6.24.2008 - 01:00pm ET

(CSRwire) WASHINTON, D.C., - June 24, 2008 - Marks & Spencer, a leading global retail company, today announced that it is joining the World Environment Center (WEC), a global non-profit organization that advances sustainable business performance, to increase its capabilities to implement sustainability initiatives. Through its Plan A, a five-year, 100 point "eco" plan that aims to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing its business sector and the world, the British company has become a leader in sustainable development by working with customers and suppliers to become carbon neutral by 2012, reduce waste, safeguard the natural resources it uses, trade ethically and help people lead healthier lives. Marks & Spencer recently received WEC's prestigious Gold Medal Award for International Achievement in Corporate Sustainable Development as decided by an independent panel of judges.

Mike Barry, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Marks & Spencer said: "We are striving to be a sustainable business because it is the right thing to do and we know it can make business sense. We are pleased to carry on our sustainability work with the World Environment Center which brings unique global relationships and capacity to develop business solutions for its members."

Dr. Terry F. Yosie, President & CEO of WEC, welcomed Marks & Spencer to WEC as its first retailer member. "As a leading practitioner of sustainable development within and beyond its business sector, Marks & Spencer adds a new dimension to WEC's growing list of global leaders within its membership. Marks & Spencer's commitment to solving business and societal problems is especially well suited to WEC's non-advocacy approach to creating value through partnerships between business and their stakeholders."

About Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer is one of the UK's leading retailers, with 16 million people visiting its stores each week. It offers clothing, home and food products, and employs over 75,000 people. It has more than 600 UK stores, as well as an expanding international business with over 250 stores in 36 countries.

About World Environment Center

The World Environment Center (WEC) is an independent, non-profit, non-advocacy organization whose mission is to advance sustainable development through the business practices of its member companies in partnership with government and other stakeholders. WEC's activities and operations are global in scope, and it is unique in providing direct, on-the-ground support to companies to improve their performance, and that of their business partners, across the value chain.

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