AUSTRALIA – Mars, one of the world’s leading food companies, has launched ‘The Mars Net Zero Roadmap,’ a comprehensive strategy aimed at achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its entire value chain by 2050.
The bold roadmap includes an interim goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030, based on a 2015 baseline, and outlines a clear path toward achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century.
The company, which reached its peak emissions in 2018, has already made significant strides in its sustainability efforts, successfully reducing GHG emissions by 8%, equivalent to 2.6 million metric tons, compared to its 2015 baseline.
Remarkably, these achievements occurred while Mars experienced a 60% growth in its business during the same period.
As part of this ambitious plan, Mars commits to investing over US$1 billion in the next three years to accelerate its sustainability initiatives.
The company also pledges to allocate further financial resources as necessary until it attains its net-zero emissions target.
According to a recent Ipsos survey, commissioned by Mars, even amid challenging economic circumstances, 69% of adults across the seven largest economies worldwide believe that businesses should prioritize climate change solutions as much as or more than economic challenges.
The survey, which involved 14,468 participants in the USA, UK, China, Japan, Germany, France, and India, also indicated that nearly half of respondents in these economies expect multinational corporations and governments to take significant action to combat climate change.
“We cannot wait for the economy to improve; we must push forward with investments that protect our business today and, in the future, …Investment in climate is not a trade-off between the planet and productivity, or between the environment and employment,” said Poul Weihrauch, CEO of Mars.
“Consumers and our associates want both – and so do we. Investing in emissions reductions is sound business policy, it is achievable, affordable, and it is absolutely necessary.”
To achieve its net-zero emissions goal, Mars has outlined a series of strategic actions.
These include a rapid transition to 100% renewable energy sources, a redesign of supply chains to eliminate deforestation, the expansion of climate-smart agricultural initiatives, recipe optimization, logistics improvement, and the integration of climate action into its core business operations.
Weihrauch also stressed the importance of holding companies accountable for their climate commitments based on real results, not merely the scale of their promises.
“Companies should be judged on the actual results they deliver against their climate plans, not just the scale of the commitment they make, just as we are judged by our boards and investors on the delivery of financial results, not the quality of our financial forecasts,” concluded Weihrauch.
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