Walmart Project Gigaton Today: Updated Goals, Reporting & Supplier Recognition

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What Is Walmart Project Gigaton?

Walmart launched Project Gigaton in 2017 as a voluntary climate initiative to reduce, avoid, or sequester one billion metric tons (one gigaton) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its supply chain by 2030. Recognizing that most of its emissions occur upstream in its supply chain, Walmart has made supplier engagement central to achieving its overall sustainability goals.

In early 2024, Walmart announced it had surpassed its one-gigaton emissions goal six years early, an impressive achievement driven largely by suppliers' emissions-reduction initiatives. Although Walmart has met its initial 2030 goal, the program remains central to the retailer's broader goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040.

Walmart encourages its suppliers to complete their annual Project Gigaton reporting, track progress toward their GHG reduction targets, and document initiatives that reduce emissions within their operations and products. Walmart suppliers can also receive recognition through Project Gigaton for their progress.

Walmart’s Current Project Gigaton Requirements

Project Gigaton is only open to Walmart’s direct (Tier 1) suppliers. Participation is voluntary, and participating suppliers report emissions-reduction activities annually across six areas: energy, nature, waste, packaging, transportation, and product use and design. Suppliers who join Project Gigaton and demonstrate strong disclosure habits through annual reporting improve their vendor standing.

Suppliers take action and report progress across six areas for emissions reduction:

  • Energy: Focuses on improving operational energy efficiency, optimizing fuel consumption, and transitioning to renewable energy sources.

  • Nature (Agriculture & Deforestation): Encourages sustainable agriculture, soil health, landscape restoration, and halting deforestation linked to raw material sourcing.

  • Waste: Targets food waste reduction, operational waste minimization, and increased diversion of materials from landfills.

  • Packaging: Promotes optimized, sustainable packaging designs that eliminate excess material and support a circular economy through reuse and recycling.

  • Transportation: Aims to reduce logistics emissions and move toward zero-emission shipping and improved fleet efficiency.

  • Product Use/Design: Evaluates a product's full lifecycle footprint from raw material extraction to disposal while improving energy efficiency and increasing recycled content.

How Does Annual Project Gigaton Reporting Work?

If participating in the Project Gigaton program, suppliers must log in each year and complete various surveys relevant to their operations. These surveys fall into three primary categories:

  • Company – Corporate-level sustainability initiatives and emissions reduction efforts

  • Products – Product-level changes that reduce lifecycle emissions

  • Packaging – Improvements in packaging materials, design, and waste reduction

Suppliers can report projects or programs that contribute to:

  • Energy efficiency improvements (e.g., LED lighting upgrades)

  • Renewable energy installations (e.g., solar panel projects)

  • Waste diversion or recycling programs

  • Use of recycled or lower-impact materials in products or packaging

  • Process improvements that reduce emissions intensity

If no new projects or programs were implemented during the reporting year, suppliers are still expected to report ongoing sustainability initiatives.

The Project Gigaton platform auto-calculates the associated GHG reductions for each activity entered. While the platform handles emissions calculations, suppliers' primary responsibility is to collect accurate operational data to support reporting, such as energy and fuel use, waste and recycling data, packaging information, and relevant product or process changes.

What Are Sparking Change and Giga Guru?

Beyond basic participation, Walmart offers two Project Gigaton recognition levels that highlight deeper supplier commitment: Sparking Change (Silver) and Giga Guru (Gold). Sparking Change recognizes suppliers that establish action plans and Scope 1 and 2 reduction targets, while Giga Guru adds requirements for emissions disclosure and renewable electricity reporting.

These recognition tiers give suppliers an opportunity to publicly demonstrate sustainability leadership and strengthen their partnership with Walmart. Additionally, suppliers recognized at either level are featured on a public recognition page. Recognition status resets annually after Walmart’s Project Gigaton Sustainability Survey, and suppliers must re-earn it by meeting the reporting requirements before the survey concludes.

How to Achieve Sparking Change Status

Sparking Change status is designed for suppliers that are building or formalizing their climate strategy. It rewards structured commitment without requiring full emissions disclosure.

To achieve Sparking Change status, suppliers must:

  • Develop at least three action plans to reduce GHG emissions by 2030

  • Report progress annually on those action plans

  • Set and share Scope 1 and Scope 2 absolute reduction targets

  • Consent to share action plans and use of company logo

This level is ideal for suppliers beginning to formalize GHG reduction strategies, but that may not yet have comprehensive GHG inventories. The key distinction from basic participation is the requirement to set reduction targets and establish measurable climate action plans.

How to Achieve Giga Guru Status

Giga Guru is Walmart’s highest supplier recognition under Project Gigaton. To achieve Giga Guru status, suppliers must meet all Sparking Change requirements plus demonstrate a higher level of GHG accountability.

Additional requirements beyond those under Sparking Change status include:

  • Share a full Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions inventory

  • Identify the percentage of electricity consumed that is generated by renewable sources

  • Report avoided CO₂ emissions

The major differentiator at this level is emissions transparency. Suppliers must quantify and disclose their operational carbon footprint and demonstrate structured tracking of reductions over time.

Giga Guru status reflects suppliers that have moved beyond project-based reporting into strategic carbon management.

How Does Project Gigaton Benefit Suppliers?

For suppliers, Project Gigaton is often initially viewed as a compliance requirement. Over time, it helps suppliers build a structure for organizing climate work. Suppliers that pursue recognition status are also setting themselves up for future success by implementing internal data collection and tracking processes.

Additionally, investors and consumers alike are placing a higher emphasis on sustainability across retail supply chains, and suppliers with inventories and targets already established are better positioned as disclosure requirements grow. Sparking Change or Giga Guru recognition also shows consumers where your brand’s values lie, adding credibility to sustainability claims.

Ultimately, the program is centered on measurable reductions rather than reporting alone. Suppliers' efforts have helped Walmart reach its Gigaton goal ahead of schedule, and those efforts have also financially benefited suppliers through actions such as lowering energy use and reducing waste.

Partner with KERAMIDA for Project Gigaton Support

Meeting Project Gigaton requirements often demands more coordination and technical expertise than many suppliers expect. KERAMIDA supports Walmart suppliers at every stage, whether it’s fulfilling basic annual reporting requirements or pursuing Sparking Change or Giga Guru recognition. We help your team prepare accurate Gigaton platform submissions, including identifying action plans and achieving a recognition level by developing a Scope 1 and Scope 2 inventory and setting measurable reduction targets.

More importantly, we help build practical systems that make sustainability reporting more efficient and defensible year after year. Schedule a meeting or call (800) 508-8034 to speak with one of our professionals today and learn how KERAMIDA can guide you through your annual reporting.

Author

Martina Macaggi
Senior Analyst, Sustainability
KERAMIDA Inc.

Contact Martina at mmacaggi@keramida.com

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