Plan A - Our Planet

We know we can’t achieve our pathway to net zero if we don’t work with our customers to help them live lower-carbon lives. We also know from our M&S Family Matters Index report that the environment and climate are issues that matter to our customers.

We’re inviting our customers to Look Behind the Label and discover the sustainability stories behind our products. In our new Look Behind the Label hub customers can dig a bit deeper to discover the steps we’re taking to protect the environment when sourcing some of their favourite products. In 2022, we launched Sparking Change, run in partnership with behaviour change experts Hubbub to help our Sparks customers prepare more sustainable meals from scratch. 

We’ve worked with Reboot the Future, a not-for-profit organisation that works with young people and business leaders, to create resources that encourage customers to start conversations about climate change and to make it easier for them to discuss the challenges and opportunities of living lower-carbon lives.

Reducing our carbon emissions is not something we can do alone. The achievements of Plan A to date are thanks to the efforts of our colleagues, who we know are passionate about building a sustainable future. We’ve started by improving carbon literacy across our business, giving colleagues a greater understanding of the emissions associated with how we source, make and move our products.

Through our partnership with WWF, we’ve been inviting colleagues to assess their personal environmental footprint using WWF’s environmental footprint calculator. So far, around 1,000 colleagues have used the online tool to understand their environmental impact and view actions they can take to reduce it. 

We’ve identified 100 colleagues as 'Carbon Champions'. They work in key roles such as buying, sourcing and logistics and will help activate our net zero transformation across different areas of our business. By building knowledge across these teams, we can take action quickly to reduce emissions. We have also established a Plan A Network, giving our colleagues space for discussion, engagement and learning on climate change. The network now has over 1,800 members from across stores, support centres and distribution centres.

In Fashion, Home & Beauty we have a Sustainability Academy to support our product development colleagues and teach them about sustainability topics, such as circular fashion, animal welfare and sustainable sourcing. 

No one business can solve all the sustainability challenges that lie ahead, which is why we work with trusted supplier partners and organisations in the industry to help us innovate and adapt to our changing environment.  

As a starting point, we’ve asked all of our Food suppliers to commit to our ‘six key asks’. These include setting a science-based, 2040 net zero target and roadmap for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions; purchasing 100% renewable electricity; purchasing verified deforestation- and conversion-free animal feed; focusing on packaging quality, innovation and sustainability, and removing plastic where possible; and implementing a food waste redistribution plan.

In our Fashion, Home & Beauty supply chain we’re supporting our tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers to reduce their carbon emissions. We use the Higg Index Facility Environmental Module (FEM) as a standard measurement of supply chain sustainability which helps us track improvements in our supply chain environmental performance. We use data from the Higg FEM to help develop our supply chain programmes within our clothing categories and to support supplier partners to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of their facilities. It also helps us to understand complex environmental metrics such as chemical management, air emissions and wastewater.

Our collaboration with key partners across the retail industry includes working with Better Cotton, the British Retail Consortium, Canopy, Cascale, LEAF, Leather Working Group, Textile 2030, WRAP and WWF.

We are also a member of the Science Based Targets initiative’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C, the UN’s Race to Zero campaign and the British Retail Consortium’s Climate Roadmap.