President Clinton today sought to highlight the efforts of Wal-Mart, a company long criticized by Democrats for its health and labor practices, to safeguard the environment and provide a template for growth in developing countries.

Sharing the stage during the opening session of the Clinton Global Initiative with the CEO of Wal-Mart, H. Lee Scott, the former president said that if the company generates wealth and jobs while reducing its carbon footprint, “then other businesses will follow suit.”

Mr. Clinton suggested that the World Bank should encourage developing countries to mimic Wal-Mart’s environmental practices.

During a dialogue, Mr. Clinton prompted Mr. Scott to take credit for his company’s environmental efforts. Referring to Wal-Mart’s plan to sell 100 million compact florescent light bulbs, Mr. Clinton asked, “If this one company sells one hundred million of those light bulbs and people screw them in and use them it has the effect of taking 700,000 cars off the road. Is that right?”

He continued: Reduced light bulb packaging would save the chain $3.5 billion, “taking 210,000 diesel trucks off the road that get six miles to the gallon. Is that about right?”

Democratic presidential candidates have been pressed to explain their stances on Wal-Mart, prompting Senator Clinton to parry on her complicated relationship with the company. Senator Clinton was a member of Wal-Mart’s corporate board of directors between 1986 and 1992, but she returned a $5,000 political donation from the company’s political action committee in 2005, reportedly because of objections to the company’s practices.

Joining Messrs. Clinton and Scott in a talk on “the need for global action” were Vice President Al Gore, President Karzai of Afghanistan, President Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the president of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick.

The three-day meeting, which ends Friday, also will feature a talk tomorrow on economic growth in the face of scarce resources and climate change including a former prime minister of Britain, Tony Blair, a former prime minister of Norway, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and the secretary of the U.S. Treasury, Henry Paulson, which will be moderated by a special correspondent for NBC News, Tom Brokaw.

Wal-Mart announced today that it plans to sell only concentrated liquid laundry detergent in its American stores and at Sam’s Club by early May 2008. The new policy is projected to save more than 400 million gallons of water, more than 95 million pounds of plastic resin, and more than 125 million pounds of cardboard. Wal-Mart sells approximately 25% of all liquid laundry detergent sold in America, the company said.