Marks & Spencer is a major British retailer, with over 1,700 stores in the UK and around the world. There’s no doubt that its impact is huge, so the fact that the company has great environmental plans is fantastic. Leaders of Marks & Spencer noted that in the last couple of years, their customers’ concerns for the environment have been growing, which led them to develop “Plan A”, a very ambitious strategy to go greener.
Plan A was launched in January 2007; it’s called that way because “there is no plan B”. The company has the “ultimate goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable major retailer.” The plan is organized in five main pillars, with 180 commitments; among them, making all of their UK and Irish operations carbon neutral by 2012.
1) Climate change
Some of this pillar’s commitments include the already mentioned aim of making all UK and Irish operations (stores, offices, warehouses, business travel and logistics) carbon neutral by 2012. That’s only two years away! Further, they have set the goal of “reducing the amount of energy we use in our stores by 25% per square foot of floor space.”
Another impressive pledge has been to use only renewable energy in M&S stores, offices and distribution centres in the UK and Ireland. Besides, they will work with the WWF to help customers and employees become aware of their environmental footprint and how to reduce it.
Regarding progress in this area, the company’s net operational CO2 emissions in 2008/9 were 18% lower than those of 2006/07, whereas store energy efficiency has improved 10%. Also, now 31% of the company’s electricity comes from renewable sources. More details can be seen here.
2) Waste
Some of the actions to reduce waste include charging 5 pence for food carrier bags. That money is given to Groundwork, which also works in environmental initiatives. Usage of carrier bags has been reduced 60%. M&S aims at sending zero waste to landfills; last year 41% of their waste was recycled. They also have the goal of reducing packaging by 25%; last year non-glass food packaging was reduced about 12% compared to 2006/07.
3) Sustainable raw materials
M&S is working to produce the food it sells more sustainably. Sustainable farming is being encouraged, which includes, among other things, the reduction of pesticide use. They aim at tripling the amount of organic food they sell in the UK and Ireland. Another goal is to reduce water usage in their stores and offices by 20%.
4) Fair partner
This pillar has to do with making M&S trade fairer, by paying fairer prices to suppliers, helping local communities’ development, and “ensuring good working conditions for everyone involved in our supply chains.”
5) Health
Lastly, M&S is working to improve customers and employees’ health. For this, they’ve been working to reduce salt, fat, and saturated fat levels across their food. They are also trying to increase the offering of healthier foods, and labeling these better.
VIA: Planet Green
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