Mars Reports Progress on Path to Net Zero by 2050

Mars, Incorporated reported an 8% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023 compared to its 2015 baseline, contributing to a 16% overall reduction since 2015. These reductions have been achieved while Mars grew its business by more than 60% to over US$50 billion.

Mars' Net Zero Roadmap, published in 2023, outlines the company's commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This plan includes an investment of over US$1 billion over three years, with continued financial resources allocated as necessary. "Last year, we published our Net Zero Roadmap promising to accelerate our carbon reductions, and with this year's results, we are delivering on our business strategy to continue to grow while reducing our carbon emissions. We still have a long way to go, but we will continue to follow the science and show how a responsible business can both do well and do good," said Poul Weihrauch, CEO, Mars.  

With nearly 60% of Mars' value chain GHG footprint stemming from agricultural ingredients, the company is scaling up climate-smart agriculture initiatives. These initiatives focus on improving soil health and farm resilience, while providing financial support and training for farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture practices.

"Our latest carbon reductions show we are on track to deliver a 50% reduction by 2030. While we are proud of this progress, we know we have more work to do, and we look forward to continuing to scale our progress. It is critically important to strengthen our programs with farmers to help the transition to climate-smart and regenerative agriculture," said Barry Parkin, Chief Sustainability and Procurement Officer, Mars.

Key investments in Mars' climate-smart agriculture initiatives include establishing a grower-centric program to support 1,900 farmers in the United States and Poland, and extending a partnership between Mars brand Royal Canin and Soil Capital, providing financial support to nearly 250 farmers in France and Belgium. Moreover, the company has continued the Next Generation Soil program in Mexico and Brazil in collaboration with CIMMYT and Producing Right. 

Mars' sustainability efforts also extend beyond agriculture. The 2023 Mars Sustainable in a Generation Report details various initiatives, including the Supplier Advance and Supplier Origin programs that have reached nearly 750,000 people since 2017, and the delivery of 3.1 billion healthy meals by Mars Food & Nutrition in 2023.