Mars urges business and government leaders to drive toward concrete solutions on climate

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our planet and our way of life. Science tells us that each year it is causing more heatwaves and wildfires, deepening droughts and aggravating flooding. As a result, it’s affecting agriculture and the future security of the food on our plates, without which we cannot survive.

Mars recognizes the threat of climate change and we believe that as a big global business, we must do our part to help tackle the challenge. We are taking advantage of this month’s Climate Week in New York and December’s United Nation’s Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris to underscore our commitment to doing our part to tackle global climate change—and to call on business and governments to do more.

Barry Parkin, Chief Sustainability and Healthy & Wellbeing Officer at Mars, feels strongly that business must lead the push for real change: “We know it's going to be important for companies to lead on climate change, and we’re already taking action,” he said. “We’ve declared our own decarbonization commitment – to eliminate the use of fossil fuel energy and greenhouse gas emissions from our operations by 2040 – and our Mesquite Creek wind farm is already generating the equivalent of 100% of the electricity needed to power the entirety of our U.S. operations.”

Collaboration across industry is crucial, with organizations sharing best practices without regard for competitive advantage or profit. The industry needs to use its influence to encourage governments to put words into policy action—so that global leaders at COP21 come to a binding agreement to enforce targets for carbon emissions reductions.

Barry Parkin adds: “We believe there needs to be policy action on climate change and as an industry we need to collaborate with governments, NGOs, scientists, academics to advocate for this. COP21 is our chance to safeguard a secure and habitable planet for our children and future generations – we must take it."

On the road to this momentous opportunity, the final two weeks of September mark an important period for building support behind the push for an agreement. During Climate Week NYC and the UN General Assembly meetings in New York, Mars will be actively encouraging world leaders to formally adopt the UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals. Mars is using a number of opportunities to push for greater collaboration and stimulate debate as thoughts turn to the run up to COP21:

• On September 26, Mars is attending—and acting as a key sponsor of—the UN Private Sector Forum. Hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Forum will focus on the role of the private sector in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• On September 28, Mars Board Member Pamela Mars-Wright is delivering a keynote speech at an event convened by The Climate Group. At the event she will call on more businesses to join the RE100 coalition. RE100, of which Mars is a founding member, is a campaign initiated by The Climate Group, whose members have committed 100% renewable power.
• Global Sustainability Director Kevin Rabinovitch is also speaking at a panel event organized by Catholic Relief Services on Capitol Hill, and a roundtable at the Embassy of France in Washington convened by French American Climate Talks (FACTS). Kevin will join business leaders and Christine Lagarde of the Internal Monetary Fund at the Embassy in discussing the role of the private sector in the transition to a low carbon economy.
• On Thursday, October 1, following Climate Week and ahead of the COP21 international climate negotiations, Mars and other leading global food companies will participate in a first-ever bipartisan, bicameral roundtable co-hosted by CERES and Members of Congress. The centerpiece of the event will be a candid discussion of the food industry's commitment to climate change action.

With more announcements soon, you can find all updates on www.mars.com/climate