Wal-Mart, Clinton Climate Initiative To Design, Source Green Products

Wal-Mart is partnering with the Clinton Climate Initiative to explore ways to use their purchasing power to lower prices on sustainable technologies such as energy efficient building materials and systems, energy efficient lighting and clean energy products.

The organizations say they will collaborate regarding the design and discovery of new products and best practices related to environmentally-friendly technologies.

This includes working together to develop specifications for new products and test new products. The organizations say they will work together to source new products, again sharing specifications as well as suppliers and will go to market at coordinated times in order to maximize purchasing power and drive down costs.

One of the technologies they will explore is energy-efficient, high-performance LED lights for parking lots and street lamps. By switching to LEDs, Wal-Mart estimates that cities could save 50 percent on street lamp energy consumption and reduce maintenance costs by 80 percent. Additional technologies to be explored may include interior LED lighting, variable-speed heating ventilation and air conditioning technology and solar power purchases.

Former President Bill Clinton made the announcement at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Summit held in Seattle. In addition to the partnership with Wal-Mart, President Clinton announced that the Clinton Climate Initiative will extend its programs and purchasing consortium to all 1,100 cities represented by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The consortium includes the C40 Climate Leadership Group, representing 40 of the world’s largest cities.