Marks & Spencer in drive to become world’s most sustainable retailer
Marks & Spencer has unveiled plans to become the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015, as it extends its commitments under its ethical ‘Plan A’ programme.
The international retailer has said its green targets, originally introduced in 2007, are making the company more efficient and will allow it to develop new markets and build customer loyalty.
Plans include the conversion of 50% of its food, home and clothing items across 36,000 lines to Plan A status over the next five years. To achieve this benchmark, each product must have at least one ethical or sustainable quality, such as being made with free-range ingredients.
M&S wants all of its products to comply by 2020 and is encouraging suppliers to put best practice in place. “We believe sustainability is a key ingredient of business success,” said M&S executive chairman, Sir Stuart Rose. “Plan A will continue to make us more efficient.”
M&S has also said it will work with clothing suppliers in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka to agree a fair ‘living’ wage for workers after a pilot programme in Bangladesh.
At launch, Plan A included 100 commitments over five areas, including climate change, sustainable raw materials, waste and health. The retailer says it has achieved 46 of these and that its ethical drive has saved it £50m in efficiencies.
Last year, M&S found that savings had begun to offset costs. For example, it has been able to save 20 per cent on transport fuel costs by using aerodynamic lorries. It plans to launch a £50m incubator fund to fuel the development of green products and services.
Its announcement comes during The Fairtrade Foundation’s fifth annual “Fairtrade Fortnight” which runs through to March 7th. The initiative has now grown to 21 countries around the world. International brands which have adopted Fairtrade practices in the last year include Starbucks, Nestlé, Cadbury, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Unilever-owned icecream brand Ben & Jerry’s recently announced plans to become Fairtrade globally by the end of 2012. It will go 100% Fairtrade in the UK this year.
Fashion brands are also keen to prove their ethical credentials. Harry Potter star Emma Watson is collaborating with Fairtrade fashion brand People Tree on a clothing collection that goes on sale this week, and online retailer Asos.com is launching a Fairtrade jersey-wear collection.
Wieden & Kennedy, London, has created a campaign to support Fairtrade Fortnight, encouraging consumers to swap to Fairtrade. It has created ‘The Big Swap’ website with the goal of registering a million swaps by the end of the two-week period.
Customers are being incentivized to get involved with M&S’s plans via a competition, “Your Green Idea”, encouraging them to submit ideas for actions the international retailer could adopt. Rose added, “Plan A will reach further and move us faster – covering every part of our business and reaching out to forests, farms, factories, lorries, warehouses and into our customers’ and employees’ homes. It’s therefore not just the right thing to do morally, but also makes strong commercial sense.”
Tags: Global Brand
