Earth Overshoot Day: How is UGG working to #MoveTheDate?
28 July 2021
- Earth Overshoot Day: How is UGG working to #MoveTheDate?
- WE ARE ON A MISSION TO REPAIR, RESTORE, RESPECT, AND PROTECT THE EARTH BY DOING OUR PART
- Why you'll hear the word 'regenerative' in 2023
- How to live a more sustainable and regenerative lifestyle
- Our pledge to protect & restore the planet for World Environment Day 2022
- Earth Day 2022 – A More Regenerative Future
- UGG is working to reduce water waste
- UGG is reducing its waste
July 29, 2021 is one to mark on your calendar. It is the official Lipstick Day, Intern Day, the ever-anticipated Chili Dog Day, and International Chicken Wing Day.
Wow. What a Thursday.
Amongst these wild and wacky days of celebration, there is one very important observation that is worth your attention. July 29 marks Earth Overshoot Day – the day in our year when it is estimated that human consumption of natural resources exceeds the Earth’s ability to replace those resources.
It is not a day for celebration – in fact, it is a day where the grave reality of the impacts of our economic system comes into full focus. We are consuming resources faster than nature can keep up. We are annually using 1.7 Earths’ worth of resources, and unless things change, we will need 3 by 2050. Think of it like your bank balance. You use up all your money for the month two weeks before payday, so you end up overdrafting. You keep spending and keep ending up in debt, never able to sustain yourself. From July 29, the Earth is in debt. We are borrowing future resources in order to sustain our current lifestyle.
Since the World Footprint Network began to collect this data in the 1960s, the date has been creeping forward. This year it is estimated to fall on July 29, far ahead of last year, when it was estimated to fall on August 22 after a temporary drop in global resource use following the pandemic-induced lockdowns.
The difference proves that it is possible to move the date simply by changing our habits. However, we need more than just delaying tactics: repairing the damage means acting with reciprocity towards the Earth. In the words of acclaimed botanist, professor, and author Robin Wall Kimmerer, “In a finite world, we cannot relentlessly take without replenishment.”
UGG is committed to #MoveTheDate not only by holding ourselves accountable for our own emissions, but by committing to help regenerate our ecosystems too. Here’s how.
MATERIAL INNOVATION
About 70% of the fashion industry’s emissions are related to materials, largely coming from the production, preparation, and processing phases.
We strive to lower our emissions by using repurposed, regenerated (e.g. plant-based), renewable (e.g. sugarcane EVA), and certified fibers wherever possible, and aim to increase their use in our collections by 35% by 2027.
CARBON ACCOUNTING
Reducing emissions means accurately measuring them and understanding exactly where they are coming from. At UGG, we measure the individual impacts of our materials and packaging. You can learn more about our Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) methodology here.
By tracking these emissions, we can identify exactly what we need to work on. We are able to set realistic targets to consistently minimize the environmental impact of the products we put out into the world.
REGENERATIVE FUTURE
A reciprocal relationship with the planet means giving back and working to restore the damage done over the years. Regenerative agriculture gives us a way to do that.
As frontier members of the Savory Institute’s Land to Market program, UGG is promoting proper land management which leads to an increase of biodiversity and carbon sequestration opportunities.
To facilitate the use of regeneratively farmed materials in fashion, UGG is putting over three million dollars into a grant program promoting soil health and biodiversity with an end goal of transitioning the Australian sheepskin industry towards a regenerative model.
Tell us about what you’re doing to help #MoveTheDate!
