By CEO H. Lee Scott Jr.'s own admission, the [adoption of green strategies] at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. began in self-defense. Surveys showed that the retail giant's image had taken such a beating that some customers were staying away. So Scott huddled with environmentalists, hired consultants, and came up with goals that astonished even some activists... Wal-Mart still faces an uphill battle. A 2005 Innovest report on the company gave it the lowest rating. An update to that report will rank it higher, but far from the top. "Their failings on the social side are so strong," says Innovest analyst Elizabeth Lipton.