Mars releases action plan to achieve net zero

Mars, Incorporated has released The Mars Net Zero Roadmap, an action plan for achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its full value chain by 2050. The roadmap includes a target reviewed by the Science Based Targets Initiative to cut emissions by 50% by 2030, from a 2015 baseline, with a pathway to net zero by 2050.

A major Ipsos survey, commissioned by Mars, found that more than half of Australian adults (59%) say the Australian Government has a ‘great deal’ of responsibility to make changes that influence climate change and 54% of Australians say that large businesses in Australia do.

The survey also found that 34% of Australians think businesses should focus on tackling climate change the same amount they focus on tackling economic challenges, while 31% think they should focus more on climate change than economic challenges.

As a contributor to The Mars Net Zero Roadmap, Mars Australia has invested in Australian-first innovations to reduce carbon emissions. These include:

Introduction of ‘Green Steam’ in Mars Australia Petcare

Mars Australia Petcare has gone live with an Electric Thermal Energy Storage (eTES) system at its Wodonga factory. The eTES system, supplied by Graphite Energy, uses low-cost renewable electricity to generate and store heat, which can then be used to generate 24/7 ‘Green Steam’. This system cuts the factory’s gas consumption by 20%, with a corresponding reduction in emissions.

Paper-based packaging shift for Australian-made MARS BAR, SNICKERS and MILKY WAY

Mars Wrigley Australia also shifted to paper-based packaging on MARS BAR, SNICKERS and MILKY WAY in April 2023. With this innovation, Mars Wrigley is on track to eliminate more than 360 tonnes of plastic from its value chain, helping support circular economy in Australia.

For Mars globally, the company peaked emissions in 2018 and has reduced GHGs in absolute terms by 8% or 2.6 million metric tonnes against a 2015 baseline. As part of its action plan, Mars will invest over $1 billion in the next three years and continue to commit financial resources as needed until net zero is achieved.

With the emissions footprint of a country the size of Finland, Mars aims to reduce its emissions by 50% in absolute terms by 2030, building on the 8% GHG reduction to date. The roadmap includes details about how net zero is achievable for Mars, serving as an open-source strategy that companies across all sectors can use.

To achieve net zero, Mars will accelerate its focus on:

• Transitioning to 100% renewable energy — by changing how it powers its factories, offices and veterinary hospitals, addressing energy used by farmers, how it sources ingredients and even the energy used by customers (retailers) and by consumers and pet owners at home.
• Redesigning its supply chains to stop deforestation — by enhancing transparency and traceability of key ingredients such as cocoa, soy and beef.
• Scaling up initiatives in climate smart agriculture — by working with farmers on regenerative agriculture, optimising sourcing and switching to renewables.
• Optimising recipes — developing new lower GHG-footprint ingredients for snacks and human-food dishes, as well as alternative proteins for pet food.
• Improving and optimising logistics — redesigning networks, the type of transport Mars relies on and the energy sources used, eg, electrification of vehicles or potential green hydrogen.
• Embedding climate action in the business — embedding climate reductions into its governance and business planning, including it as a shareholder objective, in variable remuneration plans of senior executives, in investment planning processes, in its merger and acquisition strategy, etc.

The roadmap can downloaded at www.mars.com/netzero2050.

Image credit: iStock.com/pcess609