The European Outdoor Group (EOG) has mandated that all association members must commit to the Race to Zero (RTZ) initiative by the end of 2024, following a vote among its members.
This decision, proposed by the EOG board and executive team, received 88% votes in favour. Of 106 eligible members, 82 cast a vote, with 72 in favour of the proposal, 10 against, leaving 24 who either abstained or did not vote.
The voting took place online over three weeks which EOG believes left the members with plenty time to "consider their position and express views."
EOG explained that during its summer meeting in June, initial proposals were presented suggesting the inclusion of a mandatory commitment to the Race to Zero initiative by the end of 2024 as a prerequisite for membership.
Following the meeting, EOG shared that a comprehensive schedule of presentations and discussion sessions was rolled out, providing key information and allowing members to raise concerns and ask questions.
EOG pointed out that there was a very "high-level" of engagement in the Race To Zero debate, demonstrating the seriousness of the members about the topic.
Matt Gowar, EOG president, said: "I am delighted that we have achieved a decisive and positive result in the Race To Zero vote, and thank our members for such a high level of engagement in the process, which included some really in-depth and well considered discussions. While the reality is that many of the measures that are part of Race To Zero initiatives are inevitable anyway, our industry is sending a clear signal that it is fully committed to serious, sustained and accelerating action to reduce emissions."
Arne Strate, EOG general secretary, believes that achieving net zero is a necessary outcome for all of business and Race To Zero is an articulation of that, and its urgency.
Strate added: "It is important to understand that signing up to a Race To Zero initiative is not something that should scare businesses. Many EOG members are already heading along that pathway and our team will help guide everyone in the right direction, providing assistance to those among our membership who need it to meet the new requirement by the end of 2024."
Race To Zero (RTZ) is United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) global campaign to "rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth."
The project team completed an audit of 16 manufacturing facilities and established that their combined CO2 emissions totalled almost half a billion kilogrammes in 2021.
How important is climate change to fashion players?
According to apparel company filings data shared by GlobalData, 'climate change' continues to be the most spoken-about theme in the apparel industry between 1 January 2019 to 1 January 2024.
The total mentions for climate change peaked in 2019 to 4,021, however, it almost halved in 2023 to 2,803 mentions.
Other themes in the spotlight included climate, sustainability and environment, with over 937, 438 and 401 mentions respectively.
The buzz around 'climate change' does not come as a surprise as all industries, including apparel, steer towards a sustainable future and focus on reducing carbon emissions.
Stiell added that all governments – as well as businesses – need to turn the pledges made into "real-economy outcomes, without delay."
Our signals coverage is powered by GlobalData’s Thematic Engine, which tags millions of data items across six alternative datasets — patents, jobs, deals, company filings, social media mentions and news — to themes, sectors and companies. These signals enhance our predictive capabilities, helping us to identify the most disruptive threats across each of the sectors we cover and the companies best placed to succeed.
