Mary Jane Melendez

General Mills is consistently recognized as a leader in corporate sustainability efforts – from supporting ambitious climate policy to advancing regenerative agriculture. GM’s Chief Sustainability and Global Impact Officer Mary Jane Melendez is spearheading these efforts. Under her leadership, last year the company reduced its scope 3 emissions by 7% and scope 1 and 2 emissions by 12% without the use of carbon offsets. This year it partnered with Ahold Delhaize USA, one of the nation’s largest food retailers, to support sustainable farming across their shared supply chains.

What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government (other than your own), needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?

Committing to advancing the climate agenda is the first step. As a food company, nearly half of General Mills’ greenhouse gas emissions occur upstream of our direct operations, so one area that we are differentially focused on is advancing the regenerative agriculture movement. Regenerative agriculture can help address climate change, as well as improve soil health and drive other people and planetary benefits.

General Mills competes fiercely at the shelf, but never when it comes to doing good. Net zero is a planetary goal and shifting to a collaborative mindset is critical. By learning from one another, pooling resources, and contributing to shared goals, we can move faster, enable outsized impact, and support broader systems change.

Where should climate activism go in the next year?

Individual company goals and related investments are ultimately in service of larger, shared societal and planetary goals. For this reason, collective action and co-investment are critical, and will help us ensure that we’re not missing the point of why we have those targets in the first place.

General Mills desires to drive greater impact in shared agricultural landscapes with partners across the value chain. We’ve chosen to work with farmers and community partners in key regions or “supply sheds” rather than only working with farmers within our direct supply chain. We believe the benefits will accrue to our business over time. It also supports broader systems change, so not just General Mills but the entire industry can benefit. 

What if collectively we focused less on individual company goals and who gets credit, and more on working together across public, private, and civil sectors to contribute to greater impact?

If you could stand up and talk to world leaders at the next U.N. climate conference, what would you say?

Extreme climate conditions and weather events brought on by the Earth’s rising temperature are impacting lives, our planet, and businesses. Over time, the quality and availability of the Earth’s natural resources have declined, while the need to provide for a growing population has increased. Collective action is required and the time to act is now.