Snacking, food, and pet care products provider Mars announced a key sustainability milestone, reaching 100% renewable energy in its Snacking factories in Europe.
According to the company, the achievement was made following Mars’ first investment in a European windfarm in 2016, and the transitioning of all of its confectionary manufacturing sites across Europe to renewable electricity over the past decade. Mars’ investments have included reductions of energy and conversions to renewables, as well as purchases of certificate market-based instruments covering the remaining amount of electricity and natural gas used in the company’s direct operations with renewable electricity and biomethane.
Overall, Mars operates ten snacking factories in Europe, producing 900,000 tonnes of snacks for its brands including Snickers, Twix, M&Ms, and Skittles, among others. The factories are located in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK.
Mars set a goal in 2023 to cut carbon emissions across its full value chain in half by 2030, with initiatives planned to reach its target including transitioning to renewable energy, as well as redesigning supply chains to stop deforestation, working with farmers on regenerative agriculture and other smart agriculture initiatives, and improving and optimizing logistics. Earlier this month, the company announced the launch of a new program to expand the deployment of renewable energy across its global value chain.
Marc Carena, Regional President for Mars Wrigley, said:
“At Mars, we believe that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. Therefore, we measure our success not only by financial results, but also by the positive impact we have on people, the planet, and society. Sustainability makes good business sense and is at the heart of our strategy, and we are committed to making a meaningful difference ensuring that today’s actions create lasting benefits for future generations.”
Mark founded ESG Today following a 20 year career in investment management and research. Prior to founding ESG Today, Mark worked at Delaney Capital Management (DCM) in Toronto, Canada, most recently as the firm’s head of U.S. equities. While at DCM, Mark was part of the firm’s ESG team, responsible for evaluating and tracking the sustainability factors impacting portfolio companies, and assessing the suitability of companies for portfolio inclusion. Mark also spent several years in the sell-side research industry, covering the technology and services sectors. Mark holds an MBA from Columbia University in New York, a BBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, and is a CFA charterholder.
