M&S has been working to make sure it is a sustainable and responsible company for many years, building trust through doing the right thing by customers, colleagues and communities. There is a Sustainability section on the M&S website which states, “At M&S, caring about the impact we have on the world around us is part of who we are. We launched Plan A, our sustainability action plan, in 2007 – because we knew there is no Plan B when it comes to our planet. We were the first major retailer in the UK and Republic of Ireland to achieve carbon neutral status. We’re using 100% FSC accredited equipment and products in all our new and renewed stores. All our stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland are powered by 100% renewable electricity.”
What is Plan A?
M&S launched Plan A in January 2007, setting out 100 commitments to be achieved in five years. As commitments were achieved, new goals were added to the six branches of Plan A: responsible sourcing, reducing waste and increasing circularity, animal welfare, people, community and achieving net zero by 2040. Net zero means a company doesn’t add any more greenhouse emissions to the atmosphere than they take out of it. Plan A continues to grow and evolve in line with the ultimate aim of M&S becoming the world's most sustainable major retailer.
“We're doing this because it's what you want us to do. It's also the right thing to do. We're calling it Plan A because we believe it's now the only way to do business”. M&S, 2012.
Through Plan A, M&S is working with customers and suppliers to combat climate change, reduce waste, use sustainable raw materials, trade ethically, and help customers to lead healthier lifestyles.
Annual reports on sustainability and the M&S Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) programme can be found on the M&S Corporate site (see Supporting Links).
In 2022 M&S re-launched a campaign called Look Behind the Label, to help customers discover more about how products are made, who is making them – and the impact their purchasing choices can have. (See Supporting Links for the Look Behind the Label video).
Sometimes we have a great idea, but it's hard to know what to do next! Whether it's litter-picking in the park, making your street friendlier or campaigning about an issue you feel strongly about - working with other people to make a difference is a brilliant thing... what are you waiting for?
Glossary
Carbon neutral - balancing the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through everyday business activities with the amount absorbed or removed from the atmosphere. Also called net zero carbon emissions.
FSC – The Forest Stewardship Council is a global organisation that protects forests. The FSC logo shows that a product comes from environmentally responsible sources.
Accredited – officially recognised or authorised
Circularity – the process or idea of reusing or regenerating products and resources to reduce waste
Ethically – in a morally good or correct way