The fashion industry plays a pivotal role in the global effort to fight the effects of climate change. It’s attributed to 20% of waste water, 92 million tons of textile waste and 2- 8% of carbon emissions globally. Even the United Nations has continuously highlighted the environmental cost of the fast fashion industry while also highlighting the brands and innovators sparking sustainable change within the industry. One of the programs meant to offer a larger platform to sustainable brands is the UN Global Climate Action Awards. House of Baukjen, a London-based fashion brand that focuses on recycling throughout their production chain to support carbon neutral fashion, was one of this year’s fashion recipients.
For the 10th anniversary of the awards 11 projects / brands were chosen based on 3 key focus areas- Climate Neutral Now, Financing for Climate Friendly Investment and Climate Leaders. Alongside Baukjen were a zero impact food retailer from Sweden and Microsoft for their carbon negative goals. “Everyone has a role to play when it comes to confronting the climate crisis,” says Gabrielle Ginér, Chair of the Advisory Panel. “The recipients of the UN Global Climate Action Awards are stepping up with the kind of bold and courageous leadership we need to see much more of to avoid the ever-worsening impacts of climate change.”
We became completely Carbon Negative across our entire supply chain as of 2020 by analysing, reducing, restoring and offsetting our carbon emissions through Gold Standard CER and VER offsets.
Baukjen, a socially and environmentally conscious brand, was awarded for its commitment to reducing its environmental footprint, transparency and innovative model for reaching its goals. According to its latest sustainability report, the brand has been able to reach several targets that are inline with the U.N’s Sustainable Development Goals. These goals range from diversity and inclusion to water conservation. A few highlights from their latest sustainable report are:
- Reduced CO2 emissions by 40.3%
- Reduced water usage by 35.6%
- Use 100% organic cotton and EcoVero instead of conventional cotton or viscose
- 100% Carbon Negative across entire supply chain in 2020
- 100% plastic-free packaging
- Reduced use of conventional synthetic fibers by 76%
- 50% of women hold positions as CEOs and executives
- 100% renewable energy
- Less than 10% of waste goes to landfill
Baukjen isn’t only a fashion brand. They are also a B-Corp and an environmental leader within the fashion industry. Its tailored approach to being more sustainable across their supply chain and reaching goals has influenced a range of companies from textile mills to dyeing houses. And, they have improved upon their processes to spark change and reduce their own environmental impact. That idea of sharing knowledge is an important part of the fashion industry’s journey towards being more sustainable.