Columbia is not a member of the UN Fashion Charter; it does not have a coal phase out or renewable energy targets, and provided very limited transparency into either its own operational emissions or supply chain emissions in its most recent reporting. Columbia reports working with a small number of its main suppliers to assess their carbon reduction potential and draft decarbonisation plans. It has worked with some of its Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers on the Clean by Design (CbD) program, which is a positive sign of progress. Columbia has made some efforts to reduce the climate impact of its raw materials, including sourcing 100% organic cotton and banning the use of leather obtained from deforestation in the Amazon. However, it relies primarily on fossil fuel based polyester and has made very limited efforts to improve circularity. Columbia should focus on improving its transparency, and committing to increase renewable energy in its supply chain by broadening its supplier engagement.
Total Score
Emissions
About the Scorecards
The fashion industry is responsible for 2- 8% of global emissions but are fashion brands doing enough to tackle their growing climate impact? The updated 2023 Fossil Free Fashion Scorecard analyses 43 fashion companies on their climate action.
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GHG emissions:
Columbia has not set an emissions reduction target for its own operations.
Columbia has set an emissions reduction target for its supply chain of 30% reduction by 2030 from a 2019 base year. This target is not in line with the 55% reduction required to keep warming below 1.5°C.
Renewable energy:
Columbia has not set a renewable energy target in its own operations or for its supply chain by 2030, which is essential for decarbonising its manufacturing.
Coal phase out:
Columbia has not publicly set a target to phase out coal-fired boilers from its supply chain by 2030 to reduce air pollution and cut emissions.
GHG emissions:
Columbia does not publicly report GHG emissions in its own operations, or its supply chain. The company does not provide a full breakdown of its Scope 3 emissions. The company has released GHG emissions in the past, as recently as 2020, but fails to show transparency in its most recent sustainability reports.
Energy use:
Columbia does not publicly report its energy use for its own operations and it does not provide a breakdown of its renewable energy use and how that energy is sourced.
For its supply chain, Columbia does not publicly report its energy use, and it does not provide a breakdown of its suppliers’ renewable energy use and how that energy is sourced.
Suppliers:
Columbia provides a partial supplier list to Tier 1 or 2.
Columbia does report providing its suppliers with training and resources to help them make energy efficiency improvements, including an engagement and education campaign where 100% of Scope 3 suppliers are involved. Columbia does appear to provide its major suppliers with financial incentives for energy efficiency measures, and does not require them to make energy savings as a condition of contract.
Columbia does not require suppliers to reduce thermal coal demand in their manufacturing processes.
Columbia does report providing some of its suppliers with training and resources to help them transition to renewable energy, including working with five strategic Tier 2 manufacturing partner facilities in China, India, and Vietnam to assess carbon reduction potential through the Carbon Leadership Project. The company does not report providing financial support or incentives, but does finance projects to support major partners to work with Aii and Reset Carbon to draft transition plans. It does not require suppliers to use renewable energy as a condition of contract.
Columbia does require its Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers to disclose GHG emissions data but does not require them to set GHG emissions reduction targets, and it does not require suppliers to provide facility level data via the Higg Index.
Columbia has not made any commitments to phase out fossil fuel based materials.
Columbia has made a public policy to ban the sourcing of leather from the Amazon Biome, but Columbia was found to be at high risk of sourcing leather from deforestation in the Amazon Biome according to the Nowhere to Hide report.
Low-carbon materials:
Columbia has not committed to increasing closed-loop apparel-to-apparel recycling for synthetics and plant-based materials. Columbia has committed to reduce the impact of its raw materials sourcing by switching to organic cotton or cotton sourced from regenerative agriculture by 2030 and currently uses 100% organic cotton. However, the primary material used by Columbia is polyester.
Increasing circularity:
Columbia is not making discernible efforts to increase circularity and address overproduction by policies to improve the repairability, resale, durability and recyclability of its clothes, although its Mountain Hardwear does have a take back and repair program (ReMake) in Richmond, CA.
Columbia does publicly report its material mix, but it does not report the volume of materials. It does not report its volume of deadstock or how it manages or disposes of its deadstock to reduce waste.
Columbia does not report its shipping emissions annually, does not provide a breakdown of its transportation methods, and does not have a target to reduce GHG emissions from transportation.
Columbia does not have a policy to avoid aviation and commit to slower shipping methods such as maritime, rail and land. The company also does not report having a near-term plan to ship its cargo via cleaner methods.
Columbia has not committed to transitioning to zero emissions vessels (ZEV) by 2030. The company has not used its voice publicly to advocate for Zero Emission Shipping.
Columbia has yet to commit to transitioning its last mile delivery to zero emission vehicles.
Columbia signed a statement of mutual aspiration encouraging the government of Indonesia to accelerate a renewable energy transition to achieve at least 50% RE energy mix by 2045, but should take a more active role in promoting renewable energy throughout its supply chain.