Today’s ESG Updates
- Mars Hits 100% Renewable in Europe: Mars now powers all 10 of its European factories with 100% renewable energy, producing over 900,000 tons of snacks annually.
- Levi Strauss Launches Supply Chain Renewable Program: Levi Strauss & Co. introduced the Energy Accelerator Program (LEAP), targeting a 42% supply chain emissions cut by 2030.
- Bosch Plans 13,000 Job Cuts: Bosch announced plans to cut 13,000 jobs in its automotive parts business by 2030, aiming to save €2.5 billion amid weak demand and competition from China.
- China’s Carbon Pledge Criticized as Timid: China pledged to cut carbon emissions by 7–10% by 2035, but experts say the pledge falls short given China’s role as the world’s largest polluter.
Mars hits 100% renewables in Europe
Snack company Mars announced it uses 100% renewable energy in its factories in Europe. This achievement was made following Mars’s first investment in a European wind farm in 2016. Mars transformed all its factory sites across Europe to renewable electricity in the past decade. Mars’s investments included reductions in energy and conversions to renewable sources, as well as the purchase of certificate market-based instruments covering the remaining electricity and natural gas used in the company’s direct operations, with renewable electricity and biomethane. Mars has a total of 10 factories in Europe producing more than 900,000 tons of candy and snacks. These factories are in the UK, France, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands.
***
Further reading: Mars Achieves 100% Renewable Energy in its European Snacking Factories
Levi Strauss launches a new program to make supply chains more renewable
Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) announced the launch of the LS&Co. Energy Accelerator Program (LEAP). The company is collaborating with Schneider Electric on a new initiative to increase the use of renewable electricity in its supply chain. Levi Strauss states that the new plan will enable it to reduce supply chain emissions by 42% by 2030 compared to 2022, and to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Levi Strauss will first launch the LEAP programme in India and then in other markets. Jeffrey Hogue, the company’s chief sustainability officer, said: “We are committed to encouraging the use of renewable energy in our supply chain and know that our path to reducing our supply chain emissions in the near future is through proven, scalable solutions that fit each supplier.”
***
Further reading: Levi Strauss Launches Program to Deploy Renewable Energy in its Supply Chain
Klimado – Navigating climate complexity just got easier. Klimado offers a user-friendly platform for tracking local and global environmental shifts, making it an essential tool for climate-aware individuals and organizations.
Bosch plans to cut 13,000 jobs in its car parts business
Engineering giant Bosch is hoping that cutting jobs will save €2.5 billion as the crisis in Europe’s car market continues. Bosch plans to cut around 13,000 more jobs at its automotive parts business by 2030. This accounts for approximately 3% of its global workforce. These new cuts will mainly affect positions in Germany. The company’s base in the Stuttgart area is expected to be the one most severely affected, while sites in areas such as Feuerbach and Schwieberdingen are likely to see thousands of job cuts. The company has stated that it will begin speaking with the affected employees immediately. Car makers are finding it challenging to cope with slow demand, higher labor and energy costs, and competition from cheaper models from China. They are also facing higher tariffs on US exports. Currently, these duties are charged at a rate of 15%, down from a previously proposed rate of 27.5%.
***
Further reading: Germany’s Bosch to cut 13,000 jobs at its auto-parts business
China pledges carbon cuts, but experts call it ‘too timid’
On Wednesday, around 100 countries, collectively responsible for about two-thirds of the world’s emissions, presented plans or made commitments to reduce fossil fuel emissions and combat climate change at the UN General Assembly. China has announced its first cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. At a United Nations meeting on climate change, China’s President Xi Jinping announced that the country, which is the largest polluter, aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 7% to 10% by 2035. China produces more than 31 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, and these have been increasing for a considerable time. During the meeting, more than 100 world leaders discussed the importance of taking further action to mitigate the release of gases that contribute to global warming.
***
Further reading: China announces landmark pledge to cut carbon emissions but experts say it is ‘too timid’
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: A pile of M&Ms Cover Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
