At Walmart, Hurricane Katrina really started it all for us. Our company's emergency response showed us the potential we have to make a difference on the social and environmental issues that matter most to our customers, associates and communities. We knew that if we could be that company all of the time and all around the world, we could do a tremendous amount of good.
Shortly after the Katrina disaster, our CEO at the time, Lee Scott, gave a speech called "21st Century Leadership." It put sustainability front and center for the company and laid out three goals: