British retailer Marks & Spencer used to be best known as a pillar of the establishment.

No fiery wild-eyed radical, it would do a select number of good things for the community, and it would steadfastly refuse to beat its own drum about it. All that has changed, and the measure of just how much could be seen with the retailer's recent pronouncement that it is aiming to become the world's most sustainable retailer by 2015.

In the hands of some companies, such promises would be seen as pure rhetoric. M&S has done enough over the last three years - since it first introduced its 'Plan A' action plan - to be taken seriously.

Upcoming Ethical Corporation conferences & events:
Learn vital anti-corruption, ethics and compliance best practice and strategies at foremost European Summit
2–3 November 2010, London Learn CSR best practice from multinational CEOs and 450 of your peers at Europe’s largest sustainability conference
3–4 May 2011, London Find out how M&S, Alstom, Cadbury, P&G engage their suppliers in sustainability - and saved £££s
9–10 November 2010, London
Please login to view whole article - or subscribe here.
For a free two week trial to Ethical Corporation online, please click here.