SUSTAINABILITY
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Corporate Responsibility
Environmental and ethical concerns are at the top of our agenda. In accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement, we aim to drastically reduce our carbon emissions by 2025 - an ambitious goal based on scientific research.
To achieve this, we continually measure our environmental footprint in order to understand its impact and, in turn, reduce it. That means obtaining facility-level data from our suppliers, so that we can carry out an accurate climate calculation. The result then allows us to pinpoint areas of improvement that will reduce our footprint.
With time, sustainability will be integrated into every aspect of our business. Our ultimate goal is to minimize our environmental impact and grow in a sustainable way.
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Our Pledge
We have divided our goal into three phases. For Scope 1 and 2, we aim to reduce our carbon emissions by 80% by the end of 2025, meaning all internal operations will be run on renewable energy. For Scope 3, which represents 99% of our global emissions, we will push for a 30% reduction of emissions per product.
Read more about our efforts to reduce emissions in our Sustainability Report
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Traceability
Traceability is at the core of our sustainability objective. By continuously gaining more knowledge about our supply chain, we are able to select which solution or supplier will help us meet our reduction targets.
Our 2022 Carbon Footprint showed us that approximately 23% of our suppliers source over half their energy from renewable sources. It also showed that approximately 90% of our purchased leather in 2022 was sourced from Leather Working Group Gold Certified tanneries. This knowledge is essential in benchmarking and goalsetting for future collections. It gives us insight into best practice when it comes to production which in turn allows us to make alternative design choices to reduce our carbon footprint.
A large portion of our manufacturing takes place in Portugal, where we have a local sourcing office with 5 Axel Arigato employees. Being present at the heart of our production means we are able to create a more engaged partnership with our manufacturers, one that centres on prosperity.
Materials
Our goal is to continue growing without applying additional pressures on the environment. We are constantly researching innovative materials that will maintain the quality of our products and have a low impact on the planet.
Leather
In our footwear, all our leather is Leather Working Group (LWG) certified and rated either Gold or Silver. This means that we are able to trace the origin of the leather, down to the raw hide, and that the tanneries are audited based on their environmental compliance and performance capabilities. It also ensures that the working conditions in the production units are ethical and environmentally friendly.
Cotton
80% of the cotton yarns used in our Spring/Summer 2022 collection are Organic.
Recycled Polyester
We are proud to be using SEAQUAL INITIATIVE in a range of our products. The community’s SEAQUAL® YARN is a 100% post-consumer recycled polyester thread. It is made up of approximately 10% Upcycled Marine Plastic and 90% post-consumer PET from land sources.
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Drop Of The Week
Through our ‘Drop of the Week’ business model, we continue to keep our initiatives at the heart of what we do. With the help of our global community, we are able to encourage buying better and smarter.
The ‘Drop of the Week’ format helps us to maintain healthy stock levels, not forcing our buying department to push inventory that exceeds market demand. Thanks to our suppliers, there is no need for us to place material orders that exceed production levels.
“ Axel Arigato has always been and will always be encouraging diversity in all forms. The vision for the company is to create a platform where ideas and people can grow and prosper.“ - Marie Fall, People, Culture & Diversity Director at Axel Arigato
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Our Community
In the interest of health and safety, we have set a Code of Conduct to ensure a high standard of working conditions. These requirements include but are not limited to fair wages and working hours, the right to a trade union, and a ban on forced and child labor. We also have a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination of any kind, bribery, and corruption.
“Without them, the company wouldn’t have results, so why provide them with poor conditions or bad wages? It simply doesn’t make sense.” - Supplier of Genesis Sneakers
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