Mars and University of Cambridge to Provide Business Case for Safeguarding Nature

CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, UK, February 24, 2015 /3BL Media/ - Mars, Incorporated has announced it will work in partnership with the world’s leading food, beverage and forestry companies and the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), to identify new business opportunities from protecting the natural environment.

The call to action is included in a ‘must read’ report launched by CISL, targeting international companies that rely heavily on ‘natural capital’ – natural resources such as water, soil and timber, that underpin global supply chains and provide commercial value.

Through collaboration with household names including Mars, Nestlé, and Asda, the CISL report also sheds light on the different responses businesses are already making to enhance natural capital, and where they are generating business benefits.

Last month, the UK Government’s independent advisory body, the Natural Capital Committee, warned that the decline of the country’s natural environment is harming the economy. The CISL report highlights that this has implications for businesses, not only in the UK but globally, as environmental degradation increases worldwide.

Through innovative thinking, CISL hopes to build the business case for companies to manage the natural capital throughout their operations and supply chains more sustainably.

Polly Courtice, Director of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) said: “Many of the companies we work with at CISL are already implementing measures to reduce their impact on natural capital across their supply chains, but we all recognize the need to go further and to get many more businesses involved. By developing a body of evidence in partnership with a group of companies we aim to translate the management of natural capital into tangible commercial benefits – highlighting in real terms the financial savings, security of supply, and brand enhancement on offer.”

The full report is available on CISL’s website: 
http://www.cisl.cam.ac.uk/publications/doing_business_with_nature_report

About The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) brings together business, government and academia to find solutions to critical sustainability challenges, deepening leaders' insight and creating opportunities for collaborative action through groups such as the Natural Capital Leaders Platform. For more information visit www.cisl.cam.ac.uk.

About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a “mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders” – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, KITEKAT®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints. Food – UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA™ and WISDOM PANEL™.

For more information, please visit www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars, linkedin.com/company/mars