Marks & Spencer Group PLC

The Board has ultimate responsibility for both risk management and our ESG framework, including those risks and opportunities related to climate change. Responsibilities in relation to risk management are discharged to the Audit & Risk Committee. The Committee reviews the principal risks twice a year, including climate change and environmental responsibility. As part of the Group's risk management framework: – the Board sets risk appetite for key areas of activity across the business, including ESG. – the Audit & Risk Committee receives periodic updates from the leadership team responsible for overseeing ESG commitments and responsibilities, including performance against risk appetite through key reporting metrics. [...] In addition to the role played by the Board and the Audit & Risk Committee, responsibilities in relation to ESG matters are discharged to the ESG Committee. The ESG Committee meets at least quarterly and is responsible for: – ensuring that the Company's ESG purpose aligns with the business strategy and customer proposition; – ensuring the Company's ESG strategy and associated governance, including management of climate-related issues, is fit for purpose; – overseeing progress against targets via a quarterly ESG report; – overseeing control activities mitigating climate risks; and – supporting the risk management process by reviewing and providing the Audit & Risk Committee with recommendations on all ESG-related risks. All members of both the ESG and Audit & Risk Committees are non-executive directors (Committee membership and meeting attendance is outlined in the respective Committee Reports on page 87 for the ESG Committee and page 89 for the Audit & Risk Committee). [...] The ESG Business Forum, chaired by a member of the Executive Committee, is made up of the accountable business leaders for ESG-related issues. The Forum is responsible for managing climate-related risks and opportunities and driving progress against targets of the Company's ESG programme, which mitigate our climate risks. Updates on key ESG issues and trends including those related to climate change are shared with the Forum via the central ESG team. The Forum meets on a quarterly basis to review progress against targets. Quarterly updates from these meetings are provided to the Executive Committee and the ESG Committee (see Governance Structure for further detail on the Management Forums on page 46).

###### KPI1 GOVERNANCE

The M&S Food Head of Technology – Sustainability is accountable for the reporting of KPI1, with annual reporting also being signed off by the M&S Head of Agriculture. [...] ###### KPI2 GOVERNANCE

The M&S Clothing & Home Head of Materials and Sustainability is accountable for the reporting of KPI2, with the calculation being checked for accuracy and completeness by the Product Manager for Clothing & Home Sourcing and Sustainability. [...] ###### KPI3 GOVERNANCE

The M&S Retail and Property Head of Sustainability and Technical Specification is accountable for the reporting of KPI3, with the calculation being checked for accuracy and completeness by the ESG Reporting Officer. [...] ###### KPI4 GOVERNANCE

The M&S Foods Head of Sustainability is accountable for the reporting of KPI4, with the calculation being checked for accuracy by the Packaging Project Manager.

At the end of 2020, in response to increasing stakeholder interest and pressures relating to environmental, sustainability and governance matters, we announced the creation of a new Board Sub-Committee on ESG. While the creation of this new Committee provides enhanced visibility at the top of the organisation, it is only part of the wider governance arrangements in place to support the Committee, and ultimately the Board, in leading the Company's response to these issues and discharging our responsibilities, particularly in this area of increasing focus and regulation. As with all matters delegated by the Board, the CEO is ultimately tasked with the delivery of the Company's ESG programme. To effectively discharge these duties, his executive leadership team, the ExCo, have collective responsibility for the delivery of the ESG targets, as approved by the ESG Committee on behalf of the Board. The Managing Director of each of the five accountable businesses (Food, Clothing & Home, International, Retail & Property and Bank & Services) has responsibility for the creation and delivery of targets in their business, in addition to the collective responsibility they have as members of the ExCo. During the course of the year, the Board, ESG Committee and ExCo have made good progress on revitalising Plan A, which includes a strategic ambition to be a net zero business. In addition to this, the ESG Committee recommended that the Group provides disclosure on its progress towards adoption of the TCFD recommendations, ahead of the new Listing Rule coming into effect from our next year end. While the detailed delivery plan and means of measurement underpinning this net zero ambition and future TCFD statements will be developed in 2021/22, work is already under way to develop and agree short- and medium-term targets for each of the businesses, as well as the structure to aggregate them at Group level. Performance against these targets will be tracked by our Transformation Project Office team, with quarterly reports being provided to both the ExCo and ESG Committee, as well as at least annually to the Board.

Describe the process(es) your organization has in place to ensure that your engagement activities are consistent with your overall climate change strategy[…]M&S Company contributions and submissions are reviewed and approved by a joint Government Affairs and Sustainability sign-off group before being made. 

Where we do not believe that a submission on an important issue from our two key UK trade bodies (Confederation of British Industry and British Retail Consortium) adequately reflects out our position - we will make an individual submission.

Does your organization have a public commitment or position statement to conduct your engagement activities in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement?[…]Yes