Wal-Mart Stores has become a member of the Global Forest & Trade Network, a WWF initiative to combat illegal and unsustainable logging.
By becoming a member, Wal-Mart pledges to help save endangered forests by using more wood from sustainable and certified sources.
The U.S. market is critical to protecting forests worldwide because it is the largest consumer of industrial timber, pulp and paper in the world -making it the top destination for imports of wood from areas where illegal logging and trade are common, according to WWF.
Within a year, Wal-Mart plans to complete an assessment of the origin of its wood sources, determining whether they are legal and sustainable. The company plans to eliminate wood from illegal and unknown sources within five years.