At Mars, we believe we can’t grow and prosper unless the planet, people and communities we rely on are healthy and thriving, too. Being a family-owned business, we have always put The Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – at the very heart of everything we do.

Today, we’re combining those business principles with science to launch a plan that will help us to grow in a way we can be really proud of: operating within planetary boundaries and delivering a positive social impact.

We call it our Sustainable in a Generation plan. As part of that plan, we’ll invest $1 billion over the next few years to tackle urgent threats facing our business and the society we operate in – threats like climate change, poverty in our value chain and a scarcity of resources.

Our plan focuses on three interconnected ambitions we believe are essential drivers of sustainable growth:
 

Healthy Planet

Our goal is to reduce our environmental impacts in line with what science says is necessary to keep the planet healthy, focusing on climate action, water stewardship and land management.

Thriving People

Our goal is to meaningfully improve the working lives of one million people in our value chain to enable them to thrive, focusing on increasing income, respecting human rights and unlocking opportunities for women.

Nourishing Wellbeing

Our goal is to advance science, innovation and marketing in ways that help billions of people and their pets lead healthier, happier lives.

 

Our Sustainable in a Generation plan goes further than ever before by going beyond our direct operations. We believe that if we are to deliver on the Paris Accord and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we can only do so if we tackle a broken, extended supply chain system. By launching our new plan, we’re setting a new standard for responsible growth as a business.

Speaking on the launch of our Sustainable in a Generation plan ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly Week and Climate Week, our Chief Executive Officer and Office of the President, Grant F. Reid, said:

“If we are to help deliver on the targets agreed in Paris and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, there has to be a huge step change. While many companies have been working on being more sustainable, the current level of progress is nowhere near enough.”

“Mars has been in business for four generations and intends to be for the next four generations. The only way that will happen is if we do things differently to ensure that the planet is healthy and all people in our extended supply chain have the opportunity to thrive. We must work together, because the engine of global business – its extended supply chain – is broken, and requires transformational, cross-industry collaboration to fix it.”

As the world continues to face significant challenges, from poverty to climate change, we believe now is the time to take a new approach to addressing these challenges.

Our Chief Sustainability & Health and Wellbeing Officer, Barry Parkin, said: 

“We know we cannot grow and prosper unless the planet, people and communities on which we rely are healthy and thriving.

"Doing what’s right, not just doing better, is at the very core of our new plan. It’s about pushing the boundaries and extending our bold ambitions across our extended supply chain. When we do that, and when others join us, only then will we have the greatest impact."

We know that such an effort at a global scale requires collaboration. So we’ve built new partnerships and coalitions to find solutions for sustainable growth.

Earlier this year, we launched the Farmer Income Lab, a collaborative “think-do tank”, with Oxfam serving as an adviser, which is focused on generating the missing insights needed to eradicate smallholder poverty. And together with Danone and others, we co-founded the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming, which will invest €120,000,000 to develop sustainable agriculture projects that are improving incomes for smallholder farmers, while tackling food security and restoring ecosystems.

Transformational change will take time, but we must start now if we are to truly make a difference. If we listen to the science, play our part, and work together, will we achieve the change that is needed.

Raising awareness of these issues is key, so join us in spreading the word with #GenerationForChange on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube and visit the Mars Sustainable in a Generation site for more information: www.SustainableInAGeneration.com

LINK: http://www.mars.com/global/press-center/newsroom/unveiling-our-sustainable-in-a-generation-plan