CEO DATELINE - Outdoor Industry Association announces ‘climate-positive' initiative
CEO DATELINE - Outdoor Industry Association announces ‘climate-positive' initiative
- June 30, 2021 |
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Walt Williams
The Outdoor Industry Association said its members will seek to become the first "climate-positive" industry by not only reducing their greenhouse gas emissions but removing more carbon from the atmosphere than they emit.
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OIA represents the manufacturers and retailers of outdoor recreational clothing and gear. Last year the group announced the formation of a member-led Climate Action Corps to evaluate the industry's contributions to climate change and recommend actions to mitigate those impacts.
The Climate Action Corps, which compromises more than 100 companies, released its first annual report Tuesday. The report said 78% of its members have set targets to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they are directly responsible for, with 49% already taking steps to reduce those emissions. A smaller percentage is seeking to reduce indirect emissions generated through their supply chains.
The companies also pledged to become the first climate-positive industry by 2030. That means OIA members will "reduce their carbon footprints according to science-based targets, remove their remaining carbon emissions from the atmosphere (ideally, through nature-based projects), and advocate for robust climate policy," the association said in a statement.
"There's no denying that climate change is an existential crisis for the outdoor industry," said Amy Horton, OIA senior director of sustainable business innovation. "The question is no longer ‘what will we do about it?' - it's how far can we go, and who wants to join us?"
"With this new strategy, we've established a credible, practical pathway, supporting resources, and interim milestones that will guide and accelerate progress for companies no matter how far along they are on the path," she added.
More about the OIA's climate-positive strategy is available at outdoorindustry.org/climateaction.
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