We’re taking action to secure a positive future for people and planet. The world we love is at a critical tipping point, and we believe it’s important for businesses big and small to step up and do their part for Mother Earth. Over the past two years, we have been working with a group of third-party experts to understand our climate footprint, and how we can live more lightly on the planet.
We’re taking action to secure a positive future for people and planet. The world we love is at a critical tipping point, and we believe it’s important for businesses big and small to step up and do their part for Mother Earth. Over the past two years, we have been working with a group of third-party experts to understand our climate footprint, and how we can live more lightly on the planet.
We’re proud to share that our iconic Jefferson is already one of the lowest-impact shoes on the market, clocking in at just 3.85kg CO2e per pair. Every time you buy a pair of Native Shoes, you’re saying no to higher impact options, with footprints of 10, 15 or even 20kg CO2e. That’s already pretty major; but we’re not stopping there. There is a dream we share with others in the footwear industry – to one day create a shoe with a footprint of less than 2kg CO2e per pair. This is an ambitious goal, but we’re up for the challenge.
Our Commitment:
Our Commitment:
So, what does this mean?
Scope 1 and 2 emissions are within our direct control. They include emissions generated directly – such as from boilers on-site – and from purchased electricity used for our lighting, computers and coffee machines at our HQ and retail stores. We’re lucky to be based in Vancouver, where our electricity comes from renewable sources, meaning that the emissions within our direct control account for a small percentage of our overall footprint – just 0.2%. That said, we are still planning to lower this further, including switching all electricity to renewable energy.
The bigger impact comes from how we work to address our Scope 3 emissions – the other 99.8% - which include emissions from our manufacturing partners, raw materials for our shoes and shipping. As a smaller business, we fall into SBTi’s Small Medium Enterprise category – which only requires Scope 1 and 2 targets – but we’re setting our sights on slashing our Scope 3 emissions and bringing down the impact of each shoe made. We can’t do this alone: our materials, manufacturing and shipping partners work with many other businesses too, and we need to work in partnership to influence positive change. Our customers have a role to play as well.
So, what does this mean?
Scope 1 and 2 emissions are within our direct control. They include emissions generated directly – such as from boilers on-site – and from purchased electricity used for our lighting, computers and coffee machines at our HQ and retail stores. We’re lucky to be based in Vancouver, where our electricity comes from renewable sources, meaning that the emissions within our direct control account for a small percentage of our overall footprint – just 0.2%. That said, we are still planning to lower this further, including switching all electricity to renewable energy.
The bigger impact comes from how we work to address our Scope 3 emissions – the other 99.8% - which include emissions from our manufacturing partners, raw materials for our shoes and shipping. As a smaller business, we fall into SBTi’s Small Medium Enterprise category – which only requires Scope 1 and 2 targets – but we’re setting our sights on slashing our Scope 3 emissions and bringing down the impact of each shoe made. We can’t do this alone: our materials, manufacturing and shipping partners work with many other businesses too, and we need to work in partnership to influence positive change. Our customers have a role to play as well.
Within Scope 3, we have a few key areas of focus:
Energy use by our manufacturing partners makes up 42% of our overall footprint. Reducing this will mean working in alliance with other brands and our factory partners to increase energy efficiency and shift toward using renewable sources for production.
Raw materials and packaging make up 36% of our footprint. We’re already designing with the environment in mind, transitioning many of our styles towards bio-based materials such as Sugarlite™ (reaching 25% of our styles for Spring and Summer this year!). We are also exploring how to increase our use of recycled materials across our line. Our packaging is already recyclable, but we’re closing the loop and working towards sourcing this from fully recycled cardboard too.
Giving our shoes a second life is a simple way to reduce the impact of our footprint per customer. We encourage you to donate, gift or resell your pre-loved shoes if they are in good condition. If they have been loved too much, the The Native Shoes Remix™ Project is our flagship recycling initiative which enables us to break down and repurpose the lightweight materials for which our shoes are known and loved. Since 2018, recycled shoes have been transformed into the bouncy base for five playgrounds around Vancouver.
Within Scope 3, we have a few key areas of focus:
Energy use by our manufacturing partners makes up 42% of our overall footprint. Reducing this will mean working in alliance with other brands and our factory partners to increase energy efficiency and shift toward using renewable sources for production.
Raw materials and packaging make up 36% of our footprint. We’re already designing with the environment in mind, transitioning many of our styles towards bio-based materials such as Sugarlite™ (reaching 25% of our styles for Spring and Summer this year!). We are also exploring how to increase our use of recycled materials across our line. Our packaging is already recyclable, but we’re closing the loop and working towards sourcing this from fully recycled cardboard too.
Giving our shoes a second life is a simple way to reduce the impact of our footprint per customer. We encourage you to donate, gift or resell your pre-loved shoes if they are in good condition. If they have been loved too much, the The Native Shoes Remix™ Project is our flagship recycling initiative which enables us to break down and repurpose the lightweight materials for which our shoes are known and loved. Since 2018, recycled shoes have been transformed into the bouncy base for five playgrounds around Vancouver.
Of course – our carbon footprint is just one aspect of our impact as a brand. Creating a better world also means working to build connection, spread kindness and create positive social change in our communities. Setting our climate targets marks a small step forward, and one part of our bigger plans and goals moving forward.
There’s a lot to be done, and we can’t do it all on our own. We’re excited to step up for science, and be on this journey with you, sharing progress, learnings, and updates on our path to live lightly.
There’s a lot to be done, and we can’t do it all on our own. We’re excited to step up for science, and be on this journey with you, sharing progress, learnings, and updates on our path to live lightly.
