Earlier, US President Donald Trump formally pulled out from the internationally recognized Paris agreement, a global treaty organized to fight climate change. In response to this, companies in the US developed their own anti climate change plans voluntarily. This includes Mars who announced a $1 billion sustainability plan. It's brand M&Ms will also strengthen its renewable energy campaign.
According to the management, Mars was disappointed with the president’s decision to pull out from the climate change agreement. The company believes that fighting climate change shouldn’t be done by corporations alone.
$1 billion sustainability fund
Mars revealed that the company is going to spend $1 billion in investments to help fight climate change by alleviating their greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 67 percent by the year 2050. They will also develop a poverty reduction and sustainability program for their farmers and suppliers to help improve food safety and security.
Grant F. Reid, Mars chief executive, said that this plan is not just an improvement but also a necessity to fight global warming. He emphasized that this is “the right thing to do” not just because of its benefits to the chocolate maker. By initiating these programs, they also expect a competitive advantage due to an efficient supply chain and by making sure that everyone in the chain benefits in the long run.
The Chocolate Maker who also produces Milky Way, Twix, Skittles and the M&M brand is also revving up it renewable energy efforts by featuring alternative energy sources to their packaging. A good example is the wind turbine seen near M&M’s famous red and yellow characters.
Paris climate accord
This September, a general UN assembly will be held in New York.
Mars announced their plans ahead of the gathering. Reid said that in order to achieve their target goal in sustainable developments, drastic changes should be applied. He argued that although many companies like them are working towards alleviating climate change, the efforts are still insufficient to make a remarkable change.
According to the Paris Agreement, member nations should work together to prevent the planet from heating up by 2C. Today, the Earth had already heated up to 1C since the industrial revolution. This is the reason why it is crucial to prevent it from worsening or from breaking the ceiling temperature set by the governing body. One of the most efficient ways to prevent the planet from heating up is to lessen green house gas emissions.
