M&S to spend £1m reducing greenhouse gas from cows

MARKS & SPENCER is to spend £1m to reduce the volume of a greenhouse gas produced by the dairy cows that supply its milk as part of a net zero push.

Changes to their diet will eliminate some 11,000 tons of methane emissions, the retailer said, reducing the carbon footprint of its fresh milk by 8.4pc.

It will work on the methane-suppressing feed scheme the 40 dairy farmers in its “milk pool”.

Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, has been blamed for global warming and agriculture accounts for 40pc of the world’s methane emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.

Cows produce the gas as they digest food and release it as flatulence.

Britain has pledged to reduce its methane emissions by at least 30pc by 2030 as part of its net zero plans.

Other major food producers are also undertaking initiatives. Nestlé has started giving methane suppressants to cows in the US.

Seaweeds, essential oils and probiotics are typically added to livestock feed to reduce the amount of methane cows produce. M&S’S £1m pledge was unveiled as part of a series of environmental investments by the retailer, which is aiming to reach net zero itself by 2035 and by 2040 in its supply chain.

The company announced a further £1m would be spent on other projects, such as trialling AI to manage its heating, ventilation and air conditioning in six stores as it attempts to drive down energy consumption.

The trial could help to cut 2,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and reduce costs by £3m if the methods are rolled out across all M&S branches.

In another trial, customers will be asked to donate unwearable clothes to Oxfam in its stores.

The garments will be reused and turned into new material.

Stuart Machin, M&S chief executive, said: “By turning our obsession with innovation towards climate change and tapping into the entrepreneurial spirit of our suppliers we can turbo charge our drive to be a net zero business across all our operations and entire supply chain by 2040.

“I’m excited by the big difference these small changes could make to some of the toughest climate challenges we face.”