Canada Goose sets ambitious sustainability goals, but stops short of going fur-free

Canada Goose's main focus for the rest of the year will be finding ways to replace all materials with more sustainable alternatives.

What happened

On Thursday, Canada Goose launched its 2020 sustainability report, a follow-up to its first annual report in 2019 that made a number of high-profile commitments to sustainable practices. The outerwear brand provided updates on some of its goals from 2019, along with a series of new goals it intends to meet by 2025.

Why it matters

The progress the brand has made — including carbon offsets equal to 200% of the brand’s emissions — shows the benefits of brands making specific public statements about sustainability goals. It also allows the brand to draw lines in the sand and make very clear how the brand’s sustainability efforts will develop. In Canada Goose’s case, the brand is investing heavily in carbon offsetting and recycled materials. However, the company gave no indication that it would halt the use of fur.

Instead, Niamh McManus, design director, and Thompson, said that the company’s main sustainability focus for the rest of the year will be on looking at every product in its inventory and finding ways to replace all materials — including cotton, nylon, polyester and down — with more sustainable alternatives. McManus said the team has been using the term PFMs, meaning preferred fibers and materials.

The first major use of PFMs that the company introduced this year is a new take on its Expedition parka, released in January. The new parka uses recycled nylon, undyed fabric and reclaimed fur bought back from customers to make a product that uses 30% less carbon and 65% less water to create.

This news brief is based on reporting published by Glossy on 2021-04-15. The original report is linked below.