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Outdoor store MEC commits to cutting carbon emissions from products, supply chain

MEC said its goal is to slash emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2050
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Bikes are seen for sale at a Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) store in Vancouver on Thursday, March 1, 2018. CEO David Labistour announced Thursday that MEC will stop selling several outdoor equipment brands owned by Vista Outdoor Inc., which is also a gun manufacturer. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Canadian outdoor retailer Mountain Equipment Co. has set sweeping new emissions targets for its supply chain, part of what the company is calling a stronger, science-based plan to help address the climate crisis.

MEC said its goal is to slash emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2050.

The targets apply to both direct operations, like MEC stores and buildings, and its supply chain, from the manufacturing of its in-house brand products to the vendor gear and clothing it carries, the company said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 easy in the environmental movement to have jazz hands,B次元官网网址 said Adam Ketcheson, MECB次元官网网址檚 chief commercial officer, referring to actions that may help the environment but donB次元官网网址檛 significantly reduce a companyB次元官网网址檚 carbon footprint.

B次元官网网址淲hat we are really trying to focus on right now is doing things that are measured and have the greatest impact.B次元官网网址

MEC has deep roots in CanadaB次元官网网址檚 environmental movement. The outdoor recreation brand was one of the first retailers in the country to eliminate single-use shopping bags from its stores and pull plastic bottles with certain chemicals from its shelves. It also previously committed to a green building program, and only uses 100 per cent organic cotton in its MEC-branded apparel.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 nice to remove plastic and reduce the size of your cardboard boxes and have LEED-certified buildings,B次元官网网址 Ketcheson said.

B次元官网网址淎ll of those things are good and important. But when we did the hard work to really look at the impacts of the business, the place where we can do the most good is really around product and supply chain.B次元官网网址

One of the areas that MEC is focusing on is its private-label brand, a logo with a stylized green mountain with two peaks.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a significant part of our footprint and one that we have the most control over,B次元官网网址 Ketcheson said. B次元官网网址淲e have visibility to the entire supply chain.B次元官网网址

The company aims to use more recycled materials, which have a much smaller carbon footprint than new materials, he said.

MEC is also focused on consolidating its mills and factories to reduce the shipping required to make a product, Ketcheson said.

B次元官网网址淚n the past, we sourced materials from all over the world,B次元官网网址 he said. B次元官网网址淲e may have found a great recycled nylon in Taiwan but if we have to ship it all the way to El Salvador B次元官网网址 we may have just undone the good.

B次元官网网址淲e need to consider the ripple effects of choosing that fabric on the total supply chain and carbon footprint. WeB次元官网网址檙e trying to avoid putting something on a boat or, even worse, on a plane.B次元官网网址

MEC is also planning to encourage suppliers to set similar goals and source products with a smaller carbon footprint.

While big brands such as North Face, Patagonia and Prana often B次元官网网址渟hare the same ethosB次元官网网址 as MEC and have a high level of transparency within their supply chain, Ketcheson said it can be harder for smaller brands B次元官网网址渂ecause itB次元官网网址檚 very expensive.B次元官网网址

B次元官网网址淲e audit aggressively our factories and mills and supply chain because weB次元官网网址檝e made a choice to do that B次元官网网址 but itB次元官网网址檚 not cheap,B次元官网网址 he said.

MEC has set its targets to do more to fight climate change, Ketcheson said.

B次元官网网址淔or too long the onus has been on the consumer,B次元官网网址 he said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e talking about it publicly because this is such a huge challenge for the world. WeB次元官网网址檙e going to try to be as transparent as we can B次元官网网址 our the hope is it will be infectious across the industry.B次元官网网址

B次元官网网址擝rett Bundale, The Canadian Press

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