As a Nordic country, Sweden is not a nation usually associated with the worst impacts of climate change. But that perception changed dramatically following the events of the summer of 2018 when dangerous wildfires raged above the Arctic Circle and the worst drought in decades heavily impacted Swedish farmers.
In the aftermath of these devastating events, there has been a dramatic shift in the hearts and minds of Swedes: Many want to see action on climate change and they want to see it now.
Less than a year on from the spate of climate impacts, Icebug—the Swedish outdoor footwear manufacturer—has stepped up to the challenge. In the face of worsening extreme weather events, the company felt that the time had come to hold themselves accountable for their climate footprint.
Acting on this conviction, Icebug made the bold announcement that its operations would be climate positive by 2020 and—less than 6 months later—it has already made good on this promise as a participant in the UN Climate Change Secretariat’s Climate Neutral Now initiative.
Icebug’s climate commitment means that in 2019 they will strive to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that result from their manufacturing activities further than they already are, and they will also keep compensating in a greater amount than they emit.
According to Icebug, the company’s ambition is to see this kind of commitment become mainstream within the outdoor sector so that being climate positive is no longer merely perceived as a competitive advantage—they want to turn this idea on its head and envisage a world where once a critical mass of brands has moved to become climate positive, it will become a marketing liability not to do so.
In the meantime, the company invites more companies to step up and take responsibility for their climate footprint so that the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement can be reached and the world is spared the worst impacts of climate change. Because it makes good business and common sense to walk down the path of sustainable development and climate action!
Original source: UNFCCC
Published on 29 March 2019
