M&S is investing £1m into funding sustainable projects as part of its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2040.

The high street retailer will be supporting innovative projects that reduce its overall carbon footprint in the agriculture sector.

Victoria McKenzie-Gould, M&S corporate affairs and ESG director said: “M&S’ success as an own-brand retailer is borne from deep relationships with our supplier partners, which supports a long-term approach to investment in innovation and quality and a shared belief in the value of doing the right thing.

“This same approach is helping us to become a net zero business by 2040 through our annual £1m plan. An accelerator fund with which we fund new and small-scale or untested solutions in collaboration with our supply base.”

M&S is trialling a new AI technology that tracks bumble bees’ activity to monitor pollination patterns and brings in eco-friendly methods to increase pollination in places where it is low, including introducing more bees.

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The retailer said the project was successful and resulted in bee activity doubling, which led to improved consistency across the farming area.

Additionally, M&S plans to create a “chickenchar” mix, which leverages high-quality biochar to add to the bedding material for chicken sheds and ultimately reduce its ammonia emissions.

The supermarket giant’s new trial could assist in improving animal welfare, significantly reducing pollution, and creating better quality organic fertilisers.

M&S is also working on measuring the amount of methane produced by Aberdeen Angus cows and evaluating whether breeding selection could assist with this.

Other innovation projects being pushed include growing net-zero wheat for animal feed and bakery products as well as testing new technology to boost energy efficiency.

The news follows other major retailers pushing towards sustainability, with Waitrose providing £500k in funds to support eco-friendly farmers and Tesco developing a large green distribution centre.