Walmart joins U.S. Conference of Mayors to honor 2007 Mayor's Climate Protection Award Winners.

 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT), in a joint sponsorship with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, announced the winners of the 2007 Mayors’ Climate Protection Awards. The inaugural awards recognize and honor mayors for their exceptional efforts to increase energy efficiency in their cities and help mitigate climate change. Receiving the first place honors were Mayors Martin Chavez of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Dan Coody of Fayetteville, Arkansas .

Santa Clarita Mayor Marsha McLean

Conference President Mayor Douglas Palmer (Trenton, N.J. ) and Leslie Dach, executive vice president of corporate affairs and government relations for Wal-Mart, presented the awards at a luncheon during the 75th Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors. Mayor Chavez was recognized for the Albuquerque Green program, which has reduced greenhouse gas emissions citywide by 67 percent since 2000. In addition to converting all newly-purchased city vehicles to alternative fuels, Mayor Chavez established a goal that all new city buildings will be carbon neutral and powered by 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. Mayor Coody was honored for the City of Fayetteville ’s Alternative Transportation and Trail Master Plan. The plan created a network of multi-use trails in and around the city that encourage residents to walk or bike to popular destinations, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

“We’re proud to be working alongside the U.S. Conference of Mayors to raise environmental awareness, and congratulate Mayors Chavez and Coody for their outstanding dedication to energy efficiency in their cities,” said Dach. “All of the award winners recognize the need to take proactive steps to address climate change and the significant benefits these actions can have for their communities. Wal-Mart salutes each and every mayor who is promoting environmental sustainability in their city.”

Wal-Mart’s sponsorship of the Mayors’ Climate Protection Awards is another example of the company’s commitment to local communities and to promoting environmental sustainability.   Wal-Mart has taken a series of steps to improve the environmental performance of its company, including working to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, creating zero waste and selling products that sustain natural resources and the environment.  Through its efforts, Wal-Mart is showing that being an efficient and profitable business and being a good steward of the environment go hand-in-hand.

“It’s exciting to see the variety and scope of projects that mayors have created in their cities to take action in protecting our planet,” said Tom Cochran, executive director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “We hope that the extraordinary efforts of today’s award winners will serve as examples for other cities, large and small.”

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Outstanding Achievement Awards were awarded to Austin Mayor Will Wynn; Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon; and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Honorable Mention citations were awarded for the following cities:

Mayor Graham Richard,

 Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Mayor Mufi Hannemann,

 Honolulu, Hawaii

Mayor R.T. Ryback,

 Minneapolis, Minnesota

Mayor Michael Bloomberg,

 New York, New York

Mayor Marsha McLean,

 Santa Clarita, California

Mayor Greg Nickels,

 Seattle, Washington

Mayor Gene Marks,

 Northbrook, Illinois

Mayor Richard S. Kelly,

 Palm Desert, California

Mayor Gary A. Slagel,

 Richardson, Texas

Mayor Marty Blum,

 Santa Barbara, California