Aldo Is Certified Climate Neutral for the Third Year Running — and It’s Rallying Industry Players to Get There, Too
Samantha McDonald
Business Editor
The Aldo Group is certified climate neutral for the third year in a row.
Today, global carbon finance consultancy South Pole announced that the shoemaker has received its third climate neutral certification, which it had also collected in 2018 and 2019 for its commitment to building a low-carbon future.
“It’s taken us many years of analysis, research and action to get to where we are today, but we know there’s still much work to be done,” Aldo CEO David Bensadoun said in a statement. “We have embedded sustainability in our values and ways of working and thinking of fashion. We also hope to rally industry players to continue to do so or start and join the movement.”
South Pole co-founder and CEO Renat Heuberger added, “The Aldo Group is truly a leader in the industry, and their proactive approach to support projects that reduce emissions will undoubtedly inspire others to follow suit, turning climate ambition into climate action.”
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Aldo’s first big effort to make its business more sustainable began in 2013. It set a companywide goal to reduce its carbon emissions and minimize the need to offset so-called “unavoidable” emissions. That same year, it said it began calculating its carbon footprint to establish a baseline for long-term improvements, as well as set goals that were approved by the Science Based Targets initiative — a collaborative effort between the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute, CDP and the World Wide Fund for Nature.
According to the press release today, Aldo became the first footwear and accessories company two years ago to be certified climate neutral for its stores, distribution centers and corporate offices. Last year, it had its e-commerce shipments and deliveries also certified climate neutral, as well as became a member of the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action.
In 2020, the chain has continued to reduce its net emissions plus launched forest conservation and clean energy projects. It also joined The Fashion Pact — a coalition of brands and retailers collectively working to protect the climate as well as safeguard biodiversity and oceans.
“Sustainability evolves quickly and requires constant adaptation and flexibility,” the company added. “The Aldo Group knows this calls for close collaboration with industry groups that act as valued partners and counselors at each step of the process.”
Moving forward, Aldo revealed that it would scale up its carbon-reduction objectives. It also recently launched its first sustainable footwear and accessories collections under its namesake label and Call It Spring, with plans to continue introducing more “innovative, low-impact materials.” What’s more, it shared that it would collaborate with other brands to remain accountable of its progress and commit to its set goals.
