We’re constantly hearing about carbon claims from big corporations, and while the cynic in us tends to dismiss these for the greenwashing they often are, some big-name brands are genuinely doing good stuff. Here are some of those that get a thumbs up from us in the worlds of carbon, clothes and cars:
Carbon
Microsoft became carbon neutral in 2012, but soon realised that wasn’t enough, and in 2020 pledged to become carbon negative by 2030. While their neutrality relied on carbon offsetting – which essentially pays other entities to reduce emissions or not emit carbon – Microsoft has come around to the science that supports carbon removal, rather than offsetting. We share their view, and are heartened to hear of the additional pledge to remove all carbon the company has ever emitted since being founded in 1975. Stripe, the payment software company, is another brand to invest in carbon removal, taking a strong leadership position by growing an impressive team of climate and carbon removal experts.
Clothes
The outdoors clothing pioneer Patagonia nails its flag to the mast: “Purchasing offsets to get to carbon neutral doesn’t erase the footprint we create and won’t save us in the long run.” In other words, carbon neutrality is not enough, and nor is running their stores and offices on 100% of clean energy, because 90% of their carbon emissions come from their global supply chain. That’s why they are financing energy and carbon audits for their partners, and operate on a transparent Environmental Profit & Loss system that calculates – and shows on every garment – each item's carbon, water and waste costs. By 2025, Patagonia has pledged to only use organic and regenerative organic cotton, and recycled materials such as recycled polyester and nylon.
Cars
While we’re big proponents of choosing public transport over cars, Hyundai/Kia has been making big inroads to the electric vehicle (EV) market, raising the hackles of Tesla in the US. Responsible for the hugely popular electric Ioniq and Kia, Bloomberg has reported that sales of the newest models – the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6 – have outstripped all its competitors this year, bar Tesla. EV car sales are expected to triple by 2025, and while EVs are generally assumed to have a lower overall carbon footprint than petrol or diesel cars over their lifetimes, it’s still worth considering ditching the car, full stop.
For information on how Pinwheel can help you tackle carbon removal, have a look at our inspiring carbon sequestration partner.
