Plan A - Marks and Spencer Climate Change Strategy

15th January 2007

Called Plan A “because there is no Plan B”, Marks and Spencer has just announced their strategy for addressing climate change.

It’s long-term, it’s embedded in the core business and it deals with customers, suppliers and employees. It’s got some serious ‘grown-up’ statements about climate change, it’s healthily sceptical about offsetting and it recognises that this is a long term initiative.

It’s worth reading the Chief Executive’s statement in full:

“Every business and individual needs to do their bit to tackle the enormous challenges of climate change and waste. While M&S will continue to sell great quality, stylish and innovative products, our customers, employees and shareholders now expect us to take bold steps and do business differently and responsibly. We believe a responsible business can be a profitable business. We are calling this “Plan A” because there is no ‘plan B’.

“M&S will change beyond recognition the way it operates over the next five years. We will become carbon neutral, only using offsetting as a last resort; we will ensure that none of our clothing or packaging needs to be thrown away; much of our polyester clothing will be made from recycled plastic bottles instead of oil and every year we will sell over 20 million garments made from Fairtrade cotton.

“We will clearly label the food we import by air; UK, regional and local food sourcing will be a priority and we will trial the use of food waste to power our stores. We will do this without passing on the extra cost to our customers.”

“We will also help our suppliers and customers to change their behaviour. Because we are own-brand our influence extends to over 2,000 factories, 10,000 farms and 250,000 workers, as well as millions of customers visiting over 500 stores in the UK.”

“This is a deliberately ambitious and, in some areas, difficult plan. We don’t have all the answers but we are determined to work with our suppliers, partners and Government to make this happen. Doing anything less is not an option.”

I can’t think of many other UK companies who have taken their climate change strategy to the heart of their business in this way.

More commentary here and here.