|
Sign here to tell Walmart to take immediate action on climate change. If we're going to change everything, we need everyone to stand up to the biggest corporation in the world and tell them it's time to act on climate and wages.
Friend,
Walmart is America's largest private employer, and the world's largest company.1 But they're falling woefully behind their promise to get 100 percent of their power from clean, renewable sources. In fact, their U.S. stores use nearly six times as much dirty energy as the entire U.S. auto industry, including more than 4.2 million tons of coal each year.2
 Walmart says it wants to treat people and the planet fairly. It's within the power of their shareholders and the Walton family to keep that promise. That's why this Wednesday, April 15, millions of workers and allies around the world will rally and strike to demand that Walmart and other big companies live up to their promises, stand up for people and protect the planet.3
As environmentalists, it's essential we stand with our working allies to show big businesses like Walmart that they must earn our business by supporting a safe climate and fair wages. Sign here to endorse the actions of workers, shareholders and concerned shoppers everywhere who are calling on Walmart to clean up their act on climate and wages NOW.
Dozens of big U.S. companies have already shown that there's no conflict between paying good wages, making a profit and protecting the planet.4 But Walmart is falling behind their competitors in both wages and clean energy. Getting their shareholders, board and especially the Walton family (which owns a controlling stake in Walmart) to take a stand for people and the planet is essential.
Walmart has already promised to get 100 percent of its power from clean, renewable sources. Just like they promised to raise wages for their workers earlier this year. But so far, they're not even close to keeping either promise:
- Right now Walmart is one of America's largest users of dirty coal electricity, which pumps nearly 8 million metric tons of global warming pollution into the air each year.
- Right now many Walmart workers are paid so little that they rely on food stamps and other federal assistance just to make ends meet.5
These issues are not separate, but linked: Companies that treat workers fairly are much more likely to care about the planet. And a company that understands we all have a stake in a safe climate (as Walmart claims to be) would never pay workers so poorly that they can't afford green housing, food and transportation options.
Naomi Klein's book, This Changes Everything, famously points out that if we're going to solve the climate crisis we need to, well, change everything -- including the way our largest companies and employers work.6 And that means we need everyone to speak out and tell these companies how we expect them to treat our people and our planet.
Sign here to endorse the actions of workers, shareholders and concerned shoppers everywhere calling on Walmart to act on climate and wages NOW.
Thanks,
Drew and the climate-people-at-work crew at Environmental Action
1 - Walmart, Corporate & Financial Facts, January 2015
2 - Stacy Mitchell, Walmart’s Dirty Energy Secret, ILSR, Nov 20, 2014
3 - Fight for 15, April15.org
4 - Grist, 15 Green Business Founders, Sep 2007
5 - Clare O'Connor, Report: Walmart Workers Cost Taxpayers $6.2 Billion In Public Assistance, Forbes, April 15 2014
6 - Naomi Klein, This changes everything. |
