TO US, EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY.
Forests are the lungs of our planet, storing and removing CO2 from the atmosphere. They also release Oxygen into the atmosphere, which animals and humans depend on for our survival. They are undeniably the biggest heroes in nature’s battle against climate change, but are cut down at an alarming rate for logging, mining, oil & gas extraction and colonisation for agriculture.
TREES AND PLANTS, LIKE ALL LIVING THINGS, ARE MADE UP OF CARBON.
But when forests are cleared or burned, much of that carbon ends up in the atmosphere — similar to burning fossil fuels. This carbon changes the planet’s climate and contributes to rising temperatures, stronger storms, more severe droughts and rising sea levels. Tropical deforestation accounts for up to 15% of net global carbon emissions each year – the same as every car, truck, bus, plane, ship and train on the planet combined.
70,000 acres of tropical rainforests are lost every day.
Studies have shown that halting tropical deforestation and allowing for regrowth could mitigate up to 50% of net global carbon emissions in the next 30 years – yet rainforests are still being cut down at a rate of 70,000 acres a day.
It is our job to protect them.
Why natural solutions are the most powerful in stopping climate change
It wasn’t until recently that scientists figured out just how much nature could contribute to solving the climate crisis.
Nature-based climate solutions provide up to 37% of emission reductions needed by 2030 to keep the global temperature under 2 degrees Celsius – 30% percent more than previously estimated.
This also means that no matter what we’ll invent in the next few years, we’re unlikely to see better carbon capture and storage technology than what nature already provides in the form of forests and grasslands.
WHY THE RAINFOREST TRUST
Rainforest Trust is a charity that is the global leader in rainforest protection. They have protected more than 23 million acres of rainforest since 1988. They are funded in a way that ensures 100% of the money paid to them goes directly to on-the-ground projects – rather than covering costs for the charity – to protect and support indigenous tribes, safeguard endangered species and fight the climate crisis.
We’re proud to share that almost all of our tanneries are certified as LWG Gold. Others are certified as LWG Silver, meaning they’re doing a great job but there’s more work to be done.
FOREVER EVOLVING
Sustainability is a journey, and we’re excited to keep learning. We are committed to making better choices every day across the business to minimise our social and environmental impact and becoming the most responsible version of ourselves.
We’re only small, but have big ambitions, and in the wake of a growing climate emergency every action matters. We need to make more responsible choices, so it's easier for you to make them too. Some critics argue that carbon offsetting does more harm than good by allowing companies to exaggerate or falsify their climate progress.
According to VCMI, carbon offsetting only works if we agree on the rules around integrity. This can only happen in the context of a company's validated, science-based plan to get to net zero.
With ESSEN, we are invested to ensure we both work with high-value carbon credit projects, and to actively reduce our own emissions in every stage.
Therefore, we carefully consider the design, production process and material of each style so they have a greater impact on your wardrobe and a smaller impact on the environment. Learn more about our other initiatives here.
