According to recent research, 81 percent of Gen
Z
— our most conscious and influential consumer group yet — believes that brands
are an essential part of the solution for the challenges facing humanity today;
and 88 percent of
consumers are
looking to companies to help them shop more sustainably. While there have been
impressive commitments to
climate innovation
from some of the more polluting industries, such as fashion, many companies
have continued with business as usual — driving a 26
percent increase
in the industry’s carbon emissions by 2050.
So, in honor of Earth Day (April 22), Allbirds is open-sourcing a
version of its proprietary Carbon Footprint
Calculator at FreeTheFootprint.com. After
investing hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars into R&D, Allbirds’
third-party-verified life cycle assessment (LCA) tool has been a key
differentiator for the company. So, why give it away — for free? Just like the
company’s Plant Leather™ and sugarcane-based
EVA
(now used by Reebok, Timberland and Ugg), Allbirds is putting its
money where its mouth is to drive the fashion industry toward a sustainable
future.
"For too long, many brands have focused on marketing sustainability rather than
actually implementing holistic, high-impact solutions — and to an extent, it’s
worked,” says Joey Zwillinger, co-founder and co-CEO of Allbirds. “If we
want to continue pushing fashion toward a more sustainable future, we need
brands to take responsibility for what they share with consumers. Having a key,
universal identifier like Carbon Footprint to evaluate sustainability claims and
force accountability from businesses is critical to drowning out the noise."
Allbirds has also launched a Change.org
pledge
aimed at galvanizing consumers to call on the fashion industry to add carbon
footprint labels to their products. Knowing that consumer demand is the key in
turning “better for the planet” into “better for the bottom line,” Allbirds is
giving shoppers an avenue to voice their desire for carbon accountability.
Companies interested in turning environmental responsibility from a bold
experiment into a commercial norm can learn more at FreeTheFootprint.com.
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Sustainable Brands Staff
Published Apr 19, 2021 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST