Marks & Spencer

Aim
Reducing the amount of energy we use in our stores by 25%.

Progress Summary
We’ve improved the energy efficiency in our stores by 10%. In 2010 we plan to test new efficiency approaches in five Energy Stores which could easily be extended to all our outlets.

Aim
Sourcing or generating 100% renewable electricity for M&S stores, offices and distribution centres in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Progress Summary
31% of our electricity is now sourced from ‘green’ tariff renewable supplies, a big move on from just 2% in 2007. We’ve signed a new green electricity contract which will gradually increase the amount of renewable electricity for our stores and offices in England & Wales. We also have renewable electricity contracts for our stores in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We also received the 2008 Renewable Energy Association Pioneer Award for our work on promoting renewable electricity.

Aim
Launching five Research and Development projects to extend UK growing seasons and develop new varieties that reduce the need for imports.

Progress Summary
By using a combination of varieties and growing techniques, we extended the 2008 UK asparagus season by six weeks and sold 100% British sourced asparagus from April to June. This allowed us to introduce new season asparagus much earlier, giving us the longest UK selling season. Trials of UK grown sugar snap peas also enabled us to reduce air-freighted imports and we plan to extend this during 2009 and 2010. We’ll also be extending our trials of UK grown melons, following successes in the last year.

Aim
Supporting the development of ‘green’ factories with our suppliers.

Progress Summary
To date, M&S suppliers have opened one new ‘green’ factory and refurbished three existing facilities. The new factory, which opened in April 2008, manufactures M&S clothing in Sri Lanka. The refurbished factories are in Sri Lanka, China and Wales. These new facilities use around half the energy and less than half the water required by traditional factories. In 2010 we plan to support the opening of a ‘green’ and ethical food factory in the UK, a ‘green’ laundry and ‘green’ dyehouses.

Aim
To make all our UK and Republic of Ireland operations carbon neutral.

Progress Summary
Since we launched Plan A, the UK Government has changed the guidelines governing how we report our electricity consumption which don’t take into account our use of renewable electricity tariffs. Our gross CO2 emissions last year were 710,000 tonnes, an increase of 2% (although we did increase our store and office space by 10%). When you factor in our use of ‘green’ electricity tariffs, our net CO2 emissions went down by 18%. M&S is committed to continuing to reduce its Greenhouse Gas emissions until we are 100% carbon neutral.