Environmental advocacy group Stand.earth accused the Vancouver-based apparel company of greenwashing in a “first-of-its-kind complaint” submitted to the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) days before the Olympics Games opening ceremony in Paris.

Stand.earth has called on the French regulator to investigate Lululemon’s “vague, disproportionate and ambiguous” environmental claims which, the green group said, constitute misleading commercial practices. In response, the company told Climate Home its publicity does not misrepresent its operations.

Through its “Be Planet” campaign unveiled in 2020, Lululemon tells customers that its “products and actions avoid environmental harm and contribute to restoring a healthy planet”.

A screengrab from Lululemon’s sustainability webpage

But the company’s latest impact report shows that emissions from Lululemon’s full supply chain – known as Scope 3 – nearly doubled to 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide between the campaign’s launch and 2022. That’s equivalent to powering 300,000 gasoline cars for a year.

Stand.earth’s complaint said Lululemon’s emissions are set to grow even further as it tries to hit a goal of doubling sales by 2026.

“Lululemon customers worldwide deserve to know the true impacts of the company’s climate pollution, not the greenwashed version it uses to sell products,” said Stand.earth Executive Director Todd Paglia.

UAE’s ALTÉRRA invests in fund backing fossil gas despite “climate solutions” pledge

Earlier this year, Stand.earth filed a similar complaint against Lululemon in Canada that resulted in the country’s Competition Bureau opening a formal investigation into the retailer’s use of environmental claims. A separate complaint accusing Lululemon of greenwashing was brought in early July this year by a private citizen in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

A spokesperson for Lululemon said that Be Planet “is not a marketing campaign” but “a pillar” of the company’s impact strategy, and that the firm is confident the statements it makes to the public accurately reflect its impact goals and commitments.

“We are taking direct action and are committed to collaborating with industry partners to help address supply chain impacts on climate change,” the spokesperson added. “We welcome dialogue and remain focused on driving progress.”

Rising revenues, rising emissions

Lululemon is one of the world’s fastest-growing retailers of athletic apparel, with net revenues rising 19% to $9.6 billion in 2023. The company, which has more than 700 stores in 20 countries, is the official clothing provider for Team Canada at the Olympic Games whose opening ceremony takes place in Paris this Friday.

According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Paris 2024 Games are targeting a 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions compared to the average of the London Olympics in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016, including Scope 3 emissions such as from spectator travel. This means Paris 2024 will offer the first Olympic Games aligned with the Paris Agreement on climate change, the IOC says.

View of Lululemon name above its retail store in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, NY, August 2, 2023. (Photo by Anthony Behar/Sipa USA)

Lululemon, meanwhile, has committed to reaching net zero emissions across its supply chain by 2050 through a target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), widely seen as the gold standard in corporate accountability.

But the company has come under intense criticism from green advocates over its climate and environmental impacts caused by energy-intensive production, high consumption of natural resources like water and long-distance shipping of items around the globe.

Four-fifths of Lululemon’s manufacturers in 2022 were located in countries that are highly-dependent on fossil fuels like Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The materials most commonly used by Lululemon in its clothes – polyester and nylon – are themselves produced from fossil fuels, according to the Stand.earth complaint.

EU greenwashing crackdown

The environmental group said the case will mark the first test of the French regulator’s readiness for a wave of new European greenwashing legislation.

The European Parliament approved a new directive in January requiring member states to introduce stricter rules surrounding the use of sustainability claims by companies and banning certain practices.

European lawmakers are currently working on a further piece of legislation that aims to define what kind of information companies must provide to justify their green marketing in the future. In its current form, the proposed regulation would require sustainability claims to be based on scientific evidence and checked by an independent and accredited verifier.

A global wealth tax is needed to help fund a just green transition

The so-called “Green Claims” directive is currently going through a negotiation process between the European Parliament and the European Council – which brings together EU leaders – before a final text is agreed.

“For decades, companies have faced no consequences for deceptive practices aimed at misleading the public about their environmental and climate justice impacts,” said Stand.earth’s Paglia. “However, we’re now seeing a rising interest in holding these companies accountable for their claims, and a crackdown is beginning to happen from Europe to North America.”

(Reporting by Matteo Civillini; editing by Megan Rowling)

The post Canada’s Olympics kit provider hit with greenwashing complaint in France appeared first on Climate Home News.

British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood has called for a “Climate Revolution” and advised people not to buy her clothes in support.

Speaking at London Fashion Week, the 71-year-old told the Wall Street Journal her latest collection should be seen as a message about the dangers of climate change.

“Before we have had class war, rich against poor. You know what the division is now? It’s idiots against eco-warriors. That’s it,” she said.

“My message is buy less, choose well, make it last. Even better, don’t buy anything.”

When questioned on whether she would want people to buy her latest collection she added: “No, I wish they wouldn’t.”

Walking down the catwalk on Sunday, Westwood sported a moustache and black circle painted around one eye, while wrapped in a banner announcing a “climate revolution” and a t-shirt bearing the same message.

Vivienne Westwood in her undies. Still a rebel (for climate change). #lfwtwitter.com/Fashionista_co…

— Fashionista.com (@Fashionista_com) September 16, 2012

Related Articles:

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The post Vivienne Westwood calls for a “Climate Revolution” appeared first on Climate Home News.

Swishing has gone global with swaps being organised in the US, Canada, Malaysia, Australia and Brazil (© The Swap Team/Creative Commons)

It is the eco-fashion phenomena which has now gone global. Great for the planet, your wardrobe and even your wallet. Guessed what I am talking about? Swishing of course!

For those of you who are still not acquainted with this latest past-time amongst the eco-conscious fashionista; swishing simply put is the swaping of clothes, shoes and accessorize.

The fashion industry is big business, worth £20.9 billion annually to the UK alone. But it also has huge environmental impacts in terms of waste, water use and energy use.

Swishing is a great way of getting the most out of the clothes that you buy, while still allowing you to refresh your wardrobe.

Re-branded and christened ‘Swishing’ by Chief Executive of Sustainability Communication Agency Futerra, Lucy Shea the craze has been described as the “future of fashion” by fashion journalist Jess Cartner-Morley.

The company’s Swishing Website now gets thousands of visitors per month from all around the world including  the US, Europe, Australia, South Africa, China, Malaysia and Brazil.

In the UK alone thousands of women now attend swishing events and are swapping tens of thousands of items every year.

Why Swish?

While clothes swamping in not a new idea – it has been taken on by Futerra as a way of combating the reliance on a damaging clothing industry.

In the UK alone, people buy around two million tonnes of clothes every year, and then we throw away around a million tonnes. This not only generates significant waste to landfill sites but also equates to a huge footprint in terms of energy and water embedded in our garments.

And yet fast fashion continues to grow, with more people looking for a bargain when purchasing items of clothing which we only ever plan to wear for a season.

With most of us also feeling the pinch of the credit crunch, people are beginning to look for ways to refresh their wardrobes without spending huge amounts of money.

Swishing offers this alternative.

Swaps can take place anywhere from public gardens, halls and gyms, shops, bars and offices (© The Swap Team/Creative Commons)

What is swishing?

While traditionally clothes swaps were something you did amongst friends – and many still do – the publicity the concept has got in recent years has moved it on to a whole other level.

From public gardens, to shops, bars and workplaces you can find a swishing party in nearly every town and city across the UK every week. There has even been an event held in the Houses of Parliament.

I got my first taste of swishing at Mrs Bears’ event at the Britannia Pub in Hackney. At this monthly event the rules are simple. Costing £5 to attend (free to browse) you can take up to seven items to swap. For each one you get a token – red or blue depending on whether your items are designer or high street – which you can then use to purchase other people’s items.

Making the most of the sunshine outdoors and with some extra bunting for the Jubilee the shoppers consisted of a huge mix of people from mothers and daughters to friends to lone shoppers.

The idea of the swap can be a little daunting at first, and I certainly did not know what to expect. If you are getting yourself ready for your first Swishing experiences, I have come up with a few points to consider…

1. Get ready to rummage

In the same way you shop sales or charity shops, Swishing is all about rummaging to find your hidden gem. This was the hardest part for me. I have never been a good sale shopper and would probably label myself a lazy shopper (I often rely on friends to dig out what clothes would suit me).

However, with such a wide variety of clothes to choose from at these events I am sure most people will find at least one (if not several) items of clothing which would suit your needs. Just be ready to dig around a little to find them (and maybe fight for them amongst fellow Swishers).

If your ready to rummage you can find some great items at clothes swaps (© The Swap Team/Creative Commons)

2. Attend with friends

This takes me to number two on my list. If like me you are a lazy shopper or sometimes find it hard to imagine what things will look like on, take your friends along with you. It is a great idea to have a second eye at these events, and a great way to pool your resources and make sure you all go home with a least one item to refresh your wardrobe, while having a great day out to boot.

3. Organise your own event

If you are still feeling a little daunted by the idea of attending a swishing event why not organise your own. Get together with a group of friends – and friends of friends to boost the stock – and make a day of it with cake and tea or an evening of it with cocktails. with you and your friends having lots in common your sure to find something they are giving away that you want to take home.

4. Be open minded

Let’s face it; second-hand clothes are never going to have the same look as something new in a shop. While swishing parties will have rules on what you can and cannot swap – you will not find anything torn, stained or too worn on the racks – you should still not expect a swishing party to be like walking into a store on the highstreet.

If you can get over this however, there will be plenty of great choices to pick from, from the more conventional to the whacky. And if you happen to be more on the creative side, keep an eye out for great fabrics – while the clothing may not be your style, there could be great opportunities to turn it into something that is.

5. Keep others in mind

And if on the off chance you don’t find something you would like to take home, there could to loads on offer which your mum, your sister or your friends would like. Why not also keep them in mind while you search and take home some free goodies for the whole family.

Have your say: Are you a swisher? Have you got an experience of a great swishing event from anywhere around the world? Let RTCC know below, on Facebook, Tweet us @RTCCNewswire or by emailing info@rtcc.org.

Interested in sustainable fashion? Why not check out:

– RTCC’s introduction to sustainable fashion.

– Eco-fashion guru Elizabeth Laskar’s six step to sustainable fashion.

– Green is the new black for Swedish clothing company H&M.

The post Swishing: The eco-fashion phenomena taking over the world appeared first on Climate Home News.

Today is officially the most depressing day of the year. It is January, it is cold, we are all feeling the pinch after Christmas and our next break from work seems like a million years away.

But don’t let those January blues get you down, and don’t give into the temptation to book a flight around the world – it is also the day most people book flights somewhere warm and exotic.

This month is also National Thank You month, and RTCC brings you five things to be thankful for when it comes to climate change and sustainability.

1) Investment in renewables is on the up

We may be going through a financial crisis and it may feel as if the environmental agenda has dropped off many people’s radar but last year saw global investment in clean energy reach a new high of $260 billion, according to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The new figures show a 5% rise on 2010 and are nearly five times bigger than in 2004.

Investment in solar far outstripped that in wind, and US clean energy investment moved back ahead of China for the first time since 2008.

2) On your bike!

With the Olympics just around the corner 2012 could be the year to get employees to adopt more sustainable travel behaviours, according to Trewin Restorick, founder and CEO of Global Action Plan.

Writing for the Guardian, Restorick said the games could provide a great opportunity if companies began looking at a more long-term strategic approach. With around 5.3 million visitors expected throughout the 100 days of the games, and the busiest days seeing 855,000 games-related trips, disruption of travel for Londoners could see them make the move to more eco-friendly transport – getting on their bikes or going on foot.

More than 4,000 new cycle-hire docking point are set to be installed and 2,000 more bikes provided, while many companies are looking into more flexible working hours, fewer client meetings, and greater use of video conferencing.

But can this be used to encourage more long-term behaviour change?

Restorick says it can. But only if companies mobilise and make it happen.

3) Even more renewables

Sticking with renewables but this time in the developing world, today saw the launch of a new sustainability energy fund which aims to roll out 4,000 pay-as-you-go solar energy systems to rural, off grid communities in East Africa.

The solar package consists of a low-cost solar panel, a battery unit with inbuilt mobile phone charger and a high efficiency LED lamp, and is aimed at making energy affordable. A great start to the UN’s Year of Sustainable Energy for All!

4) Explorer Mark Wood hits his half way mark!

Wood set off in November on the first leg of his journey which will see him travel solo to both the South Pole and the North Pole. Reaching the South Pole last week he marked the mid-way point on his expedition.

Not only is he completing the expedition to highlight the changing nature of these icy regions but he has also helped save nearly 25,000 kg of CO₂ through the Do Nation’s sponsorship.

Over 100 people have now sponsored Wood by doing actions including stopping using plastic bags, eating less meat or making draft excluders, saving the equivalent of driving from London to Edinburgh 100 times.

5) Georgio Armani goes sustainable

It may only have been for one night, but Livia Firth’s dress worn down the Red Carpet at the Golden Globe Awards, designed and made by Armani was created from a weave made from recycled plastic bottles.

It was part of Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge thought up three years ago as a way to expand the use of sustainable and ethical creations on Hollywood’s red carpet and highlight the need for the fashion industry to move towards more sustainable designs.

And this year it is expected to be bigger than ever, as she aims at getting more actresses and more designers in on the challenge. Keep watching throughout awards season for more great designs.

And this year it is expected to be bigger than ever, as she aims at getting more actresses and more designers in on the challenge. Keep watching throughout awards season for more great designs.

Contact the author at ts@rtcc.org or @rtcc_tierney.

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