A major chocolate company announced Tuesday that it would spend close to $1 billion over the next several years to reduce its environmental impact and fight climate change.

Mars, Inc., which manufactures M&Ms, Skittles and other popular candies, told Business Insider that the company's goal is to reduce its carbon footprint by 60 percent by the year 2050.

"There are obviously commitments the world is leaning into but, frankly, we don't think we're getting there fast enough collectively. We're trying to go all in here," said Barry Parkin, Mars's chief sustainability officer.

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The move is meant to spur other companies to take action ahead of the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week taking place in New York later this month.

Parkin said that Mars's decision ultimately came down to protecting the farmers who supply Mars with materials.

"We're a food business, which is based on agriculture, so we care a lot about the farmers who supply us around the world. It's towards 1 million farmers around the world who produce raw materials for us," Parkin said.

"Climate science says many of those are going to be challenged as the world gets warmer. We care about this both on a societal level but also on a business level."

Parkin also attacked the Trump administration by name for the June decision to exit the Paris climate accord, but pledged that Mars would meet the commitment regardless of decisions made by the White House.

"We're clearly disappointed that the U.S. administration has chosen to withdraw from the Paris Agreement," he added. "We're not interested in the politics here — this is about policy. We believe in the scientific view of climate science and the need for collective action."