(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.: Beijing, China) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. took the next step in its sustainability journey by hosting an unprecedented gathering of more than 1,000 leading suppliers, Chinese officials, and nongovernmental organizations (NGO) in Beijing, China. Wal-Mart outlined a series of aggressive goals and expectations to build a more environmentally and socially responsible global supply chain.

“Sustainability is about building a better business. We think it is essential to our future success as a retailer and to meeting the expectations of customers,” says H. Lee Scott, Jr., president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. “Maintaining the trust of our customers, today and in the future, is tied hand in hand with improving the quality of our supplier factories and their products.”

The company will focus on areas aimed at meeting or exceeding social and environmental standards, driving innovation, and efficiency and building stronger partnerships with suppliers, government, and NGOs.

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