BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy) today announced that Mars, Incorporated has joined Ceres’ BICEP coalition to advocate for innovative climate and clean energy policies. In addition, Mars has signed BICEP's Climate Declaration, which calls upon federal policymakers to seize the American economic opportunity of addressing climate change and has been endorsed by General Motors Co., Intel and others.

Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion and is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of petcare products, chocolate, gum, confections, food, coffees and teas, spanning iconic global brands that include M&M’S®, Snickers®, Pedigree®, Whiskas®, Royal Canin®, Orbit®, Extra®, Uncle Ben’s® and many more.

The food industry leader joins BICEP at a critical moment, as United States agriculture faces mounting threats from climate change and extreme weather. Ongoing drought has tripled federal crop insurance losses over the past three years, to $16 billion in payouts in 2012. By joining BICEP, Mars will advocate not only for policies that shore up domestic agricultural supply chains, but also those that will enable cleaner, more efficient energy use and generate solutions for the threats of climate change.

“Mars is committed to reducing and eventually eliminating our greenhouse gas emissions, in absolute terms, because this is the right thing to do. Climate change has implications for the production of agricultural ingredients from corn to cocoa, and addressing it requires changes to the way we source materials and manufacture our products,” said Brad Figel, vice president of public affairs, Mars North America. “Therefore it is imperative we continue to improve sustainability in our approach to business, as well as the way we create policy, which is why it is important for us to make our voice heard through BICEP in encouraging policymakers to take action now.”

BICEP, a project of Ceres, was launched in 2008 with a core group of five companies, including Starbucks, Nike and Levi Strauss. & Co. With the addition of Mars, Inc., BICEP has since expanded to include twenty-four leading companies representing the personal products, sports and real estate sectors such as Seventh Generation, the North Face and KB Home. BICEP members have been vocal proponents of renewable energy, greener transportation and stricter pollution controls on power plants.

“Mars is an American icon of industry that understands the critical importance of its environmental commitments. We are proud to welcome Mars as the newest member of BICEP and encourage the company to share its policy convictions with Washington, where they will make an even greater impact,” said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, which directs BICEP. “Mars is a powerful voice in the climate debate and we hope policymakers will take note when business leaders speak out with a sense of urgency on climate change.”

A full list of BICEP members is available at www.ceres.org/bicep.

About Ceres
Ceres is an advocate for sustainability leadership. Ceres mobilizes a powerful coalition of investors, companies and public interest groups to accelerate and expand the adoption of sustainable business practices and solutions to build a healthy global economy. Ceres also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a network of 100 institutional investors with collective assets totaling more than $11 trillion. For more information, visit www.ceres.org.

About BICEP
BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy) is an advocacy coalition of businesses committed to working with policy makers to pass meaningful energy and climate legislation enabling a rapid transition to a low-carbon, 21st century economy – an economy that will create new jobs and stimulate economic growth while stabilizing our planet’s fragile climate. BICEP is a project of Ceres. For more information, visit www.ceres.org/bicep.

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 72,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance. For more information, please visit www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars.

Ceres

Ceres

Our Mission: Ceres is transforming the economy to build a just and sustainable future for people and the planet. 

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies, and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews. 

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