…It is two years since Lee Scott, Wal-Mart's chief executive, announced that the company was embarking on a drive to improve its much-criticised reputation on issues such as its environmental impact, diversity policies and working conditions in its vast global supply chain… Because of Wal-Mart's sheer size and market share, most of its rivals have no choice but to follow its lead - and the company has found itself setting standards beyond those that regulators require…The retailer…is setting and supporting the development of more demanding requirements on issues ranging from packaging to gemstone mining… Wal-Mart's most vociferous critics say it is doing nothing more than "greenwashing" a fundamentally unsustainable business model… What is clear is that Wal-Mart has already won over many of its former critics with its readiness to pursue ambitious targets on issues such as energy saving. [also refers to Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Henkel, Church & Dwight, Target, Ikea, Hennes & Mauritz, Kimberly-Clark]