Chris Holland meets the Bradford-born M&S executive charged with keeping the iconic retailer's social conscience

FROM overseeing a clean-up project in Bradford to attending a climate change summit in Paris - it's all in a day's work for Mike Barry.

Sharing a coffee in the cafe at Marks & Spencer ' newest store in The Broadway centre,- a " trend setter" according to Mike- the retailer's Shipley-born director of sustainable business enthused about his role.

He said: "This job is great fun. I've got grey hair and bags under my eyes but have enjoyed every minute of the 16 years I've spent with M&S so far.

"We want to be a socially useful business, one that puts back more into Bradford and all the societies we serve than we take out. Our customers tell us they expect us to be a responsible citizen and we are one of the most trusted brands in Britain.

"We launched Plan A - our way to help protect the planet - in 2007, setting out 100 commitments to achieve in five years.

"Having achieved our major aim of making our UK business carbon neutral, we've now introduced Plan A 2020 with 100 new, revised and existing commitments, with the ultimate goal of becoming the world's most sustainable major retailer."

The programme focuses on sourcing responsibly, reducing waste and helping communities. Mike said it is called Plan A because there is no Plan B when it comes to saving the planet.

After growing up in Cottingley, the former Bingley Grammar School student obtained a chemistry degree at Sheffield University and was aiming for a PhD, but never wrote it up.

"Three years spent working in a laboratory told me that I was not good working on my own. I'm not cut out to do basic research. I need stimulus, people and different issues swirling around.

"I became an environmental consultant doing small jobs for many different clients and was responsible for delivering and projects which got bigger. I learned that I love diversity of issues and working with people.

"Consultancy means you are always moving on and when the M&S role came up I saw it as a blank canvas and a chance to help lead to a better place over the long term,"said Mike

He joined M&S as a junior manager to install environmental control systems at a time where there was little interest at board level in such issues. He was encouraged the company's then finance chief Alison Reed.

"It was a great job and I had no line management for four years and no budget. My role was to get around the company and find good people committed to environmental improvements, and that eventually became a strategy.

"When Sir (now Lord) Stuart Rose joined the business he said the programme was competent but lacked leadership and gave me three months to show him what leadership in a responsible business is .

"From that came the PLan-A sustain programme. M&S has been doing this for nine years and updated the plan as new issues emerge and others are solved. As well as benefitting the climate and society, Plan A also brings business benefits. For instance,

last year we saved £160 million from being more eco efficient.That enables us to invest in stores like Bradford," he said..

Mike said Plan A had won 220 awards and put M&S at the forefront of a global movement for better business.

Personal recognition has also come the way of Mile, who is a member of the M&S management committee of senior executives.

In 2011 he was named Sustainable Business Innovator of the Year. He is co-chairman of the Consumer Goods Forum sustainability steering group; chairman of the World Environment Center, a Visiting Fellow at the Smith Centre for Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, a senior associate at the Cambridge Programme for Sustainable Leadership and sits on Business in the Community's environment leadership team.

Mike said M&S was looking to lead in three areas of challenge - environmental, social and economic.

"Climate change is happening and impacting on supply chains by causing flooding.Last years was the warmest on record and there's more coming and business has to be at the forefront of taking action on that.

"The second challenge is social and what is the role of business in society. Businesses take profit out but what do they give back in return ? M&S always been at the forefront of sayings it's about more than profits.

"Thirdly, the challenge is economic. The marketplace has changed like an express train, the technology revolution is happening through sich things as 3D printing. artificial intelligence, robotics, driverless cars - all of which five years ago seemed like science fiction and will control the way we live our lives.

"M&S has to look at the environmental, social and economic challenges and make sure it remains relevant for 32 million customers," he said.

Mike had returned Bradford to see work by M&S volunteers on cleaning and brightening up the approach to Forster Square station.

He cited another scheme in Wibsey to train disadvantaged young men as mechanics in which the M&S Bradford food hall manager Tony Hartley is supporting.

Mike also met with other members of the Healthy High Street project which includes the likes of Boots and Santander bank to focus on driving more footfall in the city centre, working closely with Bradford Council.

He acknowledged that the move from Darley Street to the Broadway had left a big gap in that area but believes that collaboration will lead to a solution.

At a global level Mike accompanied former chef executive Marc Bolland to the Paris climate change summit in December where the former Morrisons boss called for co-ordinated progress on deforestation and climate change.

Mike said Mr Bolland's successor, Steve Rowe -to whom he reports directly - has picked up that baton and was committed to Plan A.

At the exclusive annual Davros economic summit Mike has twice chaired the group on the circular economy where he shared a stage with round-the-world yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArhtur, whose foundation campaigns for this approach to a more sustainable approach through reusing waste materials. The foundation is working with the University of Bradford on the circular economy concept

Mike said: "How we make money in future will be very different and recycling waste and other materials is the way forward . At M&S we recycle coat hangers and through our Shwop scheme encourage customers to return used clothing which is donated to Oxfam and raised £2 million a year for the charity or goes into insulation or sound proofing.

"Also, we have simplified our packaging and most is now made from recycled materials."

He highlighted M&S's social impact actions such as its programme helping 3,000 unemployed people get work in its stores,auditing and managing a supply chain of two million people, ensuring they are well treated.

"Any business than can't show it is socially relevant over the next dace will be increasingly irrelevant.

"Through 132 years of history we've stayed one step ahead of what it means to be a good responsible business and my job is to make sure we continue to do that," said Mike.