Hot on the list this holiday season is our climate. During the holidays, we think of warm, cozy evenings and showers of warm hugs and presents from loved ones. But rarely do we think about our warming planet. The best gifts to loved ones should be a cleaner environment, a stable climate and thriving biodiversity wherever they live.
We believe brands and consumers should give back to Mother Nature. Just like holiday giving, it’s a two-way street. That’s why organizations like Climate Neutral and OneTreePlanted help brands and consumers make the most out of our efforts to choose mindfully what we buy.
Why choose a brand that is Climate Neutral certified?
Fashion is a land-grabber. By 2030, it’ll demand 35% more land to grow cotton, trees and livestock for raw materials. (1) Creating polyester takes a strain on the climate. Its production amounts to 700 million tons of CO2e/year - that’s the same annual amount of greenhouse gas emissions as 180 coal-fired power plants. (2) There is obviously room for improvement in the fashion industry’s supply chains.
Climate Neutral is an organization that supports brands in building a high-impact climate plan to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions throughout their supply chain and beyond. For example, we offset our emissions by supporting projects in Papua New Guinea, Peru, Colombia and Mexico which diversify local economies, provide a livelihood for the locals, and reduce unsustainable deforestation. Climate Neutral helped us measure our previous year’s cradle-to-customer emissions and make a plan for reducing them in the future. Both brands and consumers need a little help from organizations that are specialized in creating roadmaps for environmental protection. This leads us to our next climate superhero organization, OneTreePlanted.
Why plant trees with every purchase?
Money doesn’t grow on trees, or does it? OneTreePlanted is an organization that helps everyone plant trees on a single-dollar basis. They have planted more than 40 million trees since 2014, and their efforts span over 6 continents. This is a biodiversity and climate stability bonanza. A sapling planted is a carbon sink in the making.
A single tree can absorb an average of 10 kg of carbon dioxide per year for its first 20 years. (3)
Trees are home-makers too. One tree can host hundreds of species ranging from fungi to mammals. Trees protect us from erosion, landslides, and water pollution through their filtrating root systems. Benefits that trees give to local economies and our health include more jobs in sustainable forestry, nutrition from nut and fruit-bearing species, cleaner air through absorbing pollutant gasses, and reduced stress from reconnecting with nature. (4)
Clearly, trees are our best friends, but perhaps brands and consumers are not giving them the attention they deserve. We work closely with OneTreePlanted and contribute the amount of 1 tree for every product purchased from our activewear collection. A mindful gift during the holidays translates into a gift of a pristine forest in another part of the world and a better way to consume.
The fashion industry is a major contributor to climate change, environmental pollution and land degradation. We believe the clothes we wear, if made right, can improve our climate and health. Let’s buy from brands that use carefully designed products so that Mother Nature has the time to regenerate what we’ve taken from her.
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