Mars are committed to taking the critical actions needed to address the health and sustainability of the planet, and firmly believe that engaging the consumer in the fight against climate change is an imperative.
That’s why Mars are proud to announce that all Mars bars sold in the UK, Ireland and Canada will be certified as carbon neutral by 2023. That’s over 220 million chocolate bars a year that will be carbon neutral.
This is a clear demonstration of their commitment to creating a sustainable tomorrow through how they do business today—and represents tangible climate action less than a month after we announced our pledge to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across our full Mars value chain by 2050.
How are Mars going to make the Mars bar carbon neutral in the UK, Ireland, and Canada?
They have already reduced their carbon footprint from direct operations in the UK by 67% since 2015. They’re doing more though—and next year in the UK we’ll be removing a million miles from the roads through a new logistics program.
In Canada, the Mars bar, which has been manufactured in Newmarket for over 30 years, is produced in a factory that is certified LEED Silver, sends zero waste to landfill, and incorporates several energy saving initiatives including recapturing heat from operations to heat the building.
A chunk of the Mars bar’s emissions is from our agricultural supply chains. To reduce these emissions, they’re taking decisive action to tackle deforestation, address land use and transform how we source raw materials.
As a result of supercharging their efforts to sustainably transform supply chain agricultural practices, namely cocoa and cows, the Mars bar will see a carbon footprint reduction of over 20% in the UK, Ireland and Canada by 2023.
This includes using satellite data to geomap cocoa farms and accelerated partnerships with suppliers to produce dairy more sustainably.
For example, by the end of 2022, 100% of suppliers providing dairy for the Mars bar in the UK will have a program to reduce their on-farm greenhouse gas impacts. That’s everything from improving feed to using low emission manure application technology.
Any emissions that cannot be eliminated will be offset by high quality carbon removal credits based on climate solutions like reforestation and land restoration.
They will work with an independent auditor to certify the Mars bar as carbon neutral and will be adhering to the PAS 2060 standard for carbon neutrality, which provides radical transparency and is widely considered to be the leading standard of carbon neutral specification.
To stay up to date on the latest, trends, innovations, people news and company updates within the global confectionery market please register to receive our newsletter here
Media contact
Roshini Bains,
Editor, International Confectionery
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
Email: editor@in-confectionery.com
