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When big businesses have as much economic clout as many countries, they need to start looking at their social responsibilities, writes Kellie A McElhane.

CONSIDER THE following story about Wal-Mart, the American big-box retailing giant. After receiving Wal-Mart's internal employee training on sustainability, Darrell Meyers, an employee in a North Carolina store, was sitting in his Wal-Mart break-room staring at a wall full of vending machines, each showcasing lights and sound cards playing the Coca-Cola theme song. Meyers swiftly crafted an e-mail. In it, he inquired if there could be energy saved by removing light bulbs and sound cards from these vending machines, which stayed lit 24/7 and needed to be replaced from time to time by maintenance workers.