Mars, a leading provider of snacking, food, and pet care products, has reached a major sustainability milestone by achieving 100% renewable energy usage in its European snacking factories. This accomplishment is the result of Mars’ initial investment in a European wind farm in 2016 and the subsequent transition of all its confectionery manufacturing sites across Europe to renewable electricity over the last decade. The company’s efforts have included reducing energy consumption, converting to renewables, and purchasing certificate market-based instruments to cover the remaining electricity and natural gas requirements with renewable electricity and biomethane.
Mars operates ten snacking factories across Europe, producing 900,000 tonnes of snacks for brands such as Snickers, Twix, M&Ms, and Skittles. These factories are located in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and the UK.
In 2023, Mars set an ambitious goal to halve carbon emissions across its entire value chain by 2030. The company’s initiatives to achieve this target include transitioning to renewable energy, redesigning supply chains to prevent deforestation, collaborating with farmers on regenerative agriculture and other smart agriculture practices, and enhancing logistics efficiency. Earlier this month, Mars announced a new programme to expand the use of renewable energy throughout its global value chain.
Marc Carena, Regional President for Mars Wrigley, stated: “At Mars, we believe that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. Therefore, we measure our success not only by financial results but also by the positive impact we have on people, the planet, and society. Sustainability makes good business sense and is at the heart of our strategy, and we are committed to making a meaningful difference, ensuring that today’s actions create lasting benefits for future generations.”
