Walmart Publishes Weighting for Supplier Assessments

Weights for Walmart's Supplier Sustainability Assessment (SSA)

Walmart has implemented a numerical sustainability assessment of its suppliers based on 15 questions. Suppliers receive a sustainability assessment score between 1-100. Walmart recently published the details of the scoring here, and a summary of weighting for the different evaluation areas shows where Walmart is placing its emphasis:

* 30% for GHG footprint and GHG reduction goals
* 30% for packaging, solid waste and water reduction
* 20% purchasing policy and product certifications
* 20% social compliance and community

Walmart has demonstrated impressive leadership with the transparency and breadth of this program. If you supply to Walmart you obviously need to be familiar with this material, but it is also a very useful model for other companies considering measuring their suppliers (especially tier 1 suppliers) on sustainability. A number of companies are considering a similar approach. Email us if you have questions in this area.