Mars Supports a Greener Future for American Industry

Supporting existing work to make its operations “sustainable in a generation”, Mars has joined Ceres’ BICEP coalition to advocate for innovative climate and clean energy policies. 

BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy) is an advocacy coalition of businesses committed to working with policy makers to address climate change.
 
In addition to joining BICEP, Mars is among the signatories of its Climate Declaration, which brings together U.S. business and citizens in a commitment to ensuring the country leads the world in a coordinated effort to combat climate change.

Brad Figel, vice president of public affairs in Mars North America said,
“Mars is committed to reducing and eventually eliminating our greenhouse gas emissions, in absolute terms, because this is the right thing to do. Climate change has implications for the production of agricultural ingredients from corn to cocoa, and addressing it requires changes to the way we source materials and manufacture our products,”

“Therefore it is imperative we continue to improve sustainability in our approach to business, as well as the way we create policy, which is why it is important for us to make our voice heard through BICEP in encouraging policymakers to take action now.”

This latest collaboration with BICEP underlines Mars’ ongoing commitment to reducing the company’s environmental impacts through its ‘Sustainable in a Generation’ program. The goal of this program is to eliminate fossil fuel energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 2040 along with similar commitments for water and waste.

Mars is committed to setting ambitious targets and goals which are informed by robust scientific data.  Commenting on a new analysis from the WWF and CPD which has revealed that companies can innovate to solve global challenges whilst profiting along the way, Kevin Rabinovitch, Mars Global Sustainability Director said:

"Mars welcomes this compelling report, the findings of which echo our own belief in climate science based targets and approach to sustainability”

“In 2010, Mars committed to become Sustainable in a Generation by eliminating fossil fuel energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in our Operations by 2040 with a 25% reduction by 2015 – in line with the 3% annual goals. A sustainable approach to business is profitable and this report demonstrates we’re not alone in that belief, or the approaches outlined here. We hope businesses will join this movement toward a more sustainable and productive future for all.”

The report, entitled ‘The 3% Solution: Driving Profits Through Carbon Reduction’, provides an assessment of how companies can reap big profits from cutting their carbon emissions, simultaneously helping the world avoid runaway climate change.

About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company.  In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of  building a business based on the objective of creating a “mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders” – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 72,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, KITEKAT®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, NUTRO®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and CESAR®; Chocolate – M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints.  Food –UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA ® Coffee Roasters coffee,  THE BRIGHT TEA CO.® tea, DOVE®/GALAXY® Hot Chocolate, and FLAVIA® brewer; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA™, WISDOM PANEL™ and SERAMIS®. 

For more information, please visit www.mars.com.  Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars.