Mars Inc has announced that its full net zero roadmap will be developed and published in 2022 to align with the anticipated Science-Based Target Initiative rules on net zero commitments, expected by the end of 2021.
Barry Parkin, Mars Chief Sustainability and Procurement Officer, said mobilising action in the extended supply chain would be critical to delivering emissions reductions in the coming years.
He said, “More than three quarters of our impacts are embedded in the materials that we purchase – so we must change what we buy or where we buy it or, perhaps more importantly, how we buy it.
He added, “It is also clear that further transformation of agriculture is needed. We will push the boundaries of what is possible through regenerative agriculture, and this will require an acceleration of our work, along with deeper and more integrated partnerships with our suppliers, and stronger government frameworks that incentivise sustainable practices.”
To achieve net zero, some of the numerous initiatives active across Mars include:
Transitioning to 100% renewable energy
Mars has already made strong progress towards its commitment to reach zero GHG emissions in its direct operations by 2040 (including factories, offices, and veterinary practices). It now sources 100% renewable electricity for the entirety of its direct operations in 11 countries, accounting for more than 54% of its global electricity needs, with plans to make the switch in another 8 countries by 2025.
This includes accounting for the growth of the business – such as in the U.S. where Mars recently announced a new power purchase agreement with the Ford Ridge Wind Farm in Illinois, which will not only cover the recent growth of the Mars Veterinary Health business in the U.S., but also includes two of its U.S. suppliers.
Urgently redesigning its supply chains to stop deforestation
Mars is redesigning its supply chains to help stop deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems in five key raw materials identified as having the greatest risk: cocoa, beef, palm oil, pulp and paper and soy. Action will include a continued shift away from purchasing ingredients based on cost alone – and will focus on enhanced transparency and traceability around the commodities it sources. Mars recently delivered a deforestation-free palm oil supply chain, reducing the number of palm mills from 1,500 to less than 90 mills this year to enable the implementation of strict standards and satellite monitoring. Additionally, it has a goal for all its high-forest risk commodities (beef, palm oil, pulp and paper, and soy) and cocoa to be deforestation-free by 2025.
Scaling up initiatives in sustainable and regenerative agriculture
Mars will strengthen its programs with farmers to limit GHG emissions and move towards regenerative agriculture. This includes working with farmers and suppliers to promote improved agricultural practices, to promote sustainable land use and to support science and technology, such as genomics research, that pinpoints how to produce more resilient and higher yielding crops. Mars will also take further action to improve soil health to unlock crop yield potential and provide other environmental and climate change benefits.
Projects underway include the Cool Soil Initiative, which is supporting resilience in wheat production in Australia, the Sustainable Dairy Partnership, which is scaling up collaboration between dairy suppliers and buyers around the globe, and Oryzonte, a program to improve rice agriculture in Spain, reducing both water use and methane emissions.
Challenging its 20,000 suppliers to take climate action
Mars is prioritizing collaboration and partnership with suppliers to drive change through the full value chain. This includes its Pledge for Planet program and the recently announced Supplier Leadership on Climate Transition (S-LoCT) which aims to encourage suppliers to calculate their own GHG footprints and to set their own science-based targets. The program provides training and capability building with the ambition to sign up other brands to join and scale the project throughout the supply chain.
Mars is also committed to ensuring that any residual emissions the business cannot get to zero are neutralised with real, durable, and socially beneficial carbon credits based on removing carbon from the atmosphere, aligned with the SBTi Net Zero Foundations paper. This will include identifying and investing in projects that are focused on the highest ecological, social and carbon impact, such as its recent investment in the €150m Livelihoods Carbon Fund 3, along with 13 other investors and companies.
Parkin added, “Our roadmap to net zero clearly prioritises reducing our own emissions but there is a recognition within the science community that the agricultural sector will be particularly hard to completely decarbonise. Therefore, carbon removal credits will have to play a part in helping us to neutralise any remaining emissions. In doing this, we will apply a high level of rigor so that any credits we buy are removing carbon from the atmosphere and that is tracked with strong science and monitoring.”
