Climate Positive
Our stuff has been carbon, water, and waste neutral since 2015, but it’s no longer enough just to be neutral. Climate scientists say that once global average temperatures increase above 1.5 degrees Celsius we are pretty much f*cked. But there’s still time to fix this mess.
The fashion industry is responsible for up to 10% of global carbon emissions and needs to nearly halve its emissions total by 2030 to prevent severe climate change impacts. But instead, the industry is on track to double emissions by 2050.
The reality is that we all need to do a lot more.
Our stuff has been carbon, water, and waste neutral since 2015, but it’s no longer enough just to be neutral. Climate scientists say that once global average temperatures increase above 1.5 degrees Celsius we are pretty much f*cked. But there’s still time to fix this mess.
The fashion industry is responsible for up to 10% of global carbon emissions and needs to nearly halve its emissions total by 2030 to prevent severe climate change impacts. But instead, the industry is on track to double emissions by 2050.
The reality is that we all need to do a lot more.
We’ll be climate positive by 2025
Starting right now, we’re getting even more serious about reducing our carbon footprint and investing in solutions that remove more greenhouse gasses than we emit. We’ll have to change our business in all kinds of ways, from how our clothes are made to how they end up in your closet, and every step in between. And while we might not know exactly how to pull it all off just yet, here’s how we’re getting started.
Starting right now, we’re getting even more serious about reducing our carbon footprint and investing in solutions that remove more greenhouse gasses than we emit. We’ll have to change our business in all kinds of ways, from how our clothes are made to how they end up in your closet, and every step in between. And while we might not know exactly how to pull it all off just yet, here’s how we’re getting started.
Since we are already carbon neutral, even small changes will actually make us climate positive in 2021. But there is no single standard or measure for this stuff yet. So we want to set the bar high. It shouldn’t just be about buying offsets to get to climate positivity. We need to do this the right way—by both reducing our carbon footprint and also driving climate action in our supply chain. We will start right away, but we won’t consider ourselves legit until we achieve the bigger picture stuff, which we think is going to take us until 2025.
Since we are already carbon neutral, even small changes will actually make us climate positive in 2021. But there is no single standard or measure for this stuff yet. So we want to set the bar high. It shouldn’t just be about buying offsets to get to climate positivity. We need to do this the right way—by both reducing our carbon footprint and also driving climate action in our supply chain. We will start right away, but we won’t consider ourselves legit until we achieve the bigger picture stuff, which we think is going to take us until 2025.
Reducing emissions
Climate scientists are pretty much agreed that once global average temperatures increase above 1.5 degrees Celsius we are, unfortunately, totally f*cked. Reality in this scenario looks like severe heat waves, rising seas, declining coral reefs and global fisheries, and other climate related impacts—putting life for hundreds of millions of people at risk. We’re in the process of calculating emission reduction targets to stay under 1.5 degrees C and hopefully avoid the worst of those impacts. Once we have our targets, we’ll create a roadmap to hit them, identifying the most carbon intensive areas of our business (things like fabric sourcing, shipping, electricity use) and developing strategies to reduce our greenhouse gas footprint.
Insetting
We will expand upon our current carbon offset efforts by focusing on the creation of insetting opportunities. That means we will invest in renewable energy—and energy and water saving projects—directly in our supply chain. For example, an on-site solar project at a partner factory. We’re starting to enroll partner mills in our first pilot programs now and will actively reach out to suppliers to find more opportunities for insetting.
Regenerative fibers
Regenerative fibers, like cotton and wool, are sourced from farms that use climate positive agricultural and land management practices that restore the soil instead of disturbing it. These farms act as giant carbon sinks, basically absorbing more carbon than they release. We will launch our first regenerative fiber collection in early 2021 and will commit to sourcing 10% of our materials from regenerative fibers by 2025. There aren't many farms operating like this yet, so while 10% might sound low, it will just take time and some investment from us and other brands to help scale these methods.
How it’s done
Reducing emissions
Climate scientists are pretty much agreed that once global average temperatures increase above 1.5 degrees Celsius we are, unfortunately, totally f*cked. Reality in this scenario looks like severe heat waves, rising seas, declining coral reefs and global fisheries, and other climate related impacts—putting life for hundreds of millions of people at risk. We’re in the process of calculating emission reduction targets to stay under 1.5 degrees C and hopefully avoid the worst of those impacts. Once we have our targets, we’ll create a roadmap to hit them, identifying the most carbon intensive areas of our business (things like fabric sourcing, shipping, electricity use) and developing strategies to reduce our greenhouse gas footprint.
Insetting
We will expand upon our current carbon offset efforts by focusing on the creation of insetting opportunities. That means we will invest in renewable energy—and energy and water saving projects—directly in our supply chain. For example, an on-site solar project at a partner factory. We’re starting to enroll partner mills in our first pilot programs now and will actively reach out to suppliers to find more opportunities for insetting.
Regenerative fibers
Regenerative fibers, like cotton and wool, are sourced from farms that use climate positive agricultural and land management practices that restore the soil instead of disturbing it. These farms act as giant carbon sinks, basically absorbing more carbon than they release. We will launch our first regenerative fiber collection in early 2021 and will commit to sourcing 10% of our materials from regenerative fibers by 2025. There aren't many farms operating like this yet, so while 10% might sound low, it will just take time and some investment from us and other brands to help scale these methods.
We’ll share our climate positive roadmap and detailed strategies in 2021, so that any brands who want to join us can. Because we all need to move boldly and quickly in response to the climate crisis. Shoot us a note at sustainability@thereformation.us if you’re interested in getting involved.
And as always, we’ll keep you all in the loop with our Quarterly Sustainability Report updates.
We’ll share our climate positive roadmap and detailed strategies in 2021, so that any brands who want to join us can. Because we all need to move boldly and quickly in response to the climate crisis. Shoot us a note at sustainability@thereformation.us if you’re interested in getting involved.
And as always, we’ll keep you all in the loop with our Quarterly Sustainability Report updates.
