Mars Takes Another Step on the ‘Path to Zero’ Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Operations

The energy it takes to make MARS® bars, WHISKAS® cat food, EXTRA® gum and UNCLE BEN’S® rice in the U.K. is now provided by a new wind farm in Moy, Scotland. Through a partnership with Eneco U.K., the 20-turbine wind farm, located just south of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, will generate electricity equivalent to what powers all 12 Mars U.K. sites solely with renewable energy.

This means we’re one step closer to decreasing our dependency on fossil fuels and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. As a fourth generation business, we’re committed to ensuring our business and the communities in which we work are healthy and vibrant for generations to come. We achieved our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our operations by 25% in 2015, and continue to work towards eliminating them entirely.

Said Barry Parkin, Chief Sustainability and Health & Wellbeing Officer at Mars, who was onsite at Moy for the official launch of the wind farm: “The UK has been home to Mars for 84 years. We’re proud the brands that we make here will now be manufactured using renewable electricity, and that we are reducing our carbon footprint in the UK and around the world. As with our wind farm in Lamesa, Texas, Moy will contribute significantly to our effort to eliminate fossil fuel energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from our global operations by 2040 as part of our ‘Sustainable in a Generation’ program. The Moy Wind Farm is part of our innovative and long-term approach to achieving our goal to be a successful and sustainable business for generations to come.”

With a capacity of 60 MW and an annual output of over 125,000 megawatt-hours, the wind farm will supply renewable electricity to U.K. sites that produce Mars’ most beloved brands. The power generated is equal to 34,000 average U.K. households – or enough MALTESERS® to fill 166 Olympic-size swimming pools.

There is still much work to be done as the world works towards clean energy, but we are proud to play our part in making the future a priority. At Mars, we believe our effort to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from our operations is just one small but meaningful way we can make the world a better place for generations to come.