Members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility are highlighting gun safety measures announced by Walmart... as an example of how companies can show leadership in responding to gun violence when legislators fail to act... CEO Doug McMillon solicited input from shareholder members of ICCR, a variety of stakeholder groups with diverse perspectives, including outside gun safety advocacy groups and its employees... “This intentional openness... demonstrates in practice what the Business Roundtable committed to in principle regarding stakeholder engagement in its recent ‘Statement on the Purpose of a Company’,” said Sr. Barbara Aires of the Sisters of Charity of Elizabeth, NJ... “Walmart has shown us what authentic stakeholder engagement can look like, and we commend not only the positive changes it is making to address gun violence, but the thoughtful process it undertook to reach its decisions.”

The investors urged the company to publicly commit to lobby for reasonable gun laws and press Congress to ban assault weapons, tighten background checks and institute gun licensing, among other policy changes, and were encouraged to see that Walmart is using its influence to press for these reforms. Separately, ICCR members have attempted to directly engage gun manufacturers and retailers to prompt careful reflection on solutions designed to foster gun safety. Investors argue that, due to their lethality, weapons sold to civilians carry enormous human rights risks and companies associated with this industry must be circumspect about product offerings, business relationships, supply chain policies, marketing practices and public lobbying activities.