THE POWER OF SAYING I DO
Before the solution, there is resolution.
Our resolution, in the face of a climate crisis, is to own our impact.
This pivot, to the future, is how we begin.
Arc’teryx is committing to taking immediate science-based action on climate change. We are publicly setting measurable Science-Based Targets (SBTs) to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to shift to 100% renewable energy to power our owned operations.
Our obsession with technical performance is not just about the jacket on your back. It’s about how we make it possible for your gear to last lifetimes; how we use the best science to reduce our carbon impact in line with the Paris Agreement targets by 2030; it’s about our owned operations being powered by 100% renewable energy by year end.
We are among the first outdoor apparel brands to set Science-Based Targets and one of a handful of Canadian companies so far. We hope announcing this commitment will inspire others to do the same, so we can scale our collective actions, and lead tangible emissions reductions where governments are falling short on meeting our global commitments.
SWEATING THE SCIENCE
While publicly setting targets is a new venture for us, sweating the science isn’t. And we have been sweating it. For the past year, we have been rigorously and obsessively collecting and analyzing data throughout every aspect of our company, to establish our carbon baseline, set at 2018’s emissions, so we can say that past this point, our intensity of greenhouse gas emissions will go no further. From 2018 metrics, we start ratcheting back, as part of our first step in honoring the Paris Agreement’s ultimate goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
THE DEVILISH DETAILS
The specific targets are:
To reduce our “absolute Scope 1 & 2 GHG emission” – by 65% by 2030 from 2018 emissions; and to reduce “Scope 3 GHG emissions” 65% per unit of value added by 2030 from a 2018 base year.
If you want to geek out on the details, visit our Climate Action page.
We’ll focus our efforts on our four biggest levers, to start, with plenty of this work already underway:
1. PRODUCT: Use lower impact materials and continue to design for maximum durability to keep products in action longer.
2. RENEWABLE ENERGY:Commit 100% renewable energy for our owned operations by the end of 2020 and partner within our supply chain for onsite renewable energy projects.
3. ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Improve energy efficiency within our owned operations and supply chain.
4. CIRCULAR ECONOMY: Grow our participation in the circular economy through Arc’teryx Used Gear.
DESIGN MEANS A BIAS TOWARDS ACTION
Apparel production is resource- and emissions-intensive. The straight truth is that the lowest emissions option is to buy nothing. Pre-loved is your next best move. When you do choose to acquire a piece of apparel, we want to provide the very best possible option – enduring quality, re-usable, designed with emissions-reductions commitment baked into every thread.
We are committing to science-based targets because design demands a bias towards action: We know it won’t be seamless but we’re getting started anyway, leaning into the challenge, trusting that each step forward generates new possibilities. Our bigger accountability is to the people and places we love most. This commitment is one way we can show it.