Marks & Spencer has made a significant stride in its sustainability journey with new investments through its Plan A Accelerator Fund. These investments are instrumental in propelling the company towards its Net Zero by 2040 goals.
As part of its overarching ambition to be the most trusted retailer, M&S’s fully integrated sustainability plan, ‘Plan A’, was launched in 2007, setting a precedent for sustainability in the business world.
It was the first large retailer to bring fresh chicken to UK shelves, the first to introduce machine washable wool to its clothing offer, quickly grow hems on its market-leading school uniform, and more recently, the M&S Food x Zoe gut shot, which has quickly become a top-selling healthy eating product.
The brand is the first and only retailer to sell RSPCA-assured milk and higher welfare fresh chicken since 2017 and 2023, respectively.
Now, M&S has announced a £1 million investment in changing the diet of the pasture-grazed cows in its milk pool to reduce the amount of methane produced in a cow’s stomach and released into the atmosphere.
Working with all 40 M&S Select Dairy Farmers in its unique milk pool, this UK first-to-market initiative will remove a projected 11,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere annually.
“I talk a lot about the ‘magic of M&S’; a key part of this is our commitment to innovation. It’s in our DNA, and, along with our unique model of our own brand and long-term supplier partnerships, it’s how we deliver the quality and trust our customers expect from us,” said Stuart Machin, M&S CEO.
“By turning our obsession with innovation towards climate change and tapping into the entrepreneurial spirit of our suppliers, we can turbocharge our drive to be a Net Zero business across all our operations and the entire supply chain by 2040.”
This year, the retailer has also invested in an exclusive new green fertiliser available to all its M&S Select Dairy Farms and a collaboration with a British supplier to bring a new paper fibre cup and lid to all its M&S Cafés, which can be easily recycled with paper at-home or on-the-go recycling.
It has also launched its Pathway Farming partnership with M&S Select Beef Farmers to identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions from beef rearing, such as changing feed or more efficient use of fuel and fertiliser to become more efficient.
More global news here
