At Allbirds, we’ve never stopped looking for better
ways to do things. We don’t see sustainability as just a “nice to have,” and as
a Public Benefit Corporation, it’s woven into the very fabric of our
company; the environment has held a seat at the table from the beginning. Unlike
most brands, we challenged ourselves to build programs and solutions that
minimize the carbon footprint into our supply chain right from the start. By
sourcing natural and renewable materials — such as New Zealand family-farmed
merino wool and sugarcane byproduct to replace petroleum in EVA — we’ve
actively sequestered carbon through nearly every element of our bio-based shoes.
But we didn’t stop there. We have a contract with our customers to continuously
improve our products and business. We’ve relentlessly sought out new ways to
lessen our environmental impact — and when we can’t find one, we invent it.
Where others see plastic bottles, we see recycled laces; where others see
plants, we see green shoe soles. Next up, we’re working to remove the small
amount of virgin plastic in our supply chain.
That said, by simply existing in this world, we create a carbon footprint. And
while we love some footprints (like the ones you leave on a sandy beach), the
carbon kind get us down. More importantly, businesses — whose footprints are way
bigger than any individual’s — need to change.
That’s why we’re going 100 percent carbon neutral with the Allbirds Carbon
Fund — a self-imposed internal carbon tax which funds emissions-reduction
projects.
Corporate political responsibility: Lessons learned in 2024 and support for 2025 and beyond
Since 2021, the SB community has explored what it means for companies to use their political influence responsibly in an increasingly polarized world. What have we learned? Join us for an interactive "community café" to dive into this — as well as the Erb Institute's new CPR Decision Tool & Executive Conversation Guide and related case studies — Monday, Oct. 14, at SB'24 San Diego.
Globally, the footwear
industry
emits 700 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. And while our
environmental impact is much smaller than most, one tonne is still one too many.
Beginning this year, for every tonne of carbon we emit as a business — from the
sheep on our farms to the lights in our headquarters — the Allbirds Carbon Fund
will support verified emissions-reduction projects, such as planting trees that
capture and store carbon, and building wind energy to replace dirty fossil fuel
energy. And beginning on Earth Day (April 22), Allbirds customers will be able to help
us decide which projects we support with each new purchase — land,
energy or air.
This is only the beginning. Just like with the rest of our brand, we’re making
the commitment that the Allbirds Carbon Fund will continue to grow and change as
we find new ways to get better. We’re out to prove that when you give the
environment a seat at the board table, businesses can be part of the solution
rather than part of the problem.
We’ll be the first to admit that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and that
there’s much more work to be done. Luckily, we’ve got comfortable shoes to take
us there.
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Allbirds
Published Apr 22, 2019 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST