Asics Corporation has announced its plan to tackle climate change aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions across its operations to net zero by 2050. The company has adopted a strategy to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels in line with the Science Based Targets initiative, a collaboration between the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and environmental associations.
In its core business of manufacturing footwear, the company uses environment-friendly technology called “solution dyeing”, becoming the industry’s pioneer in terms of scale. Used to manufacture a part of its product range at the initial stage, the new dyeing process adds color to the synthetic fiber components in their liquid state before the fiber is actually produced, as opposed to the conventional method of introducing dyes by dipping and washing of fabrics.
“Solution dyeing” helps cut carbon emissions by 45 percent, while water use in the dyeing process is reduced by 33 percent. The company intends to expand the use of technology to more than 50 percent of its production volume, integrating in the manufacturing of all its brands including Asics, Onitsuka Tiger, and Haglöfs by 2020.
In June 2019, the company signed up to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), a framework set up in 2015 by the Financial Stability Board (FSB).
It also supports Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, created by fashion stakeholders under the auspices of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC). Signatories to the charter aim to build a dialogue between consumers and the fashion industry, including sportswear makers, in regard to cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to promoting climate-friendly production processes and materials.
Committed to implementing green standards, the sportswear maker aims to achieve its goal of cutting carbon emissions as the industry’s trailblazer by 2030 as per the Science Based Targets initiative.