Despite all of the challenges the pandemic has caused this year, Endura is excited to announce that it has reached the halfway mark of the first year of the One Million Trees Initiative; and has already planted more than half a million trees in 2020.Indeed, by the end of June 2020, the Scottish apparel brand has planted exactly 619,962 trees in Mozambique, with more are being added every day. These trees not only help to reduce the quantity of carbon in the atmosphere, they also bring significant social benefits for the local community.
“As a company operating on a global level, we are critically aware of their environmental impact and are working on a number of fronts to reduce their footprint. The textile industry is increasingly under the spotlight for its global carbon emissions that are second only to oil– fast fashion has become a dirty term. Endura’s kit, on the other hand, is built to last. Nevertheless, the company recognizes that there’s a lot of work to be done, both across the company and the wider industry. While they have been taking steps towards change– their kit has been PFC-free since 2018, they offer a repair service, and 1% of their net profit goes to good causes– there are much bigger challenges. However, these challenges are about infrastructure which will take years to change and, as the company’s founder and Managing Director Jim McFarlane point out, we do not have the luxury of time. “The one thing we must focus on now is the climate emergency,” he says. “Once the ice caps have melted you’re not going to refreeze them any time soon – that’s the reason for our Million Trees initiative.”
Not only is forest restoration one of the best solutions that’s available today with respect to de-carbonize the atmosphere, reforestation projects also have a huge positive impact on the local community involved in the planting of the trees. Eden Reforestation Projects, who plant the majority of Endura’s trees, reduces extreme poverty and restores healthy forests by employing local villagers to plant millions of trees every year. Not only are jobs and income provided, the locals learn about the importance of the trees for the ecosystems.
The mangrove channels of Mozambique, where Endura’s trees are planted, and those of other coastal areas are the nursery for so many species of the world’s commercial fish, explains Eden Reforestations Projects, and they are very efficient at absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen back for all of us. They also provide important habitats for threatened species of birds and mammals.
Endura is also working on a project closer to home to plant native species of trees in their Scottish homeland. “It’s one world, so we’ll plant trees wherever we can do it quickly, cheaply, and wherever they’ll be protected.” says Endura’s co-founder and Brand Director Pamela Barclay. While the One Million Trees Initiative is a big step in the right direction, there’s no sense of complacency at Endura. “We continue to work hard to drive authentic sustainability across the whole product offering and the business,” Barclay explains, “but our brand has a long way to go.”
Read Endura’s article here to find out more about its One Million Tree Initiative and the other initiatives that the brand is currently working on.
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