31 minute read
Electric Adventures
Ski legend Greg Hill sold his big pickup, quit his job as a heliskiing guide and cut out nearly all his flights. Today, he is one of the outdoor world’s leading advocates for sustainable ski adventures.
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It’s shortly after seven o’clock in the morning and the line is already long inside La Baguette, one of several cozy cafés in Revelstoke, British Columbia – among Canada’s most renowned off-piste paradises. It is full of skiers in worn shell garments and holding their own coffee mugs in hand. Some mountain guides have arranged meetings with their guests and are planning the day’s tours. A couple of lumberjacks have also found their way here. When Greg Hill steps through the door, half of the room turns to look at the tall, dark-haired man with bright eyes. He radiates energy despite the early hour and greets people to his left and right. Not only is he a world-famous skier, mountain climber and ski guide – he is also a local hero. For the next couple of days, we’ll have the pleasure of doing summit tours together and talking about sustainability in the world of skiing.
“The electric taxi is here, let’s go skiing,” he says with a grin.
A little while later we’re sitting in Greg’s small white electric car – a Chevrolet Bolt – with hot coffee in our thermoses while he navigates out of town and onto the highway in virtual silence. We are on our way to Rogers Pass, one of the snowiest places in Canada and with a spectacular location in the mountains between Revelstoke and Golden.
“It’s a 70-kilometer drive up there. No problem for this ride! Now that it’s winter – with the roof rack on, the heat turned up and winter tires on – the range is still 250 to 300 kilometers, so we have a little margin,” explains Greg as he takes a sip of coffee.
Just over an hour later, we roll into the parking lot at the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre. Although it is less snow than usual, the snowbanks are enormous where we park – right next to a charging station.
“Back when I sold my pickup and leased this car two years ago, there were hardly any charging stations in British Columbia or even in the United States. So, I was forced to plan every trip in detail so that it would work. Things are much better now,” he says.
Occupation: Skier We slip on our ski skins and glide away along a stream surrounded by tall snow-covered fir trees. After a while, we come to an opening where we
Why waste time at the fuel pump, when you can have your car fully-charged by the time you return from an awesome day in the backcountry?
can see some of the mighty peaks that surround the passage. The soft morning light shines on the mountains and Greg points out the peak that we are heading towards. We jog along in the shade a little while and I mimic what my tour companion is doing as he zigzags efficiently up through the steep forest, learning from how little energy he is expending. We have close to 4,500 feet (1,400 meters) to climb today so we are in no position to dawdle up on the mountainside.
Greg Hill left his hometown of Quebec City when he was young and he traveled west toward the Rocky Mountains, where he spent a few years alternating between planting trees and skiing – in other words, a classic Canadian ski bum. He settled in Revelstoke nearly 20 years ago. Back then, there wasn’t even a real ski area in the town, but he had heard of Rogers Pass – about the enormous amounts of snow and the fact that there were hardly any people living in the mountains.
It sounded a lot better than Whistler where he had lived before, and the lack of long lifts could be compensated for with ski skins.
In the years that followed, he trained as a mountain guide and began to make a name for himself in the skiing community in North America – above all in the area of ski mountaineering. With a lot of enthusiasm, extensive knowledge and a really good physique, he won ski mountaineering competitions, conducted multi-day trips in the mountains in record times and also checked off a number of first downhill runs. It didn’t take long until he was offered sponsorship contracts from several industry giants and soon, he was able to call himself a professional skier.
In 2010, Greg set the world record for ski mountaineering as he climbed and skied two million feet (610,000 meters) in one calendar year. The record put Greg in the spotlight, and the affable Canadian soon became an important spokesperson for summit tours and ski mountaineering in the media. He continued with his unique projects and he became known in the skiing community as the man who conquered superhuman feats in record times. In retrospect, he describes the pursuit of endurance records as an obsession. How many meters could he climb in one day? One month? One year? Greg Hill was the skier who pushed those boundaries to to entirely new levels.
From the individual to the collective Even though he continues to spend more days on his skis than most people, in recent years, Greg has shifted his focus completely: From individual achievements to a more collective mindset where the environment takes priority. Climate-related
crises, such as forest fires and hurricanes, had started to cause him to question the environmental impact of his air and car trips.
In April 2012, he cycled to all the peaks he had previously skied up and down, just to try it out. During the entire month, he didn’t use any fossil fuels at all. But the drawback was that none of his friends wanted to come along on the tours; it seemed the days were simply too tough for his adventure buddies.
He really wasn’t a model citizen himself and he’d be the first to point that out. He drove a turbocharged Ford F350 pickup truck with a diesel engine – one of the largest and least fuel-efficient vehicles you can find on the market. In addition, he often had his heavy snowmobile in the bed of the truck. He traveled all over the world and sometimes worked as a heliskiing guide. He ate a lot of meat and went through a very high amount of outdoor gear every year.
“When I look back at what I did earlier, I feel that it was hypocrisy – being an outdoor enthusiast that loves destroying what he loves,” says Greg as we take a brief standing drink break.
A new lifestyle But back then, electric cars were not a simple alternative. The few models that were available in North America at the time had a very short range
and were extremely expensive. So he waited until a more affordable alternative became available – particularly one that also had a range of at least 200 kilometers.
In December 2016, he decided to make a serious commitment towards sustainable adventures. He started by selling his pickup truck and snowmobile. He then leased a small electric car, quit guiding heliskiing trips and reduced his air travel a fair amount.
“In the past, I crisscrossed the globe traveling all over for expeditions, film projects, trade shows and vacation trips. Nowadays, I only fly when the sponsors really want me to attend something as well as for funerals and weddings that are far away,” says Greg.
Since then, he has been looking for novel ways to carry out his adventures while having the lowest possible impact on the climate. His main project these days is something he calls #electricbikeadventures.
Simply put, it’s about climbing a hundred mountain summits without using fossil fuel. Getting to the mountains must take place either by electric car or electric bike; however, not with an electric scooter. He walks on foot until he can put on his ski skins or he just starts skiing directly from the parking lot like he did today.
“The big difference compared to how things Greg Hill’s ski career was built on pushing the boundaries of possibility. Now he’s looking to push the limits of low impact adventures.
GREG HILL Profession: ACMG Ski Guide Born: 1975 Residence: Revelstoke, B.C., Canada. More information: electricadventures.ca
were before is that I don’t have to keep up with this project over a specific period of time. And I’m not going to stop once I reach a hundred summits. This has become a lifestyle that I will continue to advocate for and live according to,” says Greg, who does most of his tours in British Columbia but also in Wyoming, California, Washington and Oregon south of the border.
Sustainable adventures Three hours later, we have passed through the forest, managed to stop for a much-needed coffee break and started approaching Little Sifton, 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) above sea level. It is a popular summit tour, but today we are alone up here in the beautiful, wild landscape. The wind has created large, undulating snow formations and some of them are forming enormous shadows in the otherwise snow-white terrain. We follow a plateau that heads towards the summit until Greg steers over more towards the east side where he sees a better line. It’s impressive and inspiring to see how he is constantly reading the terrain and snow in order to choose the smartest and safest route further up the mountain.
The last 150 meters of climbing towards the top are steep and our ski skins begin slipping on some sections. I can feel every meter we climb in my legs, but I continue to soldier on knowing that we’re going to get to ski downhill soon. At this altitude, the snow has remained cold and even though it hasn’t snowed for a while, it is surprisingly pristine.
“All my previous goals in my career have been about finding out what is physically possible. In some ways, this is similar, but I do it to show that sustainable adventures are possible. And to spread knowledge about this and to be a good role model in the skiing industry.”
Impact halved When we look out over Rogers Pass – a dream area for anyone who loves summit tours – it is easy to understand the logic behind Greg’s story. The electric adventures also became a natural reason for changing his personal life.
“It has inspired me and made me into a much better person. My own environmental impact is now half of what it was before, which feels really good. My entire family are ‘weekday vegetarians’ as we call it. We eat vegetarian food during the weekdays, but on weekends we eat meat if it’s produced locally and organically.”
But the fact that Greg has changed his life has also resulted in a fair share of complications. Through the choices he’s making now, for example, he is excluded from a number of projects to exotic ski destinations and there is a limit to how long he can keep making trips to the mountains near his home.
Occasionally, he also admits he has doubts about whether anything we humans do will actually matter in the end.
“But then I see positive effects of what I myself am doing and quite often that inspires others. We all need to make an effort, and if you can change something then others in your sphere of influence can follow. Together we can all contribute to a greater change.”
Redefining the dream Almost fifteen meters of snow fall each year in Revelstoke. It is a remote mountain town where the railroad and forestry industries are still the largest employers, yet tourism and infrastructure are growing at a rapid pace. The influence of younger, adventurous people is clearly visible. Everyone wants to live the Canadian dream where a big pickup truck has its natural place.
“But you can have a smaller electric car here too. If I can show this and keep doing my adventures without a big pickup truck, then hopefully I can inspire others to make the same choice.” With a few exceptions, the companies that manufacture skis have not switched to particularly sustainable production. According to Greg, the clothing brands are taking a greater responsibility for reducing their impact.
“More and more companies are following and taking on more responsibility. It’s wonderful to see,” says Greg, who himself influenced his sponsor Arc’Teryx to think more on sustainability. The sun has set as we drop into the east side of Little Sifton. Greg skis fast, energy-efficiently and smart in the pristine, boot-deep powder. He exudes a natural feeling of security in this wild and relatively dangerous environment. Big turns down these enormous slopes, surrounded by sharp mountain peaks. He doesn’t appear to feel any of the lactic acid that is beginning to creep up my thighs.
It starts getting dark when we come down to the parking lot. Greg’s little white electric car is one of the few that remain in the parking lot. We take our skis off, exchange some high-fives and enjoy the tranquility. A long, wonderful day in the mountains has come to an end and Greg takes the charger off the car.
“Now the battery was fully charged while we went on a cozy ski trip and got to ride powder – isn’t that brilliant?” he says as we silently head homeward towards Revelstoke.
Hollywood Exhumes the True PTFE Story
A growing resistance to “everlasting chemicals” is greatly increasing the risk of a “Greta effect” when it comes to PFAS.
Many of us in the industry were probably hoping that with the world’s largest supplier of PTFE membranes agreeing to a phase-out plan with Greenpeace in early 2017, the issue of PFCs would be buried once and for all. Indeed, over the last three years it’s been quiet when it comes to the “everlasting chemical” as it’s called. PFCs are being increasingly replaced by non-fluorine alternatives in DWR treatments used in outdoor clothing. That only leaves
workwear clothing, where it appears that oil-resistant fabrics continue to be more important than the ecological heritage of our industry.
And now, just in time for ISPO 2020, Hollywood has exhumed this topic: Filming the story of Rob Bilott, a lawyer who exposed the decades-long coverup of the environmental and health side-effects of PTFE production, a problem that to date has been obscured by the DWR discussion. Dark Waters (in American theaters since November 2019 and in European theaters beginning in February 2020), tells the true story of a corporate lawyer who – after observing decades of unscrupulous conduct by manufacturers of this once highly-promising material – decides to switch allegiances and becomes a bitter enemy of the industry.
GenX PFC legislation lagging Despite the fact that the risks of PFC chemicals for humans was well-known internally as far back as the 80s, for
Among other things, the European Chemicals Agency has classified GenX from the family of supposedly harmless PFC alternatives, which are still used (and partly released) in the production of PTFE today, as a ”Substance of very high concern.
decades manufacturers around the world discharged the production waste into the environment or it ended up on landfills. It wasn’t until just the last ten years that massive pressure led PTFE manufacturers to systematically replace PFOA, but with materials that belong to the same family of fluorine chemicals.
These supposedly harmless PFC alternatives are called GenX or ADONA for example. Modifying a few details in the molecular structure of PFAS is sufficient to warrant new research to determine any corresponding health and cancer risks, an enormously time-consuming endeavor that leads to massive delays in government legislation in light of the tens of thousands variants.
Resistance on the rise Increasing public resistance has been forming for several months now, however. In conjunction with the premier of Dark Waters, attorney Rob Bilott and actor Mark Ruffalo, who plays the leading role in the movie, testified at a congressional hearing in the US on the topic of PFAS. This subsequently transformed PFAS into a 2020 US campaign issue and should provide the issue much-needed public visibility.
This issue has simultaneously escalated in Europe after the European Chemicals Agency last summer classified GenX and others from this family of substances, which are still used today in the manufacture of PTFE (and to some extent released to the environment), as “substances of very high concern.”
Given that these substances and their chemical predecessors – exclusively manmade – are non-biodegradable and are disseminated via wastewater and spread through the air, traces can be found not only in the direct vicinity of the production facilities, but also in groundwater near remotely-located plants. Not to mention in human and animal bloodstreams.
A “Greta effect” likely While blood tests of residents in the Bavarian community of Burghausen, which included children, failed to create any major waves a couple of years ago, new legal restrictions in Holland on some types of PFAS during soil dumping brought the construction industry to a standstill over the past couple of months and turned it into fodder for the evening news. A nationwide petition calling for a complete ban is already underway.
This begs the question that given the availability of polyester- and polyurethane-based alternatives with comparable performance, why has the outdoor industry still failed to realize that diverting attention from the risks of environment collateral damage is not a sustainable strategy? Thanks to Hollywood, consumers are now likely to understand the consequences of using PFAS and that a “Greta effect” will be produced that has made the issue of “climate gases” an unavoidable obligation for our industry within only 18 months.
The story of Rob Bilott now serves as a reminder that, given the risks, we should have decided to completely phase-out this chemical long ago. If we are now beginning to think about the 2021/2022 winter collection that will hit the stores in 18 months, perhaps we should consider going to the movies first.
A Fitting Focus
With the right knowledge and technology, real data can be used to optimize fit and pattern for reduced returns and loyal customers.
It’s a common issue plaguing brands, retailers and consumers alike: Ill-fitting clothing increases returns, creates waste and ultimately hurts the bottom line. One of the biggest reasons for returns? Improper fit and sizing that affects appearance, comfort and movement.
The issues often begin with measurements that don’t consider build, shape, height and age. A 47” chest measurement will mean a completely different fit for a muscular athlete versus the average office worker.
Even within target group measurements, movement affects fit and fit affects movement – whether this means
helping it or hindering it. In sportswear and workwear especially, restricting movement hurts performance. Design must consider the shape(s) and activities of the target group.
Hohenstein’s clothing engineers use 3D/4D scanning, 3D visualization, customer data or Hohenstein’s database (including SizeNorthAmerica and SizeGERMANY studies and special target groups such as plus sizes, seniors and children) to create basic and model patterns, correct existing patterns and optimize both size sets and finished measurement tables.
An optimized pattern affects more than just consistent manufacturing. Less material is wasted during production. Patterns and materials are developed based on intended use. Grading is based on real data for consistency and better coverage of the target group. Users can perform their job or sport effectively. Consumers keep clothing instead of sending it to the landfill. Everyone wins.
Hohenstein conducts anthropometric studies using 3D/4D scanning to record real body measurements and shapes during relevant movements. Does your sports bra customer need support during a run or a yoga session? Need to ensure your shirt doesn’t hinder a powerful serve? Expanding your workwear to a new demographic? Hohenstein converts this data into the perfect pattern and consistent sizing for your target user. MEASUREMENT IN MOTION
Achieving Sustainability with Synthetic Fibers
If one were to summarize the textile industry’s environmental footprint in a nutshell, it all comes down to waste: wasteful resource extraction, wasteful production, and a wasteful use and disposal stage. Fortunately, there are solutions at every stage just waiting to be implemented. 100% post-consumer recycled Polyester has performance and durability qualities that are hard to beat. But considering the sheer amounts of polyester waste currently being generated and the relative ease of recycling it, using virgin polyester hardly makes sense. Recycled polyester, on the other hand, effectively kills two birds with one stone: it reduces the need for raw resource extraction while mitigating waste stream impacts. Chromuch fibers are made entirely of recycled post-consumer PET bottles, whereby every kilogram of Chromuch fiber uses 77 plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in landfills and seas. At end of life, Chromuch is working to offer fully-recyclable fabrics that can be returned to the recycled input stream from which it came. 100% water-free production When it comes to resources, none are more precious than water. But judging by the textiles industry’s water consumption and pollution, one could be forgiven for thinking this resource was in endless supply. Of course, the opposite is true: Just 1% of our planet’s water is unfrozen fresh water, a quantity that needs to satisfy both human and land animal thirsts. Chromuch provides a solution to the industry’s unsustainable consumption of water by using absolutely no water at all. Employing a water-free solution dyeing process, Chromuch saves 3 gallons of fresh water per yard of fabric. Fully certified Recycled, waterless, durable and recyclable - Chromuch claims to be one of the most sustainable synthetic fibers out there, offering a cradle-to-cradle solution at each stage of the product cycle. But one needn’t take their word for it. With certifications like Global Recycled Standard 4.0, Bluesign Approved, Higg Index Certified, Oeko Tex, ISO-14001 and ISO-9001, Chromuch’s credentials can speak for themselves. One of the most eco-certified recycled synthetic fibers on the planet, Chromuch, is the sustainable fiber the performance and outdoor industries have been looking for.
If you placed a Chromuch fiber under a microscope, you’d find a colored fiber core. This is where the primary color ‘lives’ so to speak, but next comes the ‘shield’ - a solution dyed protective wrap that provides yet another layer of magnified color vibrancy, superior colorfastness, and the possibility to add a layer of performance functionality into the yarn such as UV, fire-retardant, quick-dry, cooling, heat retention, anti-static and antibacterial protection. The result is a premium, recycled polyester yarn that offers longer lasting, more intense colors and enhanced performance features for apparel and equipment. chromuch.com CHROMSHIELD™ TECHNOLOGY
Initiated by the
REACHED 156 MILLION PEOPLE
SUPPORTED 17 PROJECTS THROUGH GRANTS
ACTIVATED 5260 PEOPLE AROUND EUROPE 3 QUESTIONS ABOUT IT’S GREAT OUT THERE
Can you share a bit of the Coalition’s background and purpose? “The It’s Great Out There Coalition is a unique not-forprofit collaboration on a European level. It was launched by the outdoor industry in 2017 to get Europe active outdoors and increase public awareness of the benefits and positive impact of outdoor activities for individuals and for society. The Coalition motivates people to get more active outdoors, activates people and projects and advocates for outdoor activity on all political levels securing investments in outdoor activity and outdoor conservation simultaneously.”
How does the Coalition work to realize its purpose? “In January 2020 we will launch a new Ambassador programme to highlight great efforts from individuals all around Europe to get themselves or others more active outdoors. It is part of our mission to take away all the potential barriers that prevent people from being active outdoors. Lack of time is the single most important reason for people not to be active enough. We have to convince people it’s worth their time to get out there to enjoy nature with good company and build memories that will last a lifetime.”
Congratulations on your new position leading the Coalition! Can you share a bit about yourself and where your passions lie? “Whilst coming from the flattest part of Europe, I have always been enchanted by the mountains. Ski touring, for me personally, is the summum of mountain sports but regular activities also include trail running, hiking, climbing, mountaineering and the odd ice-climbing adventure”
Margo De Lange Policy Officer It’s Great Out There Coalition itsgreatoutthere.com
Enjoyable Hiking
How can we attract hiking novices to the great outdoors? The recently created Gotaleden trail in West Sweden makes hiking comfortable and enjoyable – and takes off in the center of Gothenburg.
Walking along the Vallgraven shopping district and through the Garden Society of Gothenburg in your hiking boots and with a backpack on might seem a little strange. But this – or more specifically the Kungsportsplatsen square in central Gothenburg – is exactly where the Gotaleden hiking trail begins. You may not believe it standing at this urban trailhead, but the tranquility of nature is actually not too far away. In just under four kilometers, you’ll find yourself wandering through the serene beauty of Delsjön nature reserve.
It is these contrasts in particular that make the new hiking trail through the heart of West Sweden so unique. It stretches through a bustling metropolis, to winding forest paths and on to surroundings brimming with Sweden’s cultural and industrial history. Eat lunch in the old factory, take a coffee break in the small organic bakery and round off your day with a tasty dinner and a nice, comfy bed.
An upgraded hiking experience The Gotaleden trail is part of a major investment to bring hiking throughout West Sweden to a whole new level. Many of the region’s most beautiful and exciting hiking trails have been renovated, and hikers will experience plenty of culture and nature along the way – not to mention the various food and accommodation options.
Another important aspect is the accessibility. On the path between Gothenburg and Alingsås the Gotaleden trail passes by several train stations, making it easy to start or end the hike wherever it suits you.
There are highlights all along the 71 km of the trail, such as the Poppels microbrewery and the Le Mat hotel. Both are located in the old Jonsered factory area. Nääs Fabriker, the old factories close to Lake Sävelången that have been converted to a hotel and restaurant, are a perfect place to rest and enjoy yourself after a day’s hike. In Floda, the restaurants Garveriet and Jernbruket are worth a stop. And those are just a small selection of the places you can experience along the way.
Even more to discover In addition to the Gotaleden trail, parts of the Bohusleden trail and the pilgrim paths in northern Dalsland and Skaraborg have also been connected to the West Sweden hiking initiative.
There is something for every type of hiker here – for both experienced hikers as well as beginners. So pack your backpack, lace up your boots and head this way to experience West Sweden on foot for yourself.
5 PATHS TO TRY
The Gotaleden. Gothenburg–Alingsås. 71 km, medium. Suburban hiking, fantastic experiences in nature. The Hyssna Trail. 40 km, medium. A nice two-day tour through cultural landscapes, exciting forest areas and past several lakes. The Pilgrim Path Falköping–Varnhem. 44 km, light/medium. Family-friendly hike passing abbey ruins, prehistoric burial grounds and the bird lake Hornborgasjön. The Pilgrim Path in north Dalsland. 81 km, medium/hard. Varied hiking through exciting nature with magnificent views. The Sjuhärad Trail stages 3–7. 74 km, medium. Nice hiking through forests, agricultural landscapes and picturesque towns. Read more about our trails at: westsweden.com/walking
From Gothenburg city center, pristine nature is just 4 km away.
Save the date. OutDoor by ISPO 2020.
4-day tradeshow. 361-day platform. 365-day movement.
Discover more than the market overview, exciting innovations, products and brands. Create new possibilities and opportunities for growth and join the industry in shaping a contemporary and desirable outdoor identity.
June 28–July 1, 2020, Messe München
Meet You at the Hub!
How can leading outdoor companies do business in a responsible way? ISPO Munich will dedicate a separate area to this question in Hall A2: the Sustainability Hub. Here, experts, companies and organizations provide new solutions to the industry’s challenges.
ANNA RODEWALD, CO-FOUNDER OF GREENROOM VOICE Greenroom Voice offers guided tours every day. How does it work and what do you share? This year at ISPO, GreenroomVoice will run a showcase about bio-based and biodegradable materials. For this, we invite partners to present best practice examples from the raw-material and product side as well as testing and standardization. The GreenroomVoice Transparency Tours guide visitors through the different examples, and each day 3–5 of the partners will present their topics personally, letting visitors meet the makers behind the projects.
FRANK LOHSE, CO-FOUNDER OF BRANDS FOR GOOD Brands for Good focus on social aspects of sustainability. What will you showcase at ISPO? Besides the presentation of diverse new social and sustainable projects and products, we will focus on the great work of Protect Our Winters (POW) and the European Outdoor Group (EOG). With an exciting “Get together Breakfast” on Monday morning (9.00-10.00am), we will launch together with snowboard legend Jeremy Jones POW Europe. We will also take a closer look at the impact of CSR on the corporate culture! Get inspired and visit us in the Sustainability Hub in Hall A2.
KIM SCHOLZE, COMMUNITY MANAGER OUTDOOR AT ISPO MUNICH The Sustainability Hub in keeps growing. What are the major themes this year? This year we do not only cover the status quo of the projects and initiatives of brands, organizations and projects but look forward into the future. We will provide an overview of the industry with around 70 projects and lots of international brands presenting their sustainability roadmaps. We are very pleased about this and expect further development, especially in collaborations and joint projects, where we will offer high-class panel discussions on the various aspects of sustainability.
GABRIEL ARTHUR, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, SUSTON MAGAZINE From your perspective as a journalist, what are the biggest benefits of the Hub? For starters, I get many editorial ideas by listening to presentations, talking with the people there afterwards and getting inspiration from the various exhibits. The networking is another important part, whereby the Sustainability Hub has become a natural meeting point for sustainability-minded attendees. Last but not least – there’s this positive energy there. There’s a feeling that this is where the most interesting things are happening at the show.
SAVE THE DATES
APRIL 22–23 rd 2020 OCT 28–29 th 2020 MUNICH, GERMANY
THE SUSTAINABLE SOURCING FAIR FOR PERFORMANCE FABRICS & ACCESSORIES 290+ INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITORS
Sustainability Events at ISPO Munich 2020 Meet the experts, join the discussions and learn the latest in outdoor industry sustainability!
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26
16:00 – 18:00 Bluesign Happy Hour Location: SUSTAINABILITY HUB, HALL A2
MONDAY, JANUARY 27
13:00 – 14:00 EOG Member CSR and Sustainability Meet and Greet An opportunity to meet the EOG CSR and Sustainability team Open to EOG members only, registration and RSVP required. Location: TBC
14:00 – 16:00 Meet the players in the wool supply chain and improve sustainability and traceability aspects for your business Speakers: Lesley Prior (Tellenby Merino Stud), Anna-Lise Humstad (Champion shearer), Mark Grave (CEO Awex), Isak Staats (Gen Mgr: Wool & Mohair, Bkb Ltd This session aims to offer an insight into the wool supply chain from farm to production, including the standards and technology that are changing the future of wool production. Location: SUSTAINABILITY HUB, HALL A2
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28
9:00 – 10:00 Sustainable opportunities with 3D Software Speakers: Lena Blume van Treeck, Client Engagement Manager, Bromzewear How can technology bring sustainability, as well as improving supply chain efficiency? In her talk, Lena will share her insight on the digital vision, overcoming barriers, and how openness drives a faster, more sustainable change. Location: SUSTAINABILITY HUB, HALL A2 12:00 – 13:00 Collaborating on Social and Labour Issues Speaker: Holly Menezes, Social Labour Convergence Programme This session will provide an introduction to the Social & Labor Convergence Program, including an explanation of how the SLCP assessment and verification process works, an update on roll-out to date and details of the 2020 roll-out schedule, as well as a Q&A. An existing SLCP signatory brand will speak during the session about the benefits of the program and their own approach to SLCP adoption. Location: SUSTAINABILITY HUB, HALL A2
13:00 – 14:00 Why new circular business models like Re-commerce & Rentals will significantly change the outdoor industry? Speaker: Benjamin Marias, AIR Coop The outdoor industry has long advocated that durability and repairability are two crucial components of sustainability and contributors towards a circular economy. However, the overall goal of the industry is selling more products every season (even if they are long-lasting and repairable). What if we reconsidered our business models and generate revenues without selling more products? What if we implemented systemic changes in the way we are doing business to become fully circular? Location: SUSTAINABILITY HUB, HALL A2 14:00 – 16:00 Climate action panel Speakers: David Ekelund (Icebug), Owen Hewlett (Gold Standard) We are currently in a state of climate emergency and climate action is an area that should be without a doubt on the agendas of brands and retailers in the coming year. This session will begin with a simple introduction to the area presenting some of the terminology and relevant information and a case study from a climate positive brand who will share their story of how they achieved this. This will be followed by a deeper-dive into the topic with information on driving ambitious change in supply chains; Gold Standard will present new guidance and approaches to take direct action in company supply chains to drive carbon removals and reduce emissions. Location: CONFERENCE ROOM, B32
DAY 1, 2 AND 3
11:00 – 12:00 Transparency Tour Come and join to hear the brands and organisations presenting their breakthroughs and highlights in sustainability. This informative tour around the GRV Showcase will give you first hand insights and the chance to interact with the experts. Location: SUSTAINABILITY HUB, HALL A2
A Magazine with a Mission Suston publishes three print magazines per year, with the next issue scheduled ahead of Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and OutDoor by ISPO. But you don’t have to wait until then to collect more news, knowhow and inspiration about sustainability. Visit our editorial website, sign up for our monthly newsletter and follow us on social media. sustonmagazine.com
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