Hollywood executives and media figures are set to give a green thumbs-up Monday evening to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Chief Executive Lee Scott, with an award for his commitment to the environment, despite the consistent criticism aimed at his company s record.

Harvey and Bob Weinstein, who formed the independent entertainment studio The Weinstein Co. after leaving Miramax, are honoring Scott with a reception in New York. The event is being hosted by leaders in media and other industries -- including TV host Charlie Rose, former AOL chief Bob Pittman, Revlon Inc. Chairman Ron Perelman and real estate mogul Steve Rattner.

The Eagles, the band that is rumored to be signing a deal to give Wal-Mart exclusivity on future record releases and sponsorship tie-ins, are scheduled to perform at the gala. The Weinsteins are recognizing Wal-Mart for taking on environmental sustainability as one of its key corporate themes and aiming to use only renewable energy and create zero waste.

The brothers said in a statement: "We have long considered Lee Scott a great business partner for the entertainment industry as well as a great role model for those of us who care about the environment, and we are proud to be hosting this event welcoming him to New York." The award was not unanimously cheered.

In the past few years, the retailer has fielded numerous complaints from activist groups for its employment practices, saying the company forces workers to put in long hours for little pay. The group WakeUpWalMart.com said on Monday that it had sent a letter to the Weinsteins, calling on them to pressure Scott "to stop the exploitation of 1.39 million employees, their families, and the American people." Wal-Mart has also had a rather tumultuous relationship with the entertainment industry, with its restrictions on which CDs and DVDs it will sell and for how much.

On the environmental side, Wal-Mart has also started introducing "experimental stores" that save energy, conserve natural resources and reduce pollution. It announced Monday that it is hosting an "Everyday Green" eco-friendly retail exhibit with MTV in New York s Times Square.

Scott said at the company s shareholder meeting in June that "sustainability and being environmentally friendly is not a one-time program. Sustainability is becoming an integral, and always will be a lasting part, of the Wal-Mart culture."

But Wal-Mart has also paid millions of dollars to state and federal regulators for air and water pollution violations. Nu Wexler, spokesman for Wal-Mart Watch, which campaigns to reveal Wal-Mart s "harmful impact," said he was surprised the Weinsteins would give an environmental award to a company with a spotty record, but said it makes marketing sense.

"Clearly, the Weinstein brothers are interested in DVD placement in their stores," Wexler said. "Forty percent of all DVDs are sold in Wal-Mart stores." He did say Wal-Mart s environmental plans are ambitious and would set an admirable precedent for other companies to follow, but said that, so far, little has been done. "These pledges were made a year ago, and Wal-Mart has yet to introduce benchmark deadlines."
(Planet Ark, 24/10/2006)