Carbon Footprint — Operations: How does Mars score?

Mars reports Scope 1 (~782Kt) and Scope 2 (~402Kt market-based) emissions annually through its Sustainable in a Generation Report and CDP, using GHG Protocol methodology. A 34% reduction in Scope 1+2 against 2015 baseline was achieved by end of 2023. Data is published annually with multi-year tracking. However, third-party limited assurance verification status is not clearly confirmed in public sources, preventing a score of 8+.

Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain: How does Mars score?

Mars reports full Scope 3 emissions (~28Mt in 2023), which represent 96% of the total footprint. The company has quantified material categories including agriculture (~60% of total), land use change, and downstream. Active supplier engagement programme (S-LoCT) encourages 20,000+ suppliers to set their own science-based targets. 60+ climate-smart agriculture projects across 29 countries demonstrate active supply chain mapping and engagement. Does not yet show verified year-on-year Scope 3 reduct

Emissions Trajectory: How does Mars score?

Mars has demonstrated absolute emissions reductions: total value chain emissions fell from ~34.5Mt (2015 baseline, restated) to ~29Mt in 2024, a 16.4% absolute reduction. The company peaked emissions in 2018 and has shown consistent year-on-year absolute declines, with an 8% drop in 2023 alone and a further 1.9% in 2024. This is genuine absolute reduction across all scopes while growing revenue 69%. However, the rate needs to roughly triple to hit 50% by 2030, and trajectory is still early-stage

Energy Source: How does Mars score?

Mars procured 58% of electricity from renewable sources in 2024 and is an RE100 member with a 100% renewable electricity target by 2040. The company has signed multiple long-term PPAs (Texas wind, Scottish wind, Australian solar, Mexican wind, Enel solar). Operations in the US, UK, Australia, Mexico, and several European countries run on 100% renewable electricity. The Renewable Acceleration programme launched in 2025 with Enel aims to cover full value chain electricity. However, at 58% globally

Nature & Biodiversity Impact: How does Mars score?

Mars scored 4/5 on the Forest 500 ranking (one of only 8 companies globally) and ranked #6 overall for deforestation commitments. The company has detailed policies for five high-risk commodities (cocoa, palm, soy, beef, pulp/paper), is part of the Cocoa & Forests Initiative, and has mapped 310,000+ cocoa plots. However, Mars is not a TNFD early adopter, and RAN has criticised the company's palm oil deforestation-free claims as greenwash. The sheer scale of agricultural sourcing (~60% of footprin

Resource Use & Waste: How does Mars score?

Mars reports 64.1% of consumer-facing packaging designed to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable (up from 61% in 2023). However, the company acknowledged it will not meet its 2025 Ellen MacArthur Foundation targets for 100% RRC packaging. Only 20% of packaging was actually RRC in practice in 2022, suggesting a significant gap between 'designed for' and 'actually recycled.' Mars incorporated 14,000 metric tons of plastic PCR in 2024 and eliminated 350 tons of plastic through format optimizatio

Water Impact: How does Mars score?

Mars has a context-based water target to halve the gap to sustainable water usage by 2025 (from 2015 baseline) and has achieved a 36% reduction. The company joined the UN CEO Water Mandate in 2015 and uses the Alliance for Water Stewardship framework. Programmes like SARI in Thailand reduced rice farming water usage by 41-56%. However, Mars itself admits it will fall short of the 50% target, and given that rice (Ben's Original) and other agricultural supply chains are extremely water-intensive,

Targets & Commitments: How does Mars score?

Mars has SBTi-validated near-term and net-zero targets: 50% value chain reduction by 2030, 80% by 2050, net zero by 2050. Scope 1+2 targets include 63% reduction by 2030 and 90% by 2040, aligned with 1.5°C. All targets are absolute, not intensity-based. Reduction-first approach is evident with over $1B committed to decarbonisation. Carbon-neutral product claims were discontinued when consumer demand didn't materialise, showing intellectual honesty. The first use of land-based carbon removals in

Transparency & Accountability: How does Mars score?

Mars publishes annual Sustainable in a Generation reports with detailed emissions data since 2017. The company reports to CDP annually since 2013. Mars has a Chief Sustainability Officer and a dedicated climate officer. Executive compensation is linked to sustainability: 20% of remuneration for ~2,000 leaders tied to GHG reduction targets. Mars disclosed a list of trade association memberships. However, as a private company, Mars is not subject to shareholder votes on climate and does not publis

Controversies & Red Flags: How does Mars score?

Starting at 8. Deductions: AMV BBDO whistleblower lawsuit alleging greenwashing in Galaxy and Sheba advertising campaigns for Mars brands (credible, unresolved — deduct 1). RAN criticism of Mars' deforestation-free palm oil claims as greenwash (credible NGO, deduct 1). Child labor lawsuits related to cocoa supply chain (serious, multiple allegations — deduct 1). Ukraine NACP listing Mars as 'international sponsor of war' for continued Russia operations (deduct 0.5). Cumulative regulatory penalti

Mars Sustainability Score: 36/100

Recently scored: Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, WPP

507 companies scored·4 score updates this week

Mars·FMCG / Consumer Goods·McLean, Virginia, US·Founded 1976·Last verified 21 April 2026

out of 100

Below expectationsPending Review

Mars has achieved genuine absolute emissions reductions while growing revenue, with SBTi-validated targets and 34% Scope 1+2 cuts by 2023. However, the trajectory to 2030 needs to triple in pace, supply chain verification remains incomplete, and greenwashing accusations from RAN and advertising lawsuits undermine credibility despite strong deforestation policies.

No challenges currently filed

The calculation

Every score shows its working.

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale

Industry base impact

FMCG / Consumer Goods sector ceiling.

30 / 100

Performance score

Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.

60 / 100

Raw score

Weighted average before scale penalty.

(0.3 × 30) + (0.7 × 60) = 51.0

Scale penalty

Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.

× 0.7

Final score

Rounded. Below expectations.

36 / 100

The ten questions

Where Mars is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Targets & Commitments and Carbon Footprint — Operations (8/10, 7/10). Weakest on Resource Use & Waste and Controversies & Red Flags (4/10, 5/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

17 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

[1]Self-reported

Mars Sustainability Plan & Reports

Ongoing

Every score shows its working.

Where Mars is strong, and where it isn't.

Every document used, listed.

Where Mars sits among fmcg / consumer goods peers.

Mars's score over time.

This score is not currently being contested.

Related companies worth a look.

We'll let you know when the score moves.

Which companies moved this week, and why.