Some Companies Get Climate Change – Look At Mars

May 1, 2014 – The Mars referred to here is not the red planet but the company that is known for M&M’s, Mars, Milky Way, Twix, Snickers and 3Musketeers, supplier of chocolate treats to consumers in 21 countries. The company has been expanding into petcare products, beverages and food brands. And it has committed itself to greener products by eliminating the use of suppliers providing non-sustainable ingredients. And now it going one better.

The company has adopted a “Sustainable-in-a-Generation” (SIG) program to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from all operations by 2040, covering 70 locations, 37 factories and 25,000 employees.

The first step in its sustainable energy strategy is an investment in a 118-turbine wind farm located near Lamesa, Texas, covering over 10,100 hectares (25,000 acres). The annual output of this new wind farm is expected to surpass 800,000 Megawatt-hours annually replacing almost a quarter of Mars’ total carbon energy footprint. It will be the single largest renewable energy commitment by any food service industry supplier and manufacturer in the United States. The first wind turbines are going up this summer with completion of the entire facility expected by mid-2015.

The Mars’ 2015 SIG strategy is also committed to reducing landfill waste to zero, and water use by 25%. SIG has become part of the corporate DNA with the entire staff involved in setting sustainability targets and designing innovative strategies to help achieve the overall corporate goal. It represents a culture change totally focused on sustainability as a performance metric.

Here is a graphical depiction of the company’s roadmap to achieve SIG.

Now I know why I like M&M’s.

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