These outdoor brands came together, in partnership with their suppliers, to reduce emissions across the outdoor industry value chain.
To reach a more sustainable future, we must take bold, collective action against climate change. Helly Hansen, Columbia Sportswear, and L.L. Bean came together through Outdoor Industry Association’s (OIA) Carbon Leadership Project CoLab to cut carbon emissions across the industry’s supply chain. This collaboration, supported by the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), focused on jointly reducing emissions across shared member supply chains. The OIA spearheaded the project and identified common suppliers among members, while Aii provided the framework of the Carbon Leadership Project to drive emission reduction efforts.
“The Carbon Leadership Project guided our manufacturing partners in initiating their decarbonization journey. Brand peers co-nominated suppliers to participate in the project, maximizing resources and driving momentum in carbon reduction. Furthermore, the action plans were customized for participants based on their climate target maturity. As long as the risk of climate change is not mitigated, we will continue to advocate for the Carbon Leadership Project” Ian Lee, Sustainable Manufacturing Program Manager at Columbia Sportswear.
Aii’s Carbon Leadership Project framework assists suppliers in measuring GHG emissions at the facility level, setting targets, and effectively reducing GHG emissions. This program not only aids members in achieving their climate objectives but also aligns with OIA’s mission to lead the charge in sustainable business innovation so that all people can thrive outside, today, and in future generations. Learn more about the Carbon Leadership Project here.
Bryant LaPres, senior director of industry engagement at Apparel Impact Institute, adds “Through our work with the OIA, we demonstrated the value of collaboration between brands and suppliers. The OIA played a critical role in bringing this work from concept to action. Their member brands played an equally critical role, emphasizing alliance with shared suppliers rather than going alone. We are excited to move into implementation activities to achieve direct emissions reductions and look forward to the results”.
The primary goals of the Carbon Leadership Project CoLab were to support shared suppliers across the outdoor industry in measuring their emissions and setting carbon reduction targets. Helly Hansen, Columbia Sportswear, and L.L. Bean nominated two shared suppliers to participate in the CoLab. OIA’s Impact CoLabs are collaborative, pre-competitive emissions reduction initiatives led by OIA and service providers. These initiatives help members meet their sustainability goals more efficiently and cost-effectively by working together.
Carbon Leadership Project CoLab Steps + Impact
Launched in 2022, the Carbon Leadership Project aimed to work with shared suppliers on setting science-aligned reduction targets and creating reduction action plans to achieve their targets.
CoLab Milestones
1. Supplier nomination and overlap assessment: Members submitted facilities of interest, OIA completed an overlap mapping exercise to seek shared suppliers to maximize impact
2. Carbon tech assessment: Aii and their service provider partner, RESET Carbon, completed benchmarking for the nominated facilities to identify carbon saving potential and define next steps
3. Carbon Target Setting: RESET Carbon collaborated with suppliers to identify their carbon reduction potential and set reduction targets
4. Reduction Action Plan: A carbon reduction plan tailored to each facility was created
5. Brand engagement with suppliers to implement reduction action plan (in progress)
The Carbon Leadership Project CoLab supported facilities in completing a carbon tech assessments to benchmark their emissions and set reduction targets. The final product was a tailored carbon reduction plan for each facility to reach its target. Member brands are engaging with their suppliers to implement these reduction action plans.
“The Carbon Leadership Project CoLab provided organizations with skills and tools to measure, monitor and report on their partnered facility’s carbon emissions. It allowed the organization to establish a clear baseline and achievable targets”, Grace Wong, Senior Sustainability Specialist Traceability, Helly Hansen.
The decarbonization opportunities identified in the reduction action plans were prioritized based on their total emissions reduction potential and expected implementation timeline. The roadmaps were delivered via an Excel-based tool, where suppliers could input their intent and prioritization for implementing solutions. The tool also provided estimates of costs, return on investment, and tailored considerations to address before implementation to reduce risks.
Pre-Competitive Collaboration: OIA’s Impact CoLabs
Climate change is one of, if not the most, crucial issues the outdoor industry faces today. If there is not a thriving environment to recreate in, outdoor businesses do not have a future. Collaboration is necessary to significantly reduce climate impacts in the outdoor industry; the problem is too large for individual companies to solve on their own. Companies must work together to decarbonize the global supply chain, and OIA provides an avenue with a clear path to do just that. OIA’s Impact CoLabs are collaborative, pre-competitive, emissions reduction initiatives led by OIA and service providers to help members meet their sustainability goals in less time and with less cost by working together. Through OIA’s six Impact CoLabs, 19 OIA members have invested in collaborative emissions reduction projects across their supply chains – working collectively to maximize impact and protect our planet.
“The Carbon Leadership Project CoLab empowered members to take bold, collective climate action. OIA understands that tackling climate goals and reducing emissions can be daunting for individual companies, but we believe in the power of working together. By uniting to create shared solutions, we can accelerate progress and achieve significant emissions reductions. Through initiatives like the CLP CoLab, OIA supports members in reducing emissions across their supply chains”, said Breana Nehls, OIA Sustainable Business Innovation Manager. “Together, we are catalysts for sustainable growth.”
Learn more about OIA’s CoLabs and how you can catalyze meaningful change with us at outdoorindustry.org/sustainablebusiness.
