forest certification assessors, suppliers, managers of forest-related businesses and agencies to be certified.

Leslie Dach, Executive Vice President of Walmart Corporate Affairs and Government Relations stressed that, "forest certification and forest production and sales supervision chain businesses play an important role in promoting sustainable forest practices and in realizing the sustainable development of forest. This is consistent with the goals of the various environment protection programs initiated by Walmart such as the suppliers' ethical standard supervision and forest environment protection. The collaboration with the professional forest certification center will once again set a favorable development foundation for promoting and accelerating China and Walmart's efforts in environmental sustainability. We look forward to further promoting the forest certification process in China through our joint collaboration."

As an effective means to promote the sustainable development of forest, forest certification has gained wide acceptance from the international society and is becoming recognized more and more by the world production enterprises and consumers. Implementation of a forest certification system has become an effective way for numerous countries to protect forest resources and promote the forest sustainability.

"Global deforestation has always been particularly important to Walmart," Dach explained. Two years ago, WalMart launched its global sustainable agriculture goals. In the sustainable sourcing of agricultural products, Walmart focuses on two major factors related to global deforestation: palm oil and beef production. Walmart will require sustainably sourced palm oil in all of its private brand products globally by the end of 2015. In Brazil, Walmart only purchases the beef products that do not contribute to the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.  Walmart's efforts to protect valuable forests will be promoted by all Walmart global companies by the end of 2015.

Walmart has already clearly put forward its sustainability goals, which are 100-percent utilization of renewable resources, creating zero waste and selling products that sustain resources and the environment. The goals also include making new agreements with suppliers, which require their manufacturing facilities to abide by local laws and regulations and adhere to strict social and environmental standards; improve energy efficiency and reduce the use of natural resources; thereby, actively promoting the production and sales of more environment-friendly products and reducing the packaging on products.

As the world largest retailers, Walmart, according to Dach, is working closely with suppliers to achieve substantial progress and set up a more environment-friendly supply chain that leaves less impact on the environment and is socially responsible. It also tries to bring more environmental friendly goods to millions of consumers and establish a sustainable supply chain that benefit the company, suppliers and all communities Walmart serves.

The signing ceremony is one of the key events during Mike Duke, Walmart President and CEO, and other Walmart global management's visit to China.

About Walmart in China

Walmart entered the Chinese market and opened its first store in Shenzhen in 1996. Walmart's Global Sourcing operation established their headquarters in Shenzhen in 2002. Currently, Walmart operates a number of store formats in China including Supercenters, Sam's Clubs, and Neighborhood Markets. Walmart has donated funds and in-kind support worth more than RMB 60 million to local charity and welfare organizations over the past 14 years, and has won awards such as “Best Employer”, “Best Community Involvement”, “Supplier Satisfaction Recognition” and “Most Admired Company”. For more information about Walmart in China, please visit www.Walmartchina.com.

About Zhonglin Tianhe (Beijing) Forest Certification Center

Zhonglin Tianhe (Beijing) Forest Certification Center (ZTFC) is directly under the State Forest Administration of China. It is first agency in China's Forest Industry that was approved by State Certification Approval Supervision and Management Commission and authorized by State Forest Administration and State Certification Approval Supervision and Management Commission to engage in Forest certification-Forest Management Certification and Forest Certification-Production and Sales Chain Certification. It is governed by the State Forest Administration.

Walmart Global Sourcing

Walmart Global Sourcing was founded in Shenzhen in 2002. It is responsible for sourcing for all global Walmart Stores. Currently Walmart Global Sourcing runs its offices world widely including Shanghai, Fujian, Korea, Indonesia, India, Dubai, Bangladesh and Pakistan etc. It works with thousands of suppliers and factories to source hundreds of thousands types of merchandise. With its focus on social responsibility, Walmart Global Sourcing provides suppliers with the information and trainings related to ethical sourcing standard, sustainability and energy efficiency.