The CEO of Mars has dismissed attacks on corporate ESG commitments as ‘nonsense’, stating that purpose and profit are not “enemies”.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Mars CEO Poul Weihrauch defended the environmental and social commitments made by businesses, saying the company’s purpose was important to attract young talent to businesses.
He called controversy around these commitments, “nonsense conversations” and said that the business – which is the parent company of popular FMCG brands like M&M’s, Pedigree and Dolmio – will not attract younger employees if it focuses solely on profits.
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With recent ESG commitments becoming ‘politicised’, Weihrauch told the FT: “Quality companies are deeply invested in this”, and young employees want to see these initiatives from the businesses they work for.
Previously, the M&M’s brand had caused controversy when it tweaked the mascots it uses to advertise, after playing a controversial ad at the Super Bowl last month.
According to Weihrauch, the advertisment performed extremely well for the brand and generated over 25 billion impressions.
In January, Mars head of sustainability commented on the importance of delivering solid, measurable results rather than just talking about targets.
