Suston Issue #2 2018

Suston SUSTAINABLE OUTDOOR NEWS #2/ 2018

BEAT CARBON Five ways to shrink your carbon footprint.

PHOTO ACTIVISTS Carbon-neutral photographers take action.

CHINA’S

NATIONAL

PARKS Receive a muchneeded renovation.

SUPER

FIBER

#2

FLOUROCARBONS

A FRIENDLY GIANT

PARTNER PRESENTATIONS

What you need to know.

A look at America’s largest outdoor retailer.

Brands that are making a difference.

#2/ 2018 € 5,90

A quest to uncover hemp’s secrets.

PATAGONIA PRESENTS

Der Kampf zum Schutz Europas letzter Wildflüsse patagonia.com/blueheart

© 2018 Patagonia, Inc.

PHOTO: JOE CORNISH

A greener journey

40 10 News

The latest in outdoor.

14 Fibers in focus

A

s I write this, I have just finished booking my train tickets. The trip from Stockholm to Zurich goes via Copenhagen and Hamburg. From Zurich, I take a bus to Friedrichshafen and the OutDoor Show – Europe’s largest summer fair for the outdoor industry. Our company has a climate policy that says that we only fly if the same trip by train takes more than one workday. I haven’t calculated precisely, but this trip is going to take over 25 hours. And honestly, I am looking forward to it.

Cognitive dissonance is an established concept in psychology. Simply put, it means that you feel bad when your actions are not in line with your values. The dissonance – that uncomfortable, nagging feeling inside – reduces when you practice what you preach.

Perhaps it even gets replaced by a beautiful, inner resonance. Don’t we run into such people from time to time?

I do not believe that the train journey from Stockholm is going to save the world or give me wonderful feelings of living in harmony with my values. There is always so much more one can do. But I am looking forward to seeing the landscape glide past outside the window, to reading a book, drinking a cup of coffee and just taking it easy. Maybe this is a good start.

Gabriel Arthur, Editor-in-chief

Traveling the world to uncover hemp’s secrets.

16 Fluorocarbons

Things you should know about these problematic compounds.

50 26

18 Breakfast Club

Four competitors join forces on sustainability.

26 China’s National Parks

The Middle Kingdom’s massive park network, reinvented.

PHOTO: MAGNUS LUNDGREN/WILD WONDERS OF CHINA

PHOTO: STÉPHANE ROBIN

EDITORIAL & CONTENTS

34 Quitting carbon

5 things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.

40 Leaving zero footprints

Two photographers’ mission to reduce climate impact.

50 Retailer

American giant REI making waves worldwide.

56 Program

Seminars at the OutDoor Show.

Suston Editor-in-chief: Gabriel Arthur, gabriel.arthur@norragency.com Editor: Jonathan Frænkel-Eidse Art director: Susan Larsen & Melanie Haas Partner cooperation and sales: Karen Hensel, karen.hensel@norragency.com Editorial advisory board: Pamela Ravasio, Cira Riedel, Joel Svedlund

Cover illustration: Nadia Nörbom Suston is published by NORR Agency. norragency.com, info@norragency.com +46 8 462 0707 Metargatan 11 116 66 Stockholm, Sweden sustonmagazine.com

suston – 3

OBSERVATION

Recycled giants

BY NICOLAS JÄNDEL PHOTO TROELS NIELSEN

The Danish artist Thomas Dambo sees art where others see trash. From the waste containers, demolition materials and other scrap, he and his team of volunteers plucked together whatever they needed – and found that this can go a long way. 600 pallets, an old wooden shed and fence were used for the project “The six forgotten giants” a little ways outside of Copenhagen. Here, visitors can go and look for giant-creatures like Teddy Friendly and Oscar under the bridge.

On the photograph you see Little Tilde, who stands in the forest beside Vallensbaek Mose. Standing at several meters high she’s not, however, particularly little. Together with local volunteers, Thomas Dambo also built 28 bird houses into the sculpture.

The project aims to take art outdoors and at the same time showcase the beautiful, somewhat forgotten nature just ten kilometers west of the Danish capital.

While some of the giants are easier to find, others are nearly impossible to locate if you don’t know where to look. So to awaken the sense of adventure and get more beginners out into the woods, treasure maps on Thomas Dambo’s website as well as riddles and poems on the rocks near the sculptures help guide giant-hunters from sculpture to sculpture.

OBSERVATION

The plogging party continues in India

BY JONATHAN FRÆNKEL-EIDSE PHOTO JACOB SHERIAN

This spring, the Swedish concept of “plogging” (“plucking”+ “jogging”) spread like wildfire across the world – jogging while simultaneously picking up litter in nature. Behind the concept is Erik Ahlström, known in Swedish outdoor circles as the man who also introduced multisport to Scandinavia.

The phenomenon spread across Sweden in 2017, but became international once several media outlets, not to mention social media, drew attention to it. Plogging events have since been arranged in such diverse countries as Cuba, Thailand and many more.

But while plogging was born in Sweden, it may be destined to come of age in India. The 28-year-old Bengalurean Jacob Sherian has become the movement’s Mr. Plogging, determined to normalise the concept of cleaning wherever one goes.

“I came across the term Plogging only recently,” explains Jacob Sherian, “but the activity is picking up momentum because we now have a word for it. That helps create sort of a buzz, you are able to tell people about what is going on.

Otherwise, people lose the interest.”

He uses this buzz to host massive plogging parties, as he calls them. Like the one in Delhi where, together with the NGO Magic Bus, he was able to get a total of 1200 youth out plogging. India has huge challenges with its waste, not to mention stigmas associated with collecting it on account of its caste system. If plogging can make it here, it can make it anywhere.

OBSERVATION

Respecting the Rights of Nature

BY JONATHAN FRÆNKEL-EIDSE PHOTO ISTOCK.COM/ PHOTOMICK

We are all familiar with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – now it’s time for the next step. This May, the Sami Parliament of Sweden formally endorsed the Universal Declaration of Rights of Mother Earth. The Declaration includes the rights of Earth and its beings to life, existence, respect, to regenerate its biocapacity and to continue its vital cycles and processes free from human disruptions.

While to some this may sound far-fetched, the legal rights of nature have already been enshrined in Ecuador’s constitution, numerous communities in the United States, and to a mountain and river of cultural significance to the Maori of New Zealand.

The Rights of Nature movement essentially aims to unroot the notion of nature as property under law, whereby nature and all of its non-human elements have no legal standing. Instead, it acknowledges that nature has its own inherent rights as legal entities. Once they are granted such rights, people then have the legal authority and responsibility to enforce these rights in courts on behalf of the natural entity.

The Sami Parliament of Sweden is located in the northern city of Kiruna and is the representative body for the 20,000–40,000 people with Sami heritage living in Sweden.

The photo shows a traditional Sami “torvkåta” (turf house) – a simple structure with a wooden frame and insulated with peat moss. These are still used for overnighting in the mountains to this day.

PHOTO: AQUAFIL S.P.A.

NEWS

PHOTO: ANDREW BURR

CLIMATE ACTION COSTS LESS

For a Blue Heart ONE MILLION SIGNATURES against the big dam projects on the Balkan Peninsula are the goal of the Blue Heart-campaign, a cooperation between Patagonia, the conservation organizations Euronatur and Riverwatch, as well as several smaller local NGOs. With the planned construction of more than 3000 hydro power plants the pristine rivers, deep canyons and biodiversity of the whole region is under threat. The “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign is pressuring investors and banks to stop the construction projects’ financing and thus protect the natural watercourses of the Balkans.

Part of the action also includes the documentary Blue Heart, currently being played in selected cinemas. More information on the issue and opportunities to support the project can be found here: blueheart.patagonia.com

“We bought 11 acres of land and planted trees to offset our travel.”

The photographers Ted Leeming and Morag Paterson tell about their different steps to go carbon neutral.

Read more on page 40–47.

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In claiming the economy as the reason for pulling out of the Paris Agreement, Trump may have gotten things backwards: A recent Stanford study found that Trump risks costing the US economy several trillion dollars – and the world economy tens of trillions of dollars – over the coming decades due to US inaction.

The benefits of climate action were calculated to be over a hundred times greater than the cost of cutting CO2 emissions.

UPCYCLED SWIMWEAR THE MATERIAL KNOWN as Econyl® yarn is making headway in the fashion industry with labels like Bleed Clothing, Outerknown and most recently H&M now offering product lines made of this material. Econyl® fiber is produced from waste like old carpets and fishing nets that are collected from the sea by volunteer divers. The nylon is broken down into its molecules and transformed into new nylon – with the same attributes and quality. The process allows a complete upcycling of the old material that can be recycled infinitely. econyl.com

CHEATERS REVERSE OZONE LAYER GAINS

Scientists have recently discovered that despite the global ban on ozone-depleting substances, atmospheric concentrations of one such banned substance, CFC-11, are on the rise. This means that someone is cheating, and until the culprit is found the ozone layer and global health is again at risk.

Active kids = good students THE IT’S GREAT OUT THERE COALITION has announced the next #itsgreatoutthere grant will be awarded to a collaboration between the Finnish outdoor children’s brand Reima and an inner-city primary school in London, UK. The participating school contends that physically active children are both healthier and do better academically, and by working together with Reima and its ReimaGO sensors the school will set out to provide empirical evidence for this hypothesis.

Equipped with data, they then hope to inspire adults and children to be more active outdoors. itsgreatoutthere.com

PHOTO: BAKHTIAR ZEIN/SHUTTERSTOCK

NEWS

Businesses leading

PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/OGPHOTO

THE BUSINESS WORLD is picking up speed to meet the challenge of climate change and harnessing it as a driver of innovation, competitiveness and growth.

According to the non-profit We Mean Business, since the signing of the Paris Agreement there has been a 10fold increase in companies committing to bold climate action, with their combined value equivalent to 20% of the global economy. Thousands of leading global companies are committed to using 100% renewable energy, and hundreds of Fortune Global 500 companies have begun factoring a carbon price into their business plans. Virtually every one of the world’s high-emitting companies have set carbon emissions targets, with 1/5 of them implementing strategies that will transition them to low-carbon emitters from 2030 and beyond.

We Mean Business sees climate action as this century’s greatest business opportunity and works with the world’s most influential businesses to take actions on climate change that are in line with the 2°C goal. wemeanbusinesscoalition.org

WORLD’S FIRST DECARBONIZED COUNTRY? COSTA RICA’S NEWLY-ELECTED president Carlos Alvarado recently announced plans to ban fossil fuels and make the nation the world’s first decarbonized society by 2021 – just in time for its 200th year of independence. Costa Rica already generates 99 percent of its energy from renewable sources, and this final push will focus on greening their transportation with electric and fuel-cell vehicles.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY FORUM

Houdini, H&M, IKEA and several other companies recently launched the business forum Circular Sweden, with the purpose of promoting the political framework and industry developments needed to create more circular material flows in both Sweden and abroad.

SOLAR STATE

California has approved plans to require all new homes built from 2020 onwards to install solar power as part of the strategy to meet half of its electricity needs with renewables by 2030.

While the cost to a single-family home is roughly $9,500, homeowners would save at least $19,000 in energy costs over 30 years.

THE HARD DEADLINE: 2 DEGREES

I

f it wasn’t the Paris Climate agreement that brought it to our awareness, it was when Trump pulled out of it when the world was dumbstruck by a looming threat: a 2 degrees temperature increase is the limit of civilization-as-we-know-it’s ability to cope. Yet by all indications, we’re now very firmly set on a 3+ degrees trajectory.

This is particularly evident in the Outdoor Industry, where the disappearing glaciers, crumbling and sliding mountainsides, and ever shorter ski seasons are the tangible result of how our businesses and bottom lines are already being significantly impacted by climate change.

Global temperature increase is directly related to the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Therefore, if we were to reduce all things “sustainable” to a single measure, it would invariably be our Carbon Footprint – the amount of carbon we emit into the atmosphere via our operations and products.

The good news is: effective approaches are in place that give businesses support to work towards their own 2-degree trajectory goals in terms of their Carbon Footprint. It’s just a matter of getting started.

Reliable measuring methods for assessing annual CO2 output already exist, structured such that the complexity and accuracy of the measurements increase with the level of competency a company has at its disposal. This means that the method can be adapted for beginners right to the highly experienced (reflected in Scope 1 to 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol).

Of course, measuring alone doesn’t change anything. We need action. With the Paris Agreement, we have now set the finish line at a low-carbon society by 2050. So, all that’s really left is for businesses to set and meet so-called Science-Based Targets, targets that are in line with the 2-degree trajectory, by roughly halving CO2 emissions every decade.

That’s how simple – and how difficult – it is.

Pamela Ravasio, Head of CSR & Sustainability European Outdoor Group suston – 11

NEWS

A SMALL SPECIES WITH A BIG IMPACT

A recent study from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel concluded that while humans only represent 0.01 percent of the earth’s biomass, our species is responsible for the elimination of 83% of all wild mammals and over half of all plant life. Meanwhile, domesticated livestock has increased dramatically and far surpasses the biomass of wild mammals and birds.

Recycling enterpreneur TIRED OF PICKING UP after your kids? Well, some of

TREE-TROUSERS

The Swedish-Finnish company Stora Enso developed a special pulp based on wood that can be used for textile production.

Compared to the enormous need for water in cotton textile manufacturing, thousands of liters can be saved by using the wooden pulp alternative. Several Scandinavian companies already offer some garments made from the fiber in their collections. biomaterials. storaenso.com

them have also gotten pretty tired with our mess and are starting to pick up after us. Take 17-yearold Edgar Edmund Tarimo, for example, who has been awarded with this year’s Children’s Climate Prize on account of his efforts to tackle the plastic waste problems in his home country, Tanzania.

Realizing that nobody seemed to be doing anything about the trash problems around him, Edgar Edmund Tarimo decided to take things into his own hands. With a flare for entrepreneurship he founded Green Venture Recycles and began collecting plastic waste and recycling it into smart construction products like roof tiles, building blocks and other useful products. Thus far, his company has hired 100 people and recycled over 1.2 million plastic bags totalling 20,000 kg of

3,100,000 NYC PRODUCES LESS WASTE. Urbanization is a global fact. How can megacities continue to grow without drowning in waste? New York City seems to be on the right track. Between 2005 and 2017, the population rose from 8.2 million to over 8.5 million

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plastic that would otherwise ended up on poorly managed rubbish piles or in nature.

“Edgar’s innovations are brilliant and are good examples on how to combine climate responsibility while at the same time contributing to a positive development, for his own part as for society at large,” says Johan Kuylenstierna, chairman of the Children’s Climate Prize jury.

The Children’s Climate Prize is an international climate prize initiated by the Swedish company Telge Energi. Each year, youths between 10-17 years old who have done something exceptional for the climate and environment are selected, and the winner appointed by a jury receives 5 000 Euro in prize money at an award ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.

ccprize.org

inhabitants. During the same period, the total quantity of waste generated in NYC declined from 3.5 million tons per year to 3.1 million. Recycling continues to grow in most categories, whereby New Yorkers are best at recycling cardboard (79% capture rate) and often forget to recycle aluminum (15% capture rate), according to the New York City Department of Sanitation. nyc.gov

SUSTAINABLE WEATHER PROTECTION

FEATURING THE FIRST 100% RECYCLED MEMBRANE

The latest additions to our collection of TEXAPORE ECOSPHERE innovations: with NANUK ECOSPHERE and MICROGUARD ECOSPHERE, we are also offering a fleece and insulation material made of recycled PET bottles, therefore expanding our diverse collection of sustainable products.

*

jack-wolfskin.com

OUTDOOR hall B1 | 300

*Only refers to apparel.

SUMMER COLLECTION 2019

FIBERS

R O D A S S A B M A P M E H E TH

and document how a be glo e th l ve tra to : on ssi mi a s ha s Maren Kring is also a sustainable ars ye of s nd sa ou th for ed us en be s plant that ha material of the future.

N KRINGS / MARENKRINGS.COM

BY GABRIEL ARTHUR PHOTOS MARE

I

n online hemp forums, the discussion pops up from time to time whether the first Levi’s jeans were made out of cotton or hemp.

Maybe it doesn’t matter which material Levi Strauss used for his blue jeans back in the 1870s.

The point is that the jeans could have been made out of hemp, in which case they would be more durable – and more sustainable – than today’s cotton jeans.

“Hemp was in such high demand in the 17th and 18th century that farmers in the US actually risked going to prison for refusing to grow hemp,” says Maren Krings and proceeds: ”Hemp needs half the water cotton does and requires no pesticides, while producing twice the fiber of the cotton plant.”

Her personal discovery of hemp was a coincidence. She is a photographer and writer based in Austria and Germany, with a passion for sustainability. During a reportage trip to South Tyrol, she met the hemp pioneer Werner Schönthaler who runs the family business Schönthaler building materials. He has developed a method to make bricks using a mixture of hemp and limestone. With this invention, Schönthaler has come up with a product that enables a new way to build houses in a much more sustainable way, says Maren Krings.

“Several studies prove that the hemp-lime cycle binds more CO2 than it releases during the production process.”

Travel to 15 countries

The visit made an impact. Within two years, Krings would research 75 hemp entrepreneurs in 15 countries. Her documentation and trips will lead to an illustrated book, a travelling exhibition, as well as a hemp magazine – made on hemp paper, of course.

“There are incredibly many innovative entrepreneurs, who use a wide range of applications made from hemp.”

And the benefits are many. The recyclable and biodegradable hemp grows quickly without irrigation, pesticides and herbicides, and also removes contaminants out from the soil. Hemp was used, for example, to cleanse the soil following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine.

“Now it’s just a matter of getting rid of the negative associations surrounding hemp. Hemp was forbidden during the prohibition era in the States in the 1930s, and after that in many other countries. This was a big mistake.”

Maren Krings points out that hemp should not be mixed up with marijuana, as is often the case. They both come from the Cannabis plant, but hemp cannot be used as a drug, as it has less than 0.3% THC. “Today, there are over 50 hemp varieties that are legal to grow within the EU, and 23 European countries grow industrial hemp, supplying a sustainable raw material for the textile, paper and food industries.”

Hemp was one of the first plants that humans domesticated roughly 10,000 years ago, and is today used for textiles, food, medication, bricks (when mixed with limestone) and more.

suston – 15

FLOUROCARBONS

Facts you should know about fluorocarbons PFCs continue to be a hotly debated topic within the outdoor community. Suston provides a brief lesson on the subject.

BY NICOLAS JÄNDEL ILLUSTRATIONS NADIA NÖRBOM

Used in several industries

The risks associated with fluorocarbons have been discussed within the outdoor industry for several years. However, in many respects, there is a good deal of uncertainty regarding what fluorocarbons actually actually are. This is understandable, as the group of substances includes more than 3,000 different chemicals. The group of highly fluorated substances is called PFAS (or PFC) and is comprised of long carbon compounds with an ability to resist water, grease and dirt – very practical characteristics for a large range of products. Today, fluorocarbons are used in shoes, pans, fabrics, electronic devices and more. The characteristics are highly sought-after by those who partake in outdoor activities because these enthusiasts are often subject to tough environments with a lot of cold and moisture.

Harmful when they spread

The problem is that the highly fluorated substances are very stable and break down slowly in nature – or not at all. Some of the compounds are also suspected of being carcinogenic. Studies on animals have shown that high levels can cause liver damage and affect both the immune response and the ability to reproduce. There is still a lot of uncertainty regarding exactly how dangerous these substances are for humans. It is clear that they can accumulate in organs such as the liver as well as in the blood of all living organisms. Relatively high levels have been measured in polar bears in the Arctic, for example, but they have also been found in humans in all parts of the world. They have even spread to our drinking water and groundwater.

Legislation one step behind

Flourocarbon emissions occur both during production itself, during use and washing, and when the clothing is thrown away or recycled. Some of the most toxic substances, such as PFOS (used, for example by manufacturers of firefighting foam), are now widely prohibited. The PFOA substance will be prohibited within the EU by 2020 (and has been prohibited in Norway since 2014). However, it’s a bit like doping: Parts of the industry are trying to be one step ahead in developing new compounds of substances that are not yet classified as prohibited.

Toxic substances can be phased out

Because the substances are found in so many products, they are difficult to phase out completely, particularly in the case of imports from countries outside the EU. However, many manufacturers in many industries are working today to produce more sustainable alternatives with similar properties. One example is ski wax, where users can now choose fluorocarbon-free options.

Impregnations and membranes

In outdoor products, fluorocarbons have been primarily used in two areas.

Partly in textile impregnations to resist moisture, grease and dirt, and partly in membranes that help clothing ventilate moisture and excess heat while keeping moisture out. In both cases, there are a number of fluorocarbon-free options to choose from today. Gore is a company that is often mentioned in this debate.

In February 2017, they concluded an agreement with Greenpeace to phase out impregnations with PFC in 85 percent of

their collection by 2020, and the remaining 15 percent by 2023. The Gore-Tex membranes are made of PTFe, a material that Gore says does not contain any “PFCs of Environmental Concern.” However, there are critics that believe that the membranes can emit fluorocarbons if they are not taken care of correctly when the clothing are thrown away.

Heading towards sustainable solutions

Companies such as Fjällräven, Vaude and Houdini Sportswear have phased out fluorocarbons completely. Several larger retail chains, such as Naturkompaniet in Sweden, are working continuously to minimize the supply of waterproof clothing that is impregnated with fluorocarbons. Several manufacturers have developed impregnation sprays without fluorocarbons so that you can re-impregnate your clothing yourself. Just remember, before fluorocarbons started being used in textiles and coatings, the adventurers of yesterday were still able to climb the world’s highest peaks and cross ice-covered continents.

This Suston lesson has been produced in cooperation with Naturkompaniet, Sweden. suston – 17

XXXXXX

From left: Åsa Andersson, Eva Mullins, Malin Wetterborg, Christiane Dolva.

The Breakfast Club Their brands are competitors in the stores. But when it comes to important issues like microfibers, four Swedish sustainability managers have decided to work together.

BY GABRIEL ARTHUR PHOTO LINDA ROMPPALA

O

n a Friday morning in May, four sustainability managers gather in a hotel lounge in central Stockholm.

Christiane Dolva from Fjällräven, Eva Mullins from Haglöfs, Malin Wetterborg from Houdini Sportswear and Åsa Andersson from Peak Performance pick up their breakfast from the buffet and get started with the day’s topic: how can the outdoor industry agree on methods for measuring the amount of microfibers various synthetic materials release?

“Today, there are a lot of good, large research projects and industry initiatives relating to microfibers. The companies we represent participate in several of them, along with fashion companies, sporting companies and even companies like IKEA

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and Electrolux. But the four of us also see big advantages in smaller networks, where we can focus on things that are specific to us,” says Eva Mullins.

Various types of so-called pre-competitive collaborations are quite common with regards to sustainability. If several companies help out, the idea is that they can then split the costs, acquire more knowledge and have a greater shared impact in different issues. The risk with larger networks is that if the member-companies are of different sizes and focus-areas, the project itself can lose focus. For example a fast fashion company like H&M, with over 170,000 employees, wrestles with different issues than an outdoor company like Houdini Sportwear with around 40 employees.

“Our four companies often have similar or even

COLLABORATIONS

the same suppliers and processes,” explains Malin Wetterborg.

“The idea to meet at regular intervals and to discuss important industry issues was hatched a little over three years ago,” shares Christiane Dolva.

Today, there are four Stockholm-based companies participating in the informal network, and on occasion a few more. Aside from exchanging experiences and know-how with each other, the four companies are also trying to implement joint, specific initiatives.

“We want to, and must, get the suppliers onboard to ensure something substantial happens.

At ISPO Munich 2018, we invited our ten largest textile suppliers to a joint seminar, along with representatives from two large research projects.

We held a joint presentation of the knowledge surrounding microfibers from outdoor products, primarily in fleece,” shares Christiane Dolva.

Homework for the suppliers

Aside from the suppliers getting a better picture of the current knowledge situation, they also received some homework.

“We asked them ten questions as customers: ‘do you check X, Y and Z etc.?’ We will then follow up their responses together,” says Åsa Andersson, and adds: “It also became clear to the suppliers that some of them were already addressing these issues,

while others were some ways behind. This can result in them increasing their pace with the work.”

The next step with respect to microfiber is to try to find limit values and specifications, which enable outdoor companies to compare the materials from their various suppliers. “The microfiber issue has come up on the agenda quite quickly. The problem is that there is still no standardized way of measuring how much microfiber a fleece jacket, for example, releases when washed,” says Malin Wetterborg.

“When we order material from different suppliers, naturally we have a long list with different specifications that the material must meet, such as with regards to water column in shell materials. Now we want to apply pressure so that such a value for microfiber is also developed,” adds Christiane Dolva.

Simply put, this could mean that a textile supplier must specify how much microfiber a textile releases, using a scale.

“Then we as purchasers can say: ‘We are only interested in materials that have the best values,’” says Eva Mullins and continues: “As the four of us see it, there are only advantages with this kind of pre-competitive collaboration between brands. How can we reduce plastic in our packaging? How can we find logistics solutions that provide lower CO2 emissions? The list can be made as long as you want.”

Microfibers have been discussed extensively over the last two years. These Swedish companies are trying to help take the issue from talk to action.

suston – 19

80 billion pieces of clothes are purchased per year. They could be produced out of recycled material and in a recyclable manner by now – without any compromise on quality and performance.

Unstoppable

– until the loop is closed

Two years ago, the functional textile supplier Sympatex set sail on a mission: to close the loop in the outdoor apparel industry without compromising performance.

F

ive hundred years ago, Ferdinand Magellan set sail on the first circumnavigation of the earth.

After centuries of humanity’s confined nautical experience, he finally demonstrated that the earth is round by closing the loop.

Closing the apparel loop can be seen as a similar endeavor. After decades of a global culture of denial of the industry’s

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ecological side effects, many players in the apparel industry still hang on to the idea of continuous growth. Others prefer to stay on land for fear of leaving their habitual economic models. Only a few, fearless pioneers have dared to leave that safe harbor and venture into the headwind, often with improvised equipment and navigating by sketchy maps.

Yet just as the earth has always been

round despite centuries of almost fanatical denial, our clothing industry has long passed the point of business-as-usual; it needs to be reinvented.

Shoes: 15 times to the moon and back Lining up the 23,000,000,000 pairs of shoes produced every year, the line would run 15 times to the moon and back – produced by an industry that uses 97%

SPONSORED CONTENT PARTNER: SYMPATEX

Functional Jacket 4.0 made of 32 recycled PET bottles.

90 % of the children’s shoe recycled.

virgin feedstock to create these products.

Such an incredible waste. A waste that could be cut down instantly by 90%, as Sympatex demonstrated in a lighthouse project last year with a children’s outdoor shoe composed almost completely of recycled materials.

Of the 80,000,000,000 pieces of clothing produced per year, largely designed with the singular focus of constantly inventing new trends, over 80% ends up in the in landfill or in largely uncontrolled incineration; the rest is buried in downcycling applications. Yet if garments are designed for recycling, like the outdoor jacket co-created in a hackathon organized by Sympatex in 2017, synthetic polyester can emulate the broad range of high performance textile qualities and additionally be kept in circulation endlessly – without any compromise to its performance.

Slowing down will be too late In order to maintain the Paris Agreement’s commitment to limit global warming, an 80% emission cut in the in-

dustry will be required by 2050. To return to a level where resource consumption matches the planet’s limits, we need to return to the level of consumption found in 2005. In light of the apparel industry’s current growth trajectory that has doubled its output in the past 15 years, it would be naive to believe that a call to decelerate will be sufficient within the time remaining.

Nor can shifting to natural fibers solve the ecological challenge. The one quarter of global apparel that utilizes cotton consumes massive quantities of water in countries with water scarcity and is responsible for about 1/5 of the world’s pesticide and insecticide use. A similar situation can be found in the shoe industry where one quarter of the material is leather – 85% of which is tanned using chromium salts.

Upgrade industry to close the loop Designing-in the possibility to close the loop through a closed polyester material circuit has the potential to transform an industry currently believed to be

the second dirtiest in the world into an enjoyable, yet responsible system that sustainably serves humanity. And we already have all the required technology in our hands.

Sympatex at OutDoor: Hall A1 / 004 sympatex.com suston – 21

Lake Constance, bordered by Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

From crisis to solutions The bluesign® system has become the industry’s highest standard for safe, sustainable and efficient manufacturing in the textile supply chain. While the label bluesign is well-known in the industry and end consumers have begun to recognize the label, few know the fascinating story of how it came to be.

A

wareness of the social and environmental impacts of chemicals was long in coming.

Lake Constance for example, just east of bluesign’s head office in St.Gallen, Switzerland, had been a textiles hub for hundreds of years with over 2,000 textile mills encircling its shores.

Yet as the textiles industry thrived, the lake’s waters slowly became virtually devoid of life.

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It’s been said that only an acute crisis can lead to real change. On the morning of November 1, 1986, a chemicals storehouse containing pesticides, solvents and dyes along the Rhine’s riverbank caught fire. As firefighters tried to battle the blaze, 30 tons of toxic chemicals entered Europe’s most important waterway, thereafter passing through four countries and finally emptying into the North Sea. Though the cause of the fire

was never determined, its consequences were all too clear.

When the people living along the Rhine awoke to the apocalyptic scene of a toxic, blood-red flow moving down the river killing everything in its path, the wheels of change were inexorably set in motion. In the aftermath of this catastrophe, sweeping legislation was passed in Switzerland and elsewhere where for the first time, industries’ handling of chemi-

SPONSORED CONTENT PARTNER: BLUESIGN

Vaude is one of the system partners of bluesign. These images are from Vaude’s partner’s facilities in Taiwan.

cals was heavily regulated, and they were now charged for pollution. This was nothing less than a game changer for the local textile industry, whereby among other things this increased wastewater costs by a factor of about five.

The textile company that later would start bluesign was forced to either adapt or die. Fortunately, they achieved the former. Over the years that followed, they increasingly acquired and systematized know-how on how to improve efficiency and remove hazardous chemicals from their manufacturing processes in a way that began to spare them on costs as well as reduce their exposure to risks. It soon became clear that this know-how could provide an invaluable service to others in the industry, and in the year 2000 bluesign technologies ag was born.

Pioneers in chemical management Drawing on the expertise of an interdisciplinary team of chemical and textiles industry consultants, bluesign set out with the mission to link chemical suppliers, textile manufacturers and brands

together to foster a healthy, responsible and profitable textile industry. The response? Let’s just say back in 2000 this fledgling consultancy company wasn’t exactly met with open arms. Awareness of the problems bluesign was able to solve was still in its infancy, and at first nobody quite seemed to understand what bluesign was offering.

Meanwhile, in the outdoor industry, brands and retailers were being met by increasingly concerned, conscious customers who wanted to know whether their outdoor garments were contributing to environmental and social problems. At the time, brands and retailers had no real way of assuring them that they did not. Until they met bluesign, that is. It was here, in the outdoor industry, that bluesign was able to find its first foothold and prove that its Input Stream Management approach could indeed be applied to complex global supply chains.

From here the rings have spread. Aside from the outdoor industry, bluesign’s logo has since proliferated in sportswear and it’s making headway into an

increasingly social and environmentally conscious fashion industry. The fish have since returned to Lake Constance and the Rhine River’s recovery is well underway.

A happy ending? Not quite yet.

Of course, many of the textile industry’s problems have not been eliminated, they’ve simply been outsourced. Yet in a globalized world, out of sight is no longer out of mind, and as consumers’ awareness increases so too do their demands. It is an understatement to say that cleaning up the global, complex supply chain of today’s textiles industry is difficult, but bluesign’s track record demonstrates that it can be done with the right support.

The textiles industry remains one of the biggest polluters on the planet and consumer demands for sustainability is beginning to weigh in, making bluesign more relevant today than ever before. bluesign® is a registered trademark of bluesign technologies ag. Learn more about the bluesign system on the next page. suston – 23

PARTNER: BLUESIGN SPONSORED CONTENT

How does bluesign® work?

Bluesign provides a holistic solution for safe and environmentally friendly textile production, working at each step of the supply chain to ensure that products meet rigorous benchmarks with focus on people, the environment and resources.

PEOPLE People • Consumer Consumersafety Safety • Occupational Occupationalhealth health and andsafety safety

ENVIRONMENT Environment • Water Wateremissions emissions • Air Airemissions emissions • Waste Waste • Soil Soil

The bluesign system Many certifications focus on the end product, but this says nothing about substances or practices used in the previous stages of production. The solution is simply to turn this approach upside down: start at the beginning. By preventing hazardous chemicals from entering the input stream in the first place, the bluesign system creates a clean process that provides consumers the confidence they are purchasing a product that is both sustainably produced and that meets the highest consumer safety standards. This is the bluesign Input Stream Management approach.

Since its founding in 2000, bluesign has used scientific chemical assessments to evaluate the hazards of 20,000 chemical formulations and assign them 24 – suston

RESOURCES Resources • Energy, Energy,water, water, chemicals, chemicals, raw material raw materials • Benchmark Benchmark

to one of three categories: blue – safe to use; gray – special handling required; and black – forbidden. The assessments relate to over 900 different chemical substances, whereas 600 banned substances are included. Yet it’s not enough to merely point out which chemicals to avoid – manufacturers need good and safe alternatives.

That’s why bluesign created the first and most comprehensive positive list in the industry, outlining over 11,000 safe and effective alternative chemicals in what’s known as the bluesign bluefinder.

Cooperation with system partners Together with system partners, bluesign’s industry experts prepare a roadmap for the company to meet the benchmarks on the focus areas. Once achieved, the

BLUESIGN® SYSTEM bluesign® system • Risk Risk minimization minimization • Reduction Reductionofofimpacts impacts • Protection Protectionofofpeople people and and the environment the environment • Resource productivity Resource productivity

system partner may then use the bluesign trademark on the applicable product, one made with minimal negative social and environmental impacts.

But it doesn’t end here. While the right to use the bluesign logo is certainly a milestone along the journey, it’s not the final destination. That’s because bluesign offers more than a standard, it provides an active and growing industry forum where its over 500 system partners together find ways on collaborating on some of the industry’s most pressing sustainability challenges.

This is the blue way.

The fifth bluesign® conference takes place October 18–19 2018, Milan, Italy. bluesign.com

The plan to make ten huge national parks around China has rolled out. But nature conservancy is nothing new to China.

In fact, one could argue this is where it all began.

BY GABRIEL ARTHUR

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PHOTO: MAGNUS LUNDGREN/WILD WONDERS OF CHINA

CHINA’S NATIONAL PARKS REINVENTED

NATURE CONSERVANCY

ples like open-pit mining inside conservation zones in the Ningxia autonomous region, and that administrators at Henan’s Xiaoqinling National Nature Reserve were censured for allowing mining companies to dump more than 20 million tons of waste in protected areas.

In other instances, the authorities have had common goals of protecting nature but completely different solutions. Take for example the case of the previous nature reserve Sanjiangyuan, covering 123,000 square kilometers in Qinghai, and the home to the headwaters of the great rivers Yangtze, Mekong and the Yellow River. According to Caixing Global, the area was previously managed by a local agricultural department, and at the same time by a forestry authority. When the agricultural department paid local farmers to tend to the grassland and to build and maintain fences separating their plots, the forestry authority, tasked with protecting endangered species, paid the same local residents to remove these fences or lower their height to protect the Przewalski’s gazelle.

Now, Sanjiangyuan will be the first national park within the centralized park system.

Left: Mountains in Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province in China.

Below: A Golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus), in the same area.

PHOTO: STAFFAN WIDSTRAND/WILD WONDERS OF CHINA

O

n September 26 last year, China officially unveiled the overall plan for establishing its new national park system. This was not a mere side project from some department far down in the hierarchy. The plan was jointly published by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

“This marks the completion of the top-level design of the national park system and the beginning of the next stage of substantial construction” pronounced Wang Yi, deputy head of the Institute of Science and Development at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

A public statement reads that by 2020, the country will complete pilot programs for establishing national parks, following the principle of “ecological protection first.” Aiming to protect China’s large natural ecosystems, the national parks will be set up in specific land, marine and ocean areas to achieve a combination of ecological protection and sustainable development. The country has set up 10 pilot programs, covering the Sanjiangyuan (the source of China’s three major rivers), giant panda habitats and the Great Wall.

Also, the central government has ordered all its provinces and regions to establish an ecological “red line” that will place such designated regions under “mandatory and rigorous protection.”

The new national park system in China might have come as a surprise to people with knowledge on nature conservancy around the world. Doesn’t China already have a large number of national parks? Yes, nearly 250 since the first batch were launched in the beginning of the 80s. Additionally, the country has 31 UNESCO Global Geoparks, 16 UNESCO World Heritage Natural Sites (and approx. another 20 on the waiting list, close to 500 National Nature Reserves and many other forms of protected areas on a provincial and a national level.

So why is China’s leading institution presenting the new national system like it’s something new and important? Because while the current system might sound good in theory, it in fact has serious flaws. Flaws that will now be mended.

Clearer areas of responsibility

A recurrent problem with China’s approximately 8,000 nature conservation areas has been that different authorities would have overlapping assignments and areas of responsibility, without a clear mandate. One of China’s most internationally respected news outlets, the English-language Caixin Global, writes that “lax oversight and competing interests of different authorities have made these reserves vulnerable to encroachment and excessive development.” It then lists examsuston – 27

PHOTO: MAGNUS LUNDGREN/WILD WONDERS OF CHINA

A male Tibetan macaque (Macaca thibetana), in Tangjiahe Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province in China.

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Pandas will gain contact

Aside from creating a unified system, the new national parks will of course also provide protection to threatened species. Yao Sidan, head of the Department of Forestry in Sichuan province – home to the country’s largest giant panda habitat areas – has in China Daily said that the construction of railway lines, roads and power transmission lines has resulted in the fragmentation of panda reserves.

“The fragmentation increases the level of isolation for panda populations and increases the odds of extinction for small, isolated panda groups,” said Yao Sidan.

A pilot scheme to build an administration of a giant panda national park has been approved, according to the State Council. The scheme will form a cross-provincial national park that will unite more than 80 fragmented habitats scattered in Southwest China’s Sichuan province, Northwest China’s Shaanxi province and Gansu province, with an area of 27,134 square kilometers.

1800 years of nature conservation

The Chinese state has turned to the USA for help.

The Poulson Institute is a Chicago-based think tank, or as they call it, a “think and do” tank, with the mission to strengthen US-China relations and to advance sustainable economic growth and environmental protection in both countries. The Poulson Institute has been consulted since the plan to establish the ten national parks was presented in 2014, with research, planning, in depth case studies etc. Also, the Institute has hosted a delegation of Chinese experts in the United States for intensive training with U.S. national parks and conservation professionals.

Nearly all the major nature conservancy organizations from North America and Europe have Chinese branches. However, many Chinese would get defensive at the suggestion that nature conservation is something that is imported from the West. True, the country is wrestling with enormous environmental problems in the wake of its rapid industrialization and urbanization.

NATURE CONSERVANCY

Wild Wonders in the Far East Two Swedish photographers want to share China’s unique flora and fauna with the world. The trend has taken a turn for the better for many of the threatened species.

PHOTO: STAFFAN WIDSTRAND/WILD WONDERS OF CHINA

BY NICOLAS JÄNDEL

But the notion that untouched nature and wild animals must be protected, and that such areas are of the utmost importance for humans as well, has long been a cornerstone of Daoism.

The Aishan Foundation gathers several of the world’s foremost researchers in Daoism. The purpose of the Aishan (“care for mountains”) Foundation is the study of the so-called nature sanctuaries of Daoism, which the foundation describes as “outstanding sites in terms of landscape beauty, vegetation and wildlife.”

During the 2nd century, Daoists in West China created what could be the first nature reserves in human history, with 24 mountain sites in the Shu region of north-west Sichuan. These “nature sanctuaries” then spread to other parts of China.

The Aishan Foundation writes on their website, that around 150 areas were saved from hunting, land clearing, plant gathering, mining or pollution – and that almost all still exist today. This comes as no surprise for the many Daoist experts in the foundation. As they see it: “Dao is nature.”

W

e are fed with images from China of people with filter masks over their mouths, smog that dims the sun and polluting industries. Yet there is also another story.

“The giant panda is world-famous, but most of us have no idea about the rest of the species.

Despite China having the third highest number of wild mammal species in the world. The wild nature there is relatively unknown for most in the West, and even for many in China,” shares the Swedish nature photographer Staffan Widstrand.

Ten years ago, he and his colleague Magnus Lundgren initiated the international masscommunication project Wild Wonders of Europe, where 69 nature photographers were contracted to display the best of Europe’s plant and animal life. After 1,600 days in the field, they gathered the finest photographs from 48 countries and exhibited them in a touring international photo exhibition. When the exhibition arrived in several Chinese cities in 2011, the idea was born to do something similar there.

In cooperation with several Chinese photographers and experts, they have now launched Wild Wonders of China, which will reach out to the world with photographs and films from the country’s rich diversity of plants and animals.

“Our belief is that one must first see, become familiar with and love nature in order to want to protect it. This is true in all countries.”

Over the last few years, Staffan Widstrand has himself visited the country over twenty times.

“There are so many fantastic things to tell about. Nature conservation, which has already been extensive in China for the last two thousand years. The country’s ‘wildlife comeback,’ where many threatened species are now gaining ground.

Pandas, snow leopards, elephants and most primates are increasing in number. And finally, the incredible biological diversity found there.”

STAFFAN WIDSTRAND

One of Sweden’s most famous wildlife photographers.

Together with his colleague Magnus Lundgren, founder of the international photo project Wild Wonders of China. wildwondersofchina. com

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PARTNER: REIMA SPONSORED CONTENT

Outfitting

the future generation Reima is the top international brand focusing on kids’ performance wear only. For spring 2019, Reima introduces sustainably designed garments that make the warm times of the year safer and more comfortable for children.

S

ince its founding in Finland in 1944, Reima has gradually evolved from a Nordic specialist into a global market leader in its niche: premium functional tip-to-toe wear for children aged 0 to 12. The brand’s main export item is kids’ joy of movement, made possible by a comprehensive collection of protective functional apparel for all seasons and climates. For Reima, products that are versatile, durable, and natural are key to sustainability. Spring 2019 is no exception.

Considering the wellbeing of generations to come, Reima actively offers versatile, transformable products that can reduce consumption. Many key items of the Reima SS19 collection are 2-in-1 or 30 – suston

3-in-1. They are easily adaptable from early spring to summer, and they can even be used all year round as part of multi-layer outfits.

Durable design Durability from one child to another is another key element in Reima design, and when it comes to synthetic fibres, it pays to give them a long product life. While Reima’s current cooperation with Finland’s largest second-hand web store Emmy is proving this in practice, reuse isn’t enough – the goal must be to close the loop on synthetics in order to prevent them ending up in landfills and the environment. This is why Reima is taking part in the EU funded recycling project

Trash2Cash, which aims at recycling post-consumer clothes back to fibres, fabric and new clothing items.

Also, while synthetic fibres are utterly practical, they can cause trouble by shedding microscopic particles of fibres during use, in the wash and especially during tumble-drying. While the industry is working to find other alternatives, Reima is offering the Guppyfriend washing bag to its consumers and retailers, which catches 99% of microplastic shedding that would otherwise end up directly in marine environments.

Go natural In autumn 2018, Reima will introduce its Green Line range consisting of products made out of GOTS certified organic cotton, guaranteed to be non-toxic and ecological. In Spring 2019, Reima will continue its sustainability efforts using fluorocarbon-free water and dirt repellent finishes that allow consumers to launder less, and adding more organic cotton and more of the nature-friendly fiber Tencel® to its products.

Reima’s Spring Collection is indeed another strong step towards Reima’s mission to enable kids to explore the great outdoors, and rule over water, wind, sun – with safe and sustainable solutions.

While this all should be enough to keep the Earth and parents happy, it is ultimately the world’s most honest and tough test group who matter most to Reima: children.

Reima at OutDoor: Hall A5 / Stand 401 reima.com

SPONSORED CONTENT PARTNER: VAUDE

Less is more! Vaude's clothes can be combined in many ways.

Listen to the green heart Sustainable experiences will stay with you. New doors open up. Fresh perspectives that both change us and bring about change in our lives.

A

s a true eco pioneer, German brand VAUDE is not afraid to head down a path that’s uncertain or unconventional. Last season, with the launch of the VAUDE Green Shape Core Collection, a new chapter in the history of environmentally-friendly outdoor apparel began. The collection’s unmitigated success and numerous awards confirm the concept. For Summer 2019, this story of success continues: A thoroughly sustainable collection, now including 14 pieces, offering a host of innovative and exclusive material advancements and versatile enough to cover a broad range of outdoor activities.

The concept of multiuse continues to play a central role, but when it comes to biking, VAUDE pays particular attention to a high level of functionality.

The pieces are conceptualized as a layering system, perfectly coordinated in design and performance to function

together, from base layer to technical shorts and windbreaker. About 90 % of the diverse textile materials used in the production process are bio-based, recycled or purely natural materials.

Unconventional, renewable raw materials such as Kapok plant fibers, finest merino wool blended with recycled polyester or bio-based plastics from castor oil are used.

As VAUDE CEO Antje von Dewitz says: “The Green Shape Core Collection is a testimony to our ‘green’ soul – it embodies our ecological and social values, and testifies to the essence of what motivates VAUDE as a brand. With it, we would like to prove that taking a stand for sustainability – whole-heartedly and in a spirit of innovation – truly pays.”

VAUDE at OutDoor: Hall A1 / 300 greenshapecore.vaude.com

#ECOFAIR • Material innovations initiated together with VAUDE partners • Bio-based and natural fibers instead of fossil resources • Preventing waste by using recycled materials • Natural materials with natural functional properties • Environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes • Fair working conditions

#MULTIUSE • Value-based consumption: Less is more • Can be combined in many ways • Universal use for many outdoor activities • Ergonomic, layer-optimized designs • Performance with a feel-good factor

#UNIQUE • • • • • •

Unique Sustainable Collection Visionary, progressive design Consistent conservation of resources Modern, timeless looks Highest quality & durability Multiple awards suston – 31

JOIN US TO CLOSE THE LOOP!

VISIT US AT OUTDOOR FRIEDRICHSHAFEN 17-20 JUNE 2018 BOOTH A1/004

WHAT KIND OF WORLD DO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN?

IT’S IN YOUR HANDS!

Plastic production is to quadruple by 2050, thus account for 20% of crude oil consumption and more plastic is to swim in the oceans than fish. Clothing can already be produced in a closed loop - without any compromise on quality and performance. Sympatex focuses on recycling, elimination of pollutants and climate neutrality.

Make a conscious choice. Buy sustainable. And become part of a movement to change the textile world.

RECYCLABLE / PFC- & PTFE-FREE / CO2 NEUTRAL

SYMPATEX.COM

CARBON REDUCTION

IF NOT US, THEN WHO? The apparel industry currently accounts for 5% of global CO2 emissions – roughly on par with global aviation. While 5% may not sound like much, the apparel industry is set to triple by 2050, at which point it would consume a whopping quarter of the global carbon budget.

All industries need to decarbonize rapidly. There are a number of approaches being employed to meet emissions targets, and on the following pages we present the foremost among them, along with examples from companies within the outdoor industry.

A big concern with any carbon trading or offsetting scheme is that it can create the impression that it’s possible to carry on more or less as usual, as long as you’re willing to pay for offsets.

Also, if these strategies are not implemented just right, there is a high risk that you end up with much lower real emission cuts than you think.

While each approach we present can serve as an effective part of society’s decarbonization, none will alone be able to make us reach the 1.5–2°C goal. To be part of the solution and not the problem, our industry must engage in reducing emissions at all levels and in all possible ways. So let’s get started and do our part to protect the thing we love – the great outdoors.

suston – 33

CARBON REDUCTION

Five steps to take right now

The discussion surrounding climate change often remains just that, a discussion. How quickly are the poles really melting? Does “carbon capture” really work? But the bigger questions don’t need more discussion. We need to go from words to action, quickly and effectively.

Suston takes a closer look at five solutions that can reduce the outdoor industry’s climate impact – starting right now.

BY JONATHAN FRÆNKEL-EIDSE & GABRIEL ARTHUR ILLUSTRATIONS GRAHAM SAMUELS

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1

KILLING EMISSIONS IN THE CRADLE This solution is so simple even a child could understand it: The guaranteed way to lower greenhouse gas emissions is to make sure they’re never emitted in the first place.

While unproven, astounding tech fixes like carbon capture and climate engineering regularly make headlines as candidates to solve our climate woes, it sometimes seems we’ve taken our current high-carbon economy as a given. Yet this is hardly the case. Preventing emissions in the first place is in many instances a low hanging fruit that too often gets overlooked.

One example is the American lifestyle and outdoor clothing company Prana, beginning with the debut of its Natural Power Initiative already in 2005.

The initiative aimed to lower Prana’s actual (not net) emissions and accelerate the development of a renewable energy economy. As a first step, Prana measured the electrical energy and gas use at their California headquarters, their store in Boulder, Colorado, and about 200 retail stores that carry Prana products. They also included the usage at the homes of their employees, and from company vehicles and business travel.

Having inventoried all its national energy use, Prana’s next step was then to reduce their energy

consumption. This included efficiency improvements at their head office and distribution center, as well as incentive programs for their employees to commute environmentally by bike or mass-transit.

Holistic approach These efforts provided Prana with considerable energy savings. Yet a sizeable chunk of energy was still required from the shared U.S. electric grid, whereby coal and other fossil fuels account for roughly 60% of electricity generation. Taking on the task of changing the energy mix of an entire nation is clearly out of the question, but Prana found that they could still do their part to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy supply while cancelling out their remaining emissions by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (see fact box). Over the course of the project, Prana’s RECs avoided the emission of approx. 71,961 metric tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere – roughly equivalent to removing 13,180 cars from the road. suston – 35

CARBON REDUCTION

2

FOSSIL FREE IN WIDER CIRCLES A related project by Vaude has demonstrated that choosing renewable energy over oil and coal is a no-brainer, especially when production occurs in countries with good access to green energy.

In the German brand Vaude’s latest sustainability report, one can read that already in 2010 the company was using 100% renewable energy in their headquarters and factory in Tettnang, roughly 15 kilometers east of Friedrichshafen. Then suddenly in 2015, the percentage sank to 92%. The cause?

Following a lightning strike, the waterproof bags production facility burned down and Vaude had to move production to a rented building. Here, they had to use the non-renewable energy provided by the landlord.

But last year, production was able to move into Vaude’s newly constructed facilities, where around forty employees now produce Vaude’s “Made in Germany” packs’n bags collection. The facilities are fully powered by renewable heating and electricity, where Vaude’s own solar power system accounts for roughly 30% of the electricity need.

Where does responsibility begin and end?

In a country like Germany it is relatively easy to choose renewable energy. And as access has increased, the price has decreased relative to

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fossil-fuels. In other countries it may be more difficult. Many outdoor brands cooperate on a long-term basis with suppliers in Southeast Asia.

In Vaude’s case, they have partnered with the Bim Son facility in Vietnam, with a thousand employees. One question that even the foremost sustainable companies wrestle with is where the company’s carbon footprint begins and where it ends. The road from production of materials to the customer buying the finished product is long.

How do things look “upstream” from the suppliers? And “downstream” with the retailers? Vaude writes in their sustainability report: “Our longterm goal is to systematically expand the company’s climate neutrality to our other production facilities as well.”

The company’s Sustainability and CSR Manager Hilke Patzwall is optimistic: “We are taking part in a WWF Germany project that tackles the topics of energy efficiency and switching to renewables in textile production in China and Vietnam. And we hope that all of us will close the data gap with the help of the Higg Index.”

3

POLLUTERS NEED TO START PAYING The EU Emissions Trading Scheme has been widely criticized. But after its revamp last year, emitting greenhouse gases will begin to cost more - and outdoor companies can participate.

Most people would agree that the basic idea is a good one: In 2005, a cap was set for greenhouse gases across the entire EU, including Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Each country received an annual quota, which was then distributed to their respective energy-intensive industries and operations. If a company emitted more than their quota, they were required to purchase new emissions allowances from a common market. In turn, the price per ton greenhouse gas (in CO2 equivalents, or CO2e) would increase incrementally.

This would eventually make it more profitable to reduce emissions than to purchase new emissions allowances. The system was named the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).

Problems began to appear during the first phase, whereby too many quotas were distributed and unused allowances could be saved by companies for the following year. In practice it cost almost nothing to continue as normal.

In order for the EU to have a reasonable chance of living up to its climate goals, the system had to be renovated. In 2017, a new system was legislated

that enters into force in 2021. From this point on, the total number of allowances will decrease by 2.2% each year, and from 2023, it will no longer be possible to build up large reserves.

Voluntary contributions Most actors within the textiles industry currently do not fall under mandatory participation in this scheme, either because their emissions are below the minimum threshold or their manufacturing is based outside the EU. This might soon change, however, as the EU ETS’ coverage continues to expand and as countries like China and India have emissions trading schemes of their own that are now coming into effect.

In the meantime, companies and even individuals can voluntarily make use of the EU ETS, as a means of offsetting their carbon emissions. This is done quite simply by purchasing emissions allowances, then “deleting” them so that other polluters cannot use them. Several third-party providers offer this service, enabling a company to take responsibility effectively, even if it is not forced to do so.

RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDITS

RECs, or Green Certificates as they’re known in Europe, are marketbased energy trading schemes that seek to speed along the transition to renewable energy.

Certificates can be traded on an open market, whereby each certificate represents 1MWh of renewable energy generation.

Purchasing RECs can thus be used as a strategy to compensate for a company or individual’s energy emissions.

suston – 37

CARBON REDUCTION

4

DO YOUR BEST, OFFSET THE REST Another way for a company – or an individual – to take responsibility is carbon offsetting.

Suston meets with Myclimate’s Marketing Manager Kai Landwehr to learn more.

Myclimate helps several outdoor brands looking to meet their emissions goals. But there still seems to be a fair amount of confusion surrounding carbon offsetting. Can you explain what Myclimate does?

We are a partner for climate protection and sustainability for private individuals as well as for companies of any scale. With our work, we want to contribute to a low-carbon economy – to enable our partners to do their best and offset the rest. That said, most people know Myclimate as a provider for voluntary CO2 offsetting.

Offsetting is about taking responsibility – the polluters pay principle – rather than about buying free of “sins.” Our approach is a pragmatic one: climate protection must not fail because of a tedious and confusing process, which unfortunately is still far too often the case today.

Can you tell a bit about how the process works?

First off, you can only manage what you have measured. So, each commitment to climate protection begins with a calculation. Having calculat-

38 – suston

ed CO2 emissions related to a product, an event, a flight or even a whole company, we put a price tag to this result. This price corresponds to the costs of reducing exactly the same amount of CO2 elsewhere with full traceability.

To this end, we offer around 100 projects, certified and externally monitored, with which emissions can then be offset. Some examples include micro biogas plants, solar home systems, efficient cooking stoves, community reforestation projects etc.

How does offsetting relate to the Paris Agreement’s 1.5–2°C goal?

As a society, we will only achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement if we make use of all the possibilities available to us. Time is a decisive factor. We firmly believe that we will achieve a decarbonized economy through the principle of “avoid, reduce and compensate.” Yet as long as our economy, our mobility, our consumption and our lifestyles are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, offsetting is a very effective “bridge technology.”

5

HELP THE FOREST HELP US We need to start capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to have a chance of achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals. Letting the world’s forests grow larger is one way of doing so.

Large sums are now invested in innovative technical solutions that may one day enable us to store large volumes of carbon dioxide in the ground.

But there is a more proven, organic solution that has worked for millions of years – the forest. It’s elementary biology: as forests grow, they remove carbon dioxide from the air via photosynthesis.

This applies not only to trees and plants, but mineral soils and dead organic material can also store carbon. On the other hand, forests can also emit carbon when they burn, are harvested and the like.

That’s why forests are referred to both as carbon sinks and carbon sources.

The way forestry is implemented plays a major role in this balance. Modern forest management and plant breeding has made trees grow both faster and more densely. There is, however, a limit to how much the carbon total can increase in managed forests. After this point, the forests become a sort of zero-sum game in terms of the balance between being a carbon source and carbon sink.

The same does not apply to unmanaged forests around the world. In forests that can continue to

grow freely over long durations of time, more and more carbon can be stored.

Old forests store more As numerous researchers have noted, ancient rainforests in the tropics as well as European oldgrowth forests are very valuable as carbon sinks (even if they also emit carbon). There are several international projects where companies can choose to protect rainforest as a means of compensating their emissions. For example, all shipments to customers from the retailer Globetrotter Ausrüstung are carbon-neutral, thanks to an investment called Globetrotter Vision Forest in Costa Rica.

Yet there are many uncertainties surrounding exact measurement of how many tons of carbon dioxide a forest sequesters and emits. An easier approach is to simply donate money to protect old-growth forests. You may not know exactly how much carbon dioxide you have helped remove from the atmosphere, but as you wander between the tall, tranquil trees you will still probably feel that you made the right choice.

THE FOREST’S NET BENEFIT

Forest-rich nations often highlight their contribution to reducing atmospheric CO2. In Sweden, 2/3 of the land is covered by forests. These grow with approximately 100 million cubic meters per year, of which roughly 80% is harvested. In other words, the net biomass in Swedish forests increases.

As Sweden’s forests are growing, they capture more carbon dioxide than they release. This is what makes a forest a carbon sink.

Source: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

suston – 39

Leaving zero (carbon) footprints British photographers Ted Leeming and Morag Paterson have been living a low-impact lifestyle for decades, demonstrating that the good life needn’t be a carbon-intensive one. Now they have a mission: to leverage the power of photographs to help others go carbon neutral.

BY JONATHAN FRÆNKEL-EIDSE PHOTOS TED LEEMING & MORAG PATERSON

ACTIVISTS

I

t’s been one of the wettest Mays on record in northwestern Italy when I catch up with the photographer activist and environmentalist duo, Ted Leeming and Morag Paterson. The rain can be heard pattering softly outside their hotel, interrupted sporadically by the sounds of traffic sloshing through water-logged streets below. I want to learn more about their new beginnings in Italy and the photographers they’ve united in the fight against climate change. But as it’s been said, every new beginning is some other beginning’s end…

“We got together in… 2005,” Ted begins hesitantly after I ask them to share their story, only to be interrupted

by Morag: “2006!” Ted continues with a nervous chuckle, “Whoops! 2006.

And we bought a small-holding farm in southwestern Scotland.”

Here in the Southern Uplands, they would spend the next decade building their ideals into the brick and mortar of the farm, constructing a zero-energy house with nearly completely natural materials and a 100 foot-long polytunnel to supply them with veggies year-round.

“We also bought 11 acres of old grazing land, fenced it off and planted native trees to offset our travel and lifestyle carbon footprint,” says Ted. “Now, ten years later you can see one side of the fence is bracken while our side is reverting back to native moorland and native trees,” pronounces Morag triumphantly, and continues: “There’s a huge variety of biodiversity that has shown up, that is completely absent on the other side of the fence.

It’s quite a stark contrast. Lots of snakes and lizards, kestrels, herons – and they literally land right outside our front window!”

The seeds of change

From the outside looking in, Ted and Morag were living out their dream. But life has this way of getting complicated.

Before long, Ted would leave photography to return to the company he had co-founded – now employing 360 people and managing nearly a third of the UK’s windfarms – while Morag kept working as a professional photographer. With two full-time jobs, two kids and the farm, they now found themselves in a situation where they never had the time to pursue suston – 41

ACTIVISTS

their shared passions – photography and connecting with the land.

“The more busy you get, the more you have to pay others to do the things you actually wanted to do in the first place.

We felt like we were chasing our tails,” recalls Ted. And so, they kept on using their vacations and hiring subcontractors to keep up their photography side-projects for some time. Then finally, shocked

by Brexit and shaken by the untimely passing of a friend, they realized that nothing in life is guaranteed and decided they needed to make a change.

“I hate to admit it, but I turned on the TV and saw a program called Holidays in the Sun, and I just said, ‘where is that?!’

It just looked stunning. Morag was in France, so I asked her to rent a car and visit this region we’d never heard of. She sent me back a video of a property, and we basically bought it there and then.”

The region was Liguria, Italy, known for its pale, high-mountain cuisine cucina bianca and where buying a bottle of wine from the store is seen as bad style. Here, they were now settling into their new home with some land where they could continue their low-impact lifestyles.

While this move entails taking a massive cut in income, they now have plenty of that one thing they had sorely lacked in Scotland: time.

And they know just what to do with it.

New Journeys

The first order of business was to get out and explore their new backcountry.

When we speak, Ted had already been trekking for a week on the 440 km long Alta Via dei Monti Liguri (AV). The AV is Italy’s longest continuous footpath, elegantly following the arc of the Ligurian Alps in northwestern Italy by keeping to its mountain tops and ridges. Ted recounts the impressions of the trek thus far with unconcealed enthusiasm: “You should see the trees! And the wilderness out here… you get this feeling of solitude, of being immersed in the landscape and not just passing through it.”

He’s now happy to find himself reunited with Morag at a hotel where he can wait out the stormy weather, with a proper bed and roof over his head for a couple of nights before he hits the trail once more.

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Fish Farm, Faroes

suston – 43

Funningur, Faroes

LEEMING & PATERSON

Ted Leeming and Morag Paterson have worked both collaboratively and as individuals for over 12 years now and exhibit their work around the world, with their fine art prints featuring in many private collections. leemingpaterson. com

ACTIVISTS

Ted and Morag are purpose-driven, combining things they enjoy with causes they believe in. Ted, for example, once juggled for 24 hours in London’s Covent Garden to raise money for Greenpeace, and doesn't strike me as the type who just goes out for a month-long walk. My suspicions are confirmed, as I soon learn that this trek indeed fulfils a greater purpose. Morag explains: “Aside from becoming better-acquainted with the landscape and the culture of our new home, we want to use experiences like this to raise awareness of our newly-launched global photographic initiative, Zero Footprints.” This web-based photographic community is at press time just two months young. It aims to act as “a voice” for photographers that explores not only climate change, consumerism and environmental degradation in general, but also showcases solutions and what’s worth protecting in the first place – all things beautiful on Planet Earth.

Proceeds from photograph sales are then used to offset CO2 emissions using the international charity SolarAid. “From what Zero Footprints and Ted’s trek has raised to date,” explains Morag, “275 solar LED lights have been distributed in Africa, preventing 291 tonnes of CO2 emissions from kerosene lamps.”

That’s roughly equivalent to 20 years of an average western household’s energy emissions. Not bad after just two months.

The power of photography

History is filled with examples of photography’s power made manifest, not least in the service of the environmental movement: Ansel Adam’s “Teton and the Snake River,” for example, was pivotal in stimulating the conservationist movement in 1942, encouraging people to question the doctrine of “progress” and to re-evaluate the beauty and importance of the natural world.

Soon after, the dawn of the space age would introduce a perspective that was previously unimaginable. With images like “Earthrise,” taken from the surface of the moon, and “The Pale Blue Dot,” taken from the Voyager 1 satellite on its way out of our solar system, our eyes were opened not only to the splendor, but also to the finiteness, fragility and isolation of our only home. A blue planet, in an otherwise inhospitable, black expanse.

Well into the communications revolususton – 45

ACTIVISTS

tion, photographers like Ted and Morag continue to inspire and provoke – now reaching out to the global audience provided by the internet. While one aim with Zero Footprints is to encourage photographers to offset CO2 emissions resulting from their own travels, it also has the much more far-reaching goal of helping to stir the global masses into action: “The whole thing with Zero Footprints is to set that initial engagement, and once the image awakens an interest, we hope that people will set out to investigate it more thoroughly and begin engaging in the issues directly,” says Ted, whose long experience in the renewable energy sector in the UK has taught him a thing or two about transformation.

Having witnessed the industry go from non-existent in the early 90s to providing up to 50% of the UK’s electricity today, Ted has seen first-hand that dramatic change is indeed possible. But it doesn’t happen overnight.

Choose what matters most

Similarly, Morag’s experience living off the land on several small-holding farms for decades has taught her that things that are good for the environment are also often the things that can increase one’s quality of life. That making the right choices is not about deprivation, but instead removing the superfluous in exchange for an abundance of those things that matter most. They know this, but they’re still often met with blank stares when they try to communicate it to others. Ted explains: “We feel that a lot of people have begun to understand that there is a problem with climate change, but not quite where they fit into that equation.

We want to work with others to help inspire people and show them how they can make a real difference without drastic lifestyle changes, rather than expect others to do it for them.”

But not naïve to the scale of the challenges we face, Morag points out: “That said, there’s not enough offsetting in the whole world to offset everybody’s emissions, so we need to both offset our existing emissions and start making more fundamental changes. But it’s up to us to make this change happen.”

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NIALL BENVIE Nostalgia for Snow

ABOUT ZERO FOOTPRINTS The way Zero Footprints works is photographers either donate an image or make their “Voice” (any project on an issue relating to climate change) available for sale or view to the public on Zero Footprints’ website. All money raised after print costs is then used to support the work of SolarAid, an international charity that provides access to solar LED lights in Africa in order to eradicate the kerosene lamp. Over the course of three years, one kerosene lamp

can emit up to 1 tonne of CO2. Using this equation, SolarAid makes it possible for individuals and companies to offset their carbon footprint. The spin-off effects of the LED lamps include significant financial savings for families, improved health due to less kerosene emissions, and extra study time hours as many, especially women, do not study in the evening as kerosene is too expensive to provide light. zerofootprints.org

ASHLEY COOPER Tehachapi Wind Fram, California

CHRIS FRIEL Leaving suston – 47

BETTER T LOCKUPS PANTONE / PMS 109C

PRIMARY - FULL COLOR

CMYK / 0/10/100/0

PRIMARY - FULL COLOR

BLACK & WHITE

PRIMARY - ONE COLOR

KEEN is still supporting tsunami relief efforts in Banda Aceh region.

SPONSORED CONTENT PARTNER: KEEN

Doing business unusual As a brand born for life outside, the world around us is at the heart of everything KEEN does. Truly a business unusual, KEEN is challenging the status quo on the journey to reduce their impact and protect the open spaces where we live, work, and play.

P

erhaps it can be pegged on its ownership – a purpose-driven, family-owned business – or perhaps on account of its youth – celebrating its 15th birthday this year – that has kept KEEN from growing jaded or indifferent to the problems that afflict our world. To date, KEEN has donated US 17 million to causes around the globe and has continued to show leadership in the footwear industry in process transparency efforts, manufacturing integrity and workplace responsibility.

The company has, for example, made a big effort in striving to eliminate entire classes of harmful chemicals from the products they make: 7,000 kg of pesticides have been eliminated by using a natural odor control and their efforts over the last six years have made KEEN’s products over 95% PFC-free.

But it’s perhaps KEEN’s approach to the the challenges of our times that really sets the company apart, whereby in spite of its youth, KEEN doesn’t shy away from taking responsibility and taking the big fights.

The Banda Aceh Project KEEN has been a bit different from day one. Already in 2004, this company then only one year old, redirected their entire annual marketing budget of US 1 million to support the relief efforts following

the Indian Ocean Tsunami. With 61,000 dead, Banda Aceh, Indonesia was among the worst affected areas and it quickly became apparent that the scale of this disaster would have long-term impacts for the survivors.

After the initial relief efforts, KEEN decided to focus on this region. This commitment continues to this day, whereby KEEN helps train and equip villagers to plant fruit and shade trees in addition to reestablish the devastated mangrove forests that once provided protection from the ocean as well as a large share of the region’s food security and economic activity. The reforestation effort results have been remarkable, with 95% of the planted mangroves surviving and thriving and again providing the villagers with a steady source of income.

Funding for these projects is realized through footwear sale events during trade fairs like ISPO and OutDoor Friedrichshafen.

Better Takes Action Campaign While KEEN continues to show leadership abroad, they also see that there’s much to be done in our own backyards.

Acknowledging that the environment – our air, water, climate and public lands – are constantly under attack, Keen wanted to help their employees and fans find their civic voice and take action to

protect the things they were passionate about. That’s why they launched the Better Takes Action campaign, with the aim that together, fans and employees can take action today for a better tomorrow.

Protecting Open Spaces In 2019, KEEN will take the next step in their Better Takes Action campaign to focus on protecting Open Spaces. Why? As more and more people are living in bigger cities (66% of the developed world population will live in cities by 2030), KEEN believes it is especially important to protect the open spaces in the urban areas we live in. Urban outdoor is becoming the new outdoor, and this is a trend seen across the globe. That’s why next year, KEEN wants to partner with different associations to see how they can protect these open spaces in urban landscapes.

KEEN doesn’t believe that they are here just to make shoes, but instead hold a longstanding philosophy that doing good, giving back and reducing impact through actions big and small can make a better world – the “KEEN Effect,” as they call it.

KEEN Footwear at OutDoor: Hall A1 / 401 keenfootwear.com suston – 49

RETAIL

The REI Product Sustainability Standards make it easier for customers to find and choose more sustainable products.

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RETAIL

A rising tide 16 million members, 152 stores and US $2.6 Billion in annual revenues – when the American outdoor retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) makes a move, the outdoor industry pays attention. Luckily, this giant is of the friendly variety.

BY JONATHAN FRÆNKEL-EIDSE

R

EI has been on the Forbes’ list of the top 100 best companies to work for every year for the past 20 years, gives back nearly 70% of its profits to the outdoor community, and sources 100% renewable energy for its operations just to name a few examples from its stellar list of CSR achievements. Now, its latest initiative seeks nothing less than a quantum leap in the product sustainability of the entire outdoor industry. More about that in a bit. But first – what exactly is the deal with REI?

Looks can be deceiving

A visit to one of their stores might fool the uninitiated to think that REI is just a regular outdoor retailer, but the truth is outfitting people is only a part of what they do. Behind the retail focus on high-end outdoor performance gear lies an organizational structure that is truly unique in the business world: REI is not just a company, it’s a cooperative. Suston asked REI’s Product Sustainability Manager Greg Gausewitz to explain the strange origins and unfamiliar logic behind REI’s cooperative business model: “REI began 80 years ago with a group of 23

OTHER REI BRANCHES

Aside from its retail operations and its own REI product label, REI has diversified into nonretail enterprises as well. Their Outdoor School program, for example, offers outdoor education classes for all skill levels, while REI Adventures offers vacations for active travelers across the world.

REI is currently headquartered in Kent, Washington.

climbing buddies who started to import quality European climbing equipment that was in short supply in the States. Outdoor enthusiasts were able to sign up as members and buy the gear at reasonable prices. And so, the co-op was born.”

Like a publicly traded company, whose loyalty lies with its shareholders, REI works in the best interests of its members who have paid a one-time $20 lifetime membership fee. But whereas a corporation defines their success in terms of profits, REI takes on a much broader definition: “As a co-op, acting in the interest of our members is fully integrated into our DNA. We believe that financial, social and environmental sustainability is in the best interest of our members. Therefore, we use a quadruple bottom line perspective in all our actions. We focus on business, members, employees, and society at large, including the communities where we operate, the environment and animals,” shares Greg Gausewitz.

Being purpose-driven first and profit-driven second enables REI to take on CSR projects that a regular company could only dream of, which brings us back to their latest initiative, the Product Sustainability Standards. suston – 51

REI’s newest distribution center: LEED RETAIL certified and net-zero with a 2.2 megawatt solar system installed on its roof.

Bluesign® materials are made using approved chemicals and resource-conserving manufacturing practices.

Using recycled materials keeps waste out of landfills and reduces the need for new materials.

New, comprehensive sustainability standards As outdoor enthusiasts, REI’s members tend to hold stronger social and environmental convictions than the general population. Naturally, they want their gear to reflect these convictions. While REI is also focusing on promoting and educating members on so-called “preferred attributes,” certifications such as Fair Trade and bluesign®, it’s a huge ask to expect members to do their own research down the supply chain to uncover the products that don’t compromise their values.

This is where their brand expectations come in, which seek to ensure that rigorous standards in animal welfare, land stewardship, chemicals management, fair and safe supply chains and environmental management are met by the brands they supply. Many of these expectations simply make previously informal expectations formal, and these are effective immediately. Others will take time to implement across supply chains, so REI is giving brands until Fall 2020 before the full weight of the initiative enters into force. New brands will also be given an 18 month transition period.

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80 YEARS OLD

REI was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1938 by a group of 23 climbing buddies looking to import European climbing gear. Over the last 80 years, REI has grown into a high-end outdoor retailer with 152 stores across 36 states, with flagship stores located in Cascade and Seattle, Washington; Bloomington, Minnesota; Washington, DC; New York City; and Denver, Colorado.

“We want our members to be able to walk into our stores and feel we have this covered. By working with the more than 1,000 brands we stock to meet our Product Sustainability Standards, we’re making it easier for members to shop their values at REI,” says Greg Gausewitz.

Many European brands among the leaders

Just how ambitious are these standards? As the most comprehensive sustainability standards within retail, anywhere, the short answer is ‘very ambitious.’ But REI didn’t just pull these standards out of a hat. Together with sustainability leaders and partner brands from the outdoor industry, REI was able to put together comprehensive best practices for all categories of products they carry. This means that with a little effort, they are all demonstrably and realistically achievable.

“Some brands won’t need to do much. Many European brands, for example, are already leaders in sustainability and should be able to meet these standards more easily,” shares Greg Gausewitz, and continues:

RETAIL

“Others will have a ways to go, but we’re committed to taking a collaborative approach with these to help them meet the standards. But if a product still cannot meet them, we will transition to another one that can. Thus far, the response we’ve received from our brand partners is positive.

With these standards, we’re actually helping make their businesses stronger.”

Lessons to be learned

Why the cooperative model hasn’t become more common within the outdoor community remains a mystery. Especially when it has clearly served REI so well. Its unwavering commitment to its members and over 80 years of slow and steady growth have made REI into the retail juggernaut it is today, impacting not only the American market but the bottom lines of countless other international producers as well.

“As a co-op, we’re free from all the pressures from investors and shareholders. This allows us not only to think of our quadruple bottom line, but also to think long-term. Not just about the

GREG GAUSEWITZ

Product Sustainability Manager at REI. Greg holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics. After several years working at tech companies in Silicon Valley, he transitioned into the retail sector working with supply chain sustainability.

next annual report,” says Greg Gausewitz.

But what about those who do care most about the next annual report? Can REI be dismissed as a curiosity? While many other retailers may not be able to fully identify with REI’s reality, Greg Gausewitz believes that they can still learn from REI’s Product Sustainability Standards initiative: “Consumers simply want to feel good about the products that they’re purchasing, and retailers need to take that seriously and support their customer’s values. We also believe that this model, where we act cooperatively with our brand partners and customers, will serve as an example for others in the retail industry,” says Greg Gausewitz.

While the Product Sustainability Standards’ impacts remain to be seen, Greg Gausewitz is convinced that 1,000+ brands all taking a step towards sustainability together will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the outdoor industry as a whole: “We believe this will fundamentally raise the bar in product sustainability, not just at REI but across the outdoor sector. As they say, ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’.” suston – 53

PARTNER: BERGANS SPONSORED CONTENT

Old apparel’s

new lease on life

With an increasingly popular collection system for used apparel in place, Bergans of Norway had to decide what to do with returned clothing, besides repairing and reusing.

Bergan’s solution? Redesign!

A

woollen knit sweater, a onetime favourite for autumn evenings beside the campfire, - now lies forgotten in the closet with its elbows full of holes; a shell jacket, which has faithfully protected its wearer through countless adventures, is unused due to an oil stain on the front panel. Don’t we owe it to these old friends to give them one last chance to enjoy the great outdoors?

Bergans thinks so, and following the success of their national apparel collection system they now have enough material to feed their socially and environmentally responsible ReDesign project. Bergans’ Sustainability Manager Christoph Centmayer explains the idea behind it: “ReDesign has two goals: The first of course relates to the environment and 54 – suston

sustainable use of materials. After all, Bergans makes outdoor clothing and has a close relationship to nature. The other goal is to inspire creativity – not only for our employees but hopefully also for others out there as well.”

Foreign sewing expertise With a steady supply of material, the next step was to source the competency required to produce these new products.

These days, it’s hard to find somebody who knows their way around a sewing machine in Norway, where virtually all apparel is imported from abroad. Yet in every challenge lies an opportunity.

Together with the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, Bergans was able to partner with an employment training program including unemployed individuals and refugees with sewing expertise.

“These individuals didn’t come to us empty-handed, but instead many of them come as experts who are able to provide solutions that we actually need,” shares Christoph Centmayer.

In return, this partnership helps integrate members of groups who might otherwise be side-lined from the Norwegian workforce and society.

Socially-responsible, environmentallyproduced, great brand positioning as a sustainability leader: Bergans’ ReDesign is turning out to be a win-win-win. Items including wool phone covers, mittens, dog raincoats, reusable shopping bags and more can now be found at their flagship store in Oslo, where Bergans continues to demonstrate that its watchwords “Long Live the Product!” are not just empty words.

Bag made out of an old jacket.

Bergans at OutDoor: Hall A5 / 302 bergans.com

RETAIL

“It’s a marathon – not a sprint” German retailer Globetrotter launches new label, A Greener Choice, to highlight especially sustainable products. CSR Manager Fabian Nendza explains.

BY KAREN HENSEL

How has the launch made its way into Globetrotter’s shops?

Initially we offered 21 stakeholder dialogues with people from local communities, politics, science, staff and customers. So far, there has been super positive feedback from all directions. There is also a lot of interest and appreciation from the brands’ side as well. At the same time, we marketed the sustainability campaign Mission Green Horizons.

Much of sustainability work happens behind the scenes, but when you enter a Globetrotter store you’ll find the return system for used clothes and shoes and our service station for product maintenance and repair.

Can you describe the rating system used in A Greener Choice?

Our assortment is already relatively high in terms of sustainability. With A Greener Choice, we want to further raise this bar over time. We’ve defined 10 sustainability criteria that include reparability, the application of recycled or bio-materials, energy efficient production, manufacturing conditions, chemical management, traceability and transparency. For every criteria that is met we give one point, and if a product gets 4 points it qualifies for A Greener Choice. It means that the brand has made an active choice to make the product more sustainable. It’s not a guarantee that a product is 100% environmentally friendly, but it has a higher sustainability-rating than an equivalent product type and range.

Is your rating system based on pre-existing ones, e.g. HIGG?

The label has successfully been established in Sweden and Finland for 6 years within the Frilufts Retail-Group, and we are now introducing it in Germany. We have learned a lot from stakeholder dialogs and consider feedback from both inside and outside the company, so we are able to deliver a robust system at all times. We also consider other existing tools like the HIGG DDM and the HIGG MSI, the Fibre benchmark by Made By or different tools and resources by Textile Exchange, just to name a few.

What percentage of the assortment in your shops is to be rated in the near future?

Our aim is to test at least 80% of our assortment, with a focus on new products entering our shops.

This will take some time. Until 2020, our goal is for A Greener Choice to make up 25% of our sales.

We set this as our first sustainability milestone.

From your customer’s view, what benefits does A Greener choice mean?

Our customers expect high quality, functionality and sustainability. We want to support our customers’ natural lifestyles and help them protect the environment. A Greener Choice is a tool that identifies to our customers the products in our assortment that go the “extra mile.” With the label’s launch, we can now further integrate sustainability at POS, in our Globetrotter magazine and online.

How do you valuate A Greener Choice in relation to other green quality labels on the outdoor market?

Besides information that is legally required, brands decide what product related information they provide on the labels and hangtags. As a retailer, we have no influence on that. A Greener Choice is a supplement, taking a holistic view on the product’s overall sustainability performance rather than looking at only one sustainability aspect e.g. chemical management.

How do you see your role as a greener retailer in the future?

With A Greener Choice, we are able to incrementally offer our customers an even better, more sustainable assortment, which really has a positive impact. It is a marathon, not a sprint.

We contribute to accelerate the development towards sustainable production and consumption. Aspects of sustainability become a natural part of the sales talk. As a retailer, we are the face meeting the customer and are in the unique position to inspire to be outside and enjoy nature.

We strive to leave base camp in better shape than we found it.

FABIAN NENDZA

Sustainability Manager at Globetrotter Ausrüstung GmbH since January 2010. Previously, Fabian Nendza studied International Business Administration in Hamburg, Wollongong and Cape Town. globetrotter.de

suston – 55

EVENT CALENDAR

Sustainability events at OutDoor 2018 Meet the experts! At the fair, there are seminars, panel discussions and more open to everyone.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17 15:30 – 17:30*

Hard Goods Roundtable

Recap developments since ISPO 2017. Break out groups like Responsible metal sourcing.

MONDAY, JUNE 18 08:00 – 09:30*

Microfibre Consortium meeting Recap developments since ISPO 2018. Open to Microfibre Consortium Members only.

08:00 – 09:30*

EOCA Annual Assembly EOCA Members only.

Speaker: Leah Glass, Blue Ventures. Hear about the impact of EOCA’s “2 Million trees” – conservation, benefits to local communities and their importance for the outdoor industry.

11:00 – 12:00 | Room: Paris/Berlin

Microfibers – Global research update Speaker: SINTEF. This session will present research in order to begin answering some of the more pressing questions surrounding microfiber’s future, effects, and remediation strategies.

56 – suston

12:00 – 13:15 | Room: London Did you say ‘Recycled Leather’?

Speaker: Benjamin Marias, Partner, Agence Innovation Responsible (AIR). This session will explore the status quo and the needs surrounding recycled leather and identify remaining knowledge gaps.

13:30 – 14:30 | Room: Berlin An Introduction to Bio-Synthetics Speaker: Sophie Mather, biov8tion. An introduction to bio-synthetic materials as high-performance, sustainable alternatives.

14:30 – 15:45 | Room: Berlin

Bio-Synthetics: An Advanced Discussion Speaker: Panel. This session will host a panel of industry experts on the topic of bio-synthetics and provide an opportunity to discuss the more advanced topics surrounding this rapidly emerging field.

16:00 – 17:00 | Room: Berlin

rPET: why it is important and how to make your life easier Speaker: Karla Magruder, Texicology & Textile Exchange.

This session will briefly share why moving from virgin to rPET is important and will also address the challenges.

From 17:25 | Location: OutDoor Stage, Entrance East Announcement: EOCA Grants Summer 2018 Find out about the conservation projects EOCA will be funding this year. Held just before the OutDoor Awards.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19 07:45 – 09:00 | Room: Paris / Berlin (East Entrance)

EOG Industry Breakfast Breakfast buffet from 7:30.

Speakers: Antje von Dewitz (VAUDE), Leah Glass (Blue Ventures), Outdoor Brands Meet Retailers Initiative.

09:30 – 11:30*

EOG Sustainability Council Meeting Invitation only.

10:00 – 11:00 | Room: London Sustainability: Music for the Masses?

Speaker: Nicole Keller, Managing Director, Umwelt Platform (UP). Using case studies, this session explores how we can we communicate sustainability to the end-consumer and empower them to act.

11:30 – 12:45 | Room: Rome

Zero Carbon Emission Speaker: Dr. Rüdiger Fox, CEO, Sympatex Technologies.

This presentation shows that taking responsibility for carbon footprints is necessary and affordable.

13:00 – 14:00 | Room: Berlin

Introduction to Higg Brand and Retailer Module Speaker: Pascale Moreau, Policy Director, Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).

The Higg Brand and Retailer Module has been updated to answer industry needs and authorities’ due diligence requirements, and the speaker identifies the next steps forward.

14:30 – 15:30 | Room: Berlin

Disclosing supplier performance through SAC Transparency efforts Speaker: Pascale Moreau, Policy Director, Sustainable apparel Coalition (SAC). Learn about the latest development of SAC transparency efforts.

20:00 | Location: OutDoor Party on the main stage

EOCA’s latest news Presentation of EOCA’s latest news on the main stage.

EVERY DAY 09:00 – 18:00 (Tuesday until 12:00) Location: Foyer East, EOCA Booth

EOCA Fund Raising Sale Pick up some great gear and make a donation - 100% will go to conservation.

11:00 – 12:00 Location: Foyer East

Transparency Tour Organizer: Greenroom Voice. An interdisciplinary panel of experts will share their insights in several hot topics and Greenroom Voice will give a compact overview of the represented brands and their activities. * EOG events that need an invitation.

Interested in participating in closed events in the future? Contact the CSR team of EOG. responsibility@ europeanoutdoorgroup.com

PHOTO: STEPHANE ROBIN

The Greenroom Voice area in Foyer East features 20 sustainable brands.

CIRA RIEDEL, GREENROOM VOICE Over 20 sustainable brands will exhibit at Greenroom Voice. Is there any particular focus?

“Yes, we have showcased hot sustainability subjects since 2010, and select a topic every year to give the audience a comprehensive and insightful overview. We started to communicate best practice around wool at ISPO 2018 and will continue to do so at the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen. Wool is on the agenda of many brands and more and more customers ask for natural fibers. But the exhibiting brands will also choose other topics that they highlight themselves.”

NICOLE KELLER, UMWELT PLATFORM At OutDoor, you will have a presentation called “Music for the masses” – what’s it about?

“I will mainly talk about my experiences in stimulating and empowering people to act for sustainability, which I believe can be helpful in thinking about ways to talk to end consumers in the outdoor industry. Umwelt Platform’s approach is rather participative, so it will be an interactive presentation that will hopefully lead to some concrete leads, ideas and inspiration for the people who are attending.”

JONATHAN FRÆNKEL-EIDSE, SUSTON MAGAZINE Is there anything in particular you will keep an eye on at the OutDoor Show?

“For us at Suston, it’s always good to hear more about how the different brands are working with sustainability and CSR. But one issue that I want to dig into more, is how the retailers can educate and inspire their customers to take more responsibility. Both when they buy their products, but especially with how they use them and then dispose of them. A major part of the environmental impacts depends on those aspects.”

ANNY CARDINAHL, #ODLX OUTDOORDELUXE At the industry breakfast, on topic will be “#RMB - Retail meets Brand” – can you tell more?

“This is the title for a project series the European Outdoor Group facilitates, while retailers and brands are the driving force. We at EOG invite retailers and brands to discuss pre-competitive market challenges with the target to get support and to reinforce the strengths of the Outdoor Industry.

The first project has its focus on sustainability at point of sales and to release a pan-European initiative around OutDoor 2019.” suston – 57

SUN

The

RENEWABLE IT’S DOABLE

Runs My Washer Save the planet without leaving the house.

Going solar at home helps reduce pollution and carbon emissions in your city and around the world. And it’s easier and more affordable to do than ever before—that’s why every four minutes another American household or business goes solar. Find out how you can be next.

worldwildlife.org/solar

A biannual magazine So far, we launch two printed magazines per year. The next issue of Suston Magazine will be published right before ISPO Munich 2019.

However, you don’t have to wait until then to collect more news, knowhow and inspiration about sustainability within the outdoor community.

On our editorial website, we regularly post both feature stories and shorter news updates.

We welcome pioneering outdoor brands and retailers to become partners of this project. Is your company working systematically towards sustainability? Do you have interesting news or stories that you want to communicate to the outdoor community? Want to know how Suston plans to bridge the sustainable information gap? Just get in touch!

STAY UPDATED !

sustonmagazine.com

BECOME A SUSTON PARTNER

Contact us for more information:

ILLUSTRATION: NADIA NĂ–RBOM

Karen Hensel (German speaking countries) karen.hensel@ norragency.com +49 1743712871 Jonathan Fraenkel-Eidse (other countries) jonathan.eidse@ norragency.com +47 91240101 Suston Office: +46 8 462 0707

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BANANAS FROM FINNLAND! The future is going to happen anyway. What we make out of it is up to us.