Retail giant Wal-Mart this week announced a raft of new green initiatives as the company moves into the second phase of its environmental action plan.

Having committed to slashing emissions from its own operations, the company this week an announced it would work with suppliers to make their most energy profligate products 25 per cent more energy efficient within three years.

Speaking to over 7,000 Wal-Mart managers at the annual kick off meeting for the company's US stores, president and CEO Lee Scott admitted he was not yet sure how this would be achieved but insisted that the move would deliver major benefits for customers.

"What if we extended our mission of saving people money so they can live better - to saving people money on energy?" he asked. "We believe we can do this. Wal-Mart can help our customers use less energy and spend less on energy. This will also help every country where we operate reduce their dependence on foreign oil."

Scott also outlined plans to increase pressure on suppliers to improve their environmental and ethical standards and hinted that further reforms were on the cards. He said, for instance, that the company is in talks with car companies about selling electric or hybrid cars and was exploring the possibility of installing renewable energy powered charging points in its car parks.