Mars has boosted its environmental credentials significantly, with the news that its entire UK operation now runs on carbon-neutral electricity.
Eneco UK’s new 20-turbine Moy Wind Farm (pictured), located just south of Inverness, will generate the equivalent of 100% of the electricity required to power all 12 Mars UK sites. Mars has committed to buying electricity through Eneco UK for the next decade.
The power generated is equal to that used by 34,000 average UK households, or to make enough Maltesers to fill 166 Olympic-size swimming pools each year.
The wind farm is the latest step on Mars’ journey towards making its global operations fully carbon-neutral by 2040. The deal follows the April 2014 launch of a large-scale wind farm in Mesquite Creek, Texas, which now generates the equivalent of 100% of the electricity required to power the company’s entire US operations. Efforts like these have helped Mars successfully achieve its global 2015 goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from operations by 25% from a 2007 baseline.
Barry Parkin, Chief Sustainability and Health & Wellbeing Officer, Mars Incorporated, said: “We’re not there yet, but we recognise all businesses have a responsibility to tackle climate change and we hope our partnership with Eneco will encourage other companies to take steps to reduce their own carbon footprint through renewable energy. Working together, government and industry can move the needle on climate change.”
