Mars’ Sustainable Playbook For Profitable, Low-Carbon Growth

For corporate leaders, tackling Scope 3 emissions presents a complex challenge.

With the majority of a company’s carbon footprint located within vast and intricate supply chains, the key is not just setting targets but fundamentally reshaping how procurement operates to create sustainable change.

This requires a leadership vision that integrates sustainability into the core of the business model.

At Mars, where 95% of the company's carbon footprint is beyond its direct control, Amanda Davies, Chief R&D, Procurement and Sustainability Officer, is developing such an approach.

Her leadership demonstrates that decoupling business growth from emissions is an achievable and profitable strategy, moving beyond conventional methods to embed environmental impact directly into procurement and business operations.

Leadership through strategic partnerships

A common approach to managing supplier emissions involves mandates and contractual obligations. Amanda advocates for a leadership style grounded in building strategic intimacy and trust.

This philosophy is central to the Mars strategy for reducing Scope 3 emissions, which views genuine collaboration as the only path to meaningful transformation.

"With over 95% of our carbon footprint sitting outside of our direct control, working with suppliers to tackle Scope 3 emissions is crucial to achieving our net zero goals," Amanda explains. "To do that, we focus on building trust with our partners to unlock strategic intimacy and collaborative advantage."

This leadership is demonstrated through large multi-year commitments. For example, Mars launched "Moo'ving Dairy Forward" a multimillion-dollar platform to fund new technologies and partnerships aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in its global dairy supply chain.

Mars deepened this commitment with its Farmer Forward Program, a US$27m five-year investment in partnership with Fonterra, to help dairy farmers adopt climate-smart agricultural practices.

Fostering innovation and accountability

Effective leadership also involves looking beyond existing partners to foster an ecosystem of innovation. In 2024, Mars partnered with Unreasonable Group to launch Unreasonable Food, an initiative backing entrepreneurs who are addressing critical challenges in the food chain.

"Our goal is to provide a catalytic effect on the growth and impact of these ventures towards the goal of a more sustainable and resilient food system for all," says Amanda.

This multi-stakeholder model connects established suppliers with startups, accelerating emissions reduction while building a pipeline for future innovation.

To drive internal change, Amanda has been instrumental in aligning executive incentives with environmental goals. In 2024, Mars expanded its leadership compensation structure to include greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for approximately 2,000 leaders.

This ensures long-term remuneration is tied to both business performance and emissions reduction, embedding accountability throughout Mars.

"A business model that focuses exclusively on financial performance is not sustainable," Amanda argues. "We believe in business as a power for good and, as Mars Associates, we are united in this pursuit."

Integrating sustainability into operations

Amanda’s specific role, which spans R&D procurement and sustainability, provides the foundation for a level of integration many businesses find difficult to achieve.

This structure ensures sustainability is a key consideration from the earliest stages of product innovation through to final procurement decisions. It breaks down the silos that often separate sustainability initiatives from core business priorities.

"Through my role, I connect the dots between sourcing, sustainability and innovation for end-to-end impact – that means bringing value to consumers through delicious products and seeking to create sustainable growth while minimising the impact on the planet," Amanda explains.

This is not merely a structural change but a proven business strategy. According to the latest Mars Sustainable in a Generation Report, the company has grown its annual net sales by over 69% to approximately £55bn while reducing its carbon footprint by 16.4% against a 2015 baseline.

This progress is achieved by working directly with partners on the ground, from major suppliers to individual farmers.

"This week I sat with one of the largest dairy suppliers, their farmers and startups talking about plans to decarbonise – whilst eating M&Ms®. That was a brilliant day," Amanda recalls.

Her hands-on leadership and the integrated model at Mars offer a powerful blueprint for other executives aiming to prove that sustainable growth is not a contradiction but a competitive advantage.