lululemon is burning the planet for a pair of leggings

Mai Phan Loi, Bach Hung Duong, Dang Dinh Bach, Hoang Thi Minh Hongare, and Nguy Thi Khanh (recently released) are five environmental defenders that have been arrested on trumped up “tax evasion charges” for publicly advocating for clean air and green energy in Vietnam – a country that is a major hub for manufacturing for fashion and technology. Nearly a third of lululemon’s suppliers are in Vietnam, where cheap labour helps it maximize profits at the expense of people and the planet.

As frontline community members risk their wellbeing advocating for clean energy, big companies like lululemon are driving up the need for coal power and fossil fuel energy to meet their profit goals. That’s why we’re delivering our message directly to lululemon’s HQ before its annual general meeting (AGM) to demand it transition its supply chain to 100% renewable energy.

You can help make this message ring louder in the halls of lululemon HQ by flooding the inbox of its CEO with our action video ahead of its AGM on June 7th. Click here to send a personalized email.

And check out the spoof video we made to send to lululemon.

lululemon’s business is built on a fundamentally extractive colonial model. Taking resources, labour and profit from the Global South, while it sells leggings and holistic wellness values in its shiny glass-fronted stores in the Global North – leaving the coal pollution and the damage behind. lululemon’s emissions increased by 83% (76% without shipping emissions) from 2019 to 2021 yet the company hasn’t offered a solution to cut its ever-growing environmental impact. [1]

lululemon needs to live up to its pillars, “Be Human, Be Well, Be Planet,” by working with its suppliers to transition its manufacturing to clean energy. Coal is harmful to the planet and the thousands of people living day in and day out in coal pollution. We can’t let lululemon get away with sweeping its dire climate and health impacts under the rug.

Even as the company presents itself publicly as an ethical and mindful green leader, it continues to put profit over the well-being of people and planet. We can’t wait on lululemon’s greenwashing and empty promises as the world quite literally burns and communities face dire climate consequences (like the recent heatwaves in Vietnam and South East Asia).

That’s why for the past year, we’ve been pushing lululemon to live up to its values with digital tactics and in person actions all over North America. Together, we successfully pushed iconic brands like Levi’s and American Eagle Outfitters to take climate action and I know lululemon is next.

It will take all of us to push this billion dollar company to change its ways and break off its fossil fuel addiction.

[1] CDP Climate Change, Scope 3 Category 1 Emissions