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Abstract
Over the course of the past four years, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the nations largest retailer, has enacted numerous initiatives aimed at reducing their environmental impact, and have pledged a commitment to sustainability throughout their operations. Through case-study analysis, this thesis seeks to evaluate Wal-Marts commitment to sustainable building, and to investigate the potential for the company to develop a nationally reproducible, high-efficiency, low impact store prototype which could achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This thesis also seeks to explore the potential benefits to both Wal-Mart and the LEED program by the incorporation of LEED certification into Wal-Marts environmental building program, and the potential implications this may have upon the remainder of the retail industry.