President Clinton is highlighting the efforts of Wal-Mart to safeguard the environment, saying the company’s practices could be a template for growth in developing countries.

Sharing the stage with the chief executive of Wal-Mart, H. Lee Scott, during the opening session of the Clinton Global Initiative yesterday, the former president said that if the company — long criticized by Democrats for its labor and health insurance practices — generates wealth and jobs while reducing its carbon footprint, “then other businesses will follow suit.”

During a dialogue, Mr. Clinton prompted the CEO of the retailer to take credit for his company’s environmental efforts. Referring to Wal-Mart’s plan to sell 100 million compact fluorescent light bulbs, Mr. Clinton asked, “If this one company sells 100 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 6 miles to the gallon. Is that about right?”

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

On the campaign trail, the Democratic presidential candidates have been pressed to explain their stances on Wal-Mart, with particular attention focused on Senator Clinton’s relationship with the company. Mrs. Clinton was a member of Arkansas-based 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 her objections to some company practices. Joining Mr. Clinton and Mr. Scott in a talk on “the need for global action” were Vice President 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, is today scheduled to feature a panel on economic growth in the face of scarce resources and climate change. Scheduled to appear are 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. It is to be moderated by a special correspondent for NBC News, Tom Brokaw. Wal-Mart announced yesterday that it plans to sell only concentrated liquid laundry detergent in its American stores and Sam’s Clubs by early May, and projected that the change will save more than 400 million gallons of water, more than 95 million pounds of plastic resin, and more than 125 million pounds of cardboard. Approximately 25% of liquid laundry detergent sold in America is sold in Wal-Mart stores, the company said.