‘Science, not politics, informs our approach to sustainability’: Mars responds to Trump on climate change

By Douglas Yu

- Last updated on GMT

US President-elect has claimed climate change is a Chinese hoax.  Photo: iStock
US President-elect has claimed climate change is a Chinese hoax. Photo: iStock

Related tags Climate change

M&M’s maker Mars has disputed Donald Trump’s stance on climate change during the COP22 in Morocco. 

It says the the science behind climate change is what informs its approach to sustainability, not politics, or which administration happens to hold office in a particular country or at a particular time. 

“Climate change is more than a national issue. It’s a global concern,”​ Mars’ spokesperson Jonathan Mudd told ConfectioneryNews. “Mars is a global business, so our concern naturally goes beyond national borders.”

“As we have been doing for many years, we will work alongside governments around the world to combat climate change. We're a business that cares about our planet, our people and our future, and we believe that operating in a sustainable way not only makes environmental and social sense, it makes business sense, too.”

The US President-elect Trump previously tweeted in 2012 that the concept of global warming was “created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive."

Trump tweet

Trump has promised to rip up the Paris Agreement and eliminate a moratorium (legal prohibition) on coal leasing, according to his campaign website. However, the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, said on Tuesday that action on climate change has become “unstoppable,”​ and he hopes Trump would drop his plans.

New wind farm project in Mexico

Mars announced its plan of building wind farms in Mexico through a new partnership with Vice Energia and Envision at COP22 to help it meet its targets to tackle climate change.

The 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been taking place in Marrakech, Morocco since November 7 and concludes today.

Mars' wind project is said to be its’ “third major wind energy commitment in as many years,”​ and will provide 100% of the electricity required to power its five plants in Mexico, located in Querétaro, Nuevo León, Jalisco and the State of Mexico.

The new wind farms are also expected to drive a greenhouse gas reduction of over 25,000 tons of CO2-e.

Mars previously opened a 118-turbine wind farm in Texas, and a 20-turbine wind farm in Scotland respectively in 2015 and 2016.

CEO of The Climate Group Damian Ryan said in a statement: “The move will also help to develop a growing renewables market in Mexico.

“It sends a clear signal of support to the Yucatan government that demand for renewables is rising, and that there’s an alternative to using polluting fossil fuels in this environmentally sensitive area,”​ he said.

Mudd added that Mars has hit its interim target of a 25% emissions reduction so far, and the new wind farm in Mexico will further advance the company’s progress next year and beyond.

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