Following the record-breaking heat of recent months, global climate experts, governments, NGOs and multinational corporations gathered in New York City for Climate Week 2023(Opens a new window). For Mars, this event closely followed the launch of our ambitious and achievable Net Zero 2050 Roadmap(Opens a new window).
What is New York Climate Week and its significance?
Coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly(Opens a new window) (UNGA) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit(Opens a new window), Climate Week serves as an essential annual convergence of climate-focused nations, businesses and organizations. This year, over 400 climate action events were scheduled, emphasizing the growing urgency to address our planet's warming.
The role of businesses in climate action
While governments can legislate, businesses like ours can also take action. As Barry Parkin, our Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer, highlighted, "Companies matter. The transition from promises to performance is vital." This sentiment was echoed in a recent Financial Times interview(Opens a new window) where our Net Zero Roadmap was unveiled. The roadmap also received notable coverage in a New York Times article(Opens a new window), emphasizing our proactive stance on climate change.
Mars leadership and initiatives at New York Climate Week
We're committed to slashing our greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030, with a goal to achieve net zero by 2050. We sent a delegation of our executives to attend Climate Week, showcasing our leadership in climate action and sharing our sustainability journey.
- Board Member Stephen Badger led a panel at Goals House(Opens a new window), focusing on "Driving Climate Action: Embedding Sustainability from the Boardroom to the Front Line."
- Vice President, Innovation, Science & Technology Nici Bush collaborated with the Water Resilience Coalition(Opens a new window), discussing impactful strategies for water conservation across our sites. The session also featured innovative solutions from Water.org(Opens a new window) founders, Matt Damon and Gary White.
- Chief Procurement & Sustainability Officer Barry Parkin shared our roadmap(Opens a new window) at Goals House Roundtable, receiving positive feedback from NGOs on its potential impact for brand collaborations.
- Global Vice President of Sustainability & Chief Climate Officer Kevin Rabinovitch highlighted our Net Zero Roadmap at the Value Change Initiative(Opens a new window)’s event, while Senior Manager of Climate Sustainability Autumn Fox delved into carbon accounting across the value chain.
- Global Vice President of Sustainable Packaging Allison Lin discussed ending plastic pollution by 2040 and championed waste and recycling infrastructure improvements via the Global Plastics Treaty(Opens a new window), especially in developing regions, presenting alongside Inger Anderson, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme; Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Minister for the Environment of Rwanda, Co-Chair of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution and Dr. Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the U.K.
- Petcare Chief Sustainability Officer Marika McCauley-Sine spoke on panels convened by Deloitte and Concordia. Discussions focused on the importance of advancing human rights as a critical component of climate action and the role of strategic partnerships in driving climate action in global food systems. Key topics included our approach to strategic partnerships and work on regenerative agriculture.
- Vice President of Sustainability Lisa Manley participated in panels discussing the intersection of climate action and women's roles in sustainability alongside leaders from Mondelez, UNICEF(Opens a new window) and L’Oréal Canada. Lisa also spoke at the launch event for WageMap, a global living wage database that Mars supports alongside Unilever, Hershey and Ikea. Lisa and Senior Manager of Socioeconomic Impact Ilaria Ida Walton hosted a workshop with Business Fights Poverty(Opens a new window) to pre-launch new research with Forum for the Future(Opens a new window) on integrating social and environmental sustainability.
- Vice President of Cocoa Amber Johnson discussed gendered risks in supply chains at a panel featuring representatives from CARE(Opens a new window), Cargill(Opens a new window), and Starbucks(Opens a new window).
The Net Zero Roadmap: our commitment from farm to table or your pet’s bowl
Our roadmap(Opens a new window) outlines our strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 across our entire value chain — from farm to table and pet food bowl, supply chain to store, and home to veterinary clinics. By actively participating in UNGA and Climate Week events, we've solidified our dedication to sustainability, showcasing how collaborations can make our goals both achievable and affordable.
Meanwhile, our Chief Financial Officer Claus Aagaard participated in a fireside chat about climate and its link to financial performance(Opens a new window) at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R)’s Portfolio Exchange Forum in Washington, D.C., encapsulated our ethos, stating, "Mars believes in delivering more than just profit. Sustainability isn't just a concept; it's central to our business strategy."
Explore our Net Zero 2050 Roadmap(Opens a new window) to dive deeper into our climate initiatives and vision for a greener future.
