“We want to reduce our emissions in line with the Paris Agreement to reach Net Zero and ultimately become climate neutral within 2030. We know that these are challenging peaks to reach, however, by gearing our products and processes towards circularity and having best-in-class factories – socially and environmentally – these intense paths can be ascended” says Ruth Oberrauch, board member and Head of Sustainability at the Oberalp Group, “and all our brands are contributing towards those goals.”
True to Oberalp’s “people first” approach, the Group has been making sure the people who manufacture products have safe and ever-improving working conditions. In 2022, this resulted in the non-profit organisation Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) awarding the Group “Leader” status for the sixth year in a row.
After having focused many years on the social aspects, 2021 saw the revision of the Sustainability Strategy, and Oberalp recognised that a stronger focus on the environmental impact of their business was necessary. 2022 then saw the beginnings of the implementation of this new strategy: Factories, already committed to continuous improvement of social standards, were engaged to add environmental ones; and the Group developed Circularity Strategy, which will define the future of all product developments. In terms of products, this means increased use of natural and recycled materials, and pilot projects to reduce waste, mainly by finding ways to re-use production leftovers. In terms of Corporate Carbon Footprint, Oberalp decided to tackle first the emissions that were directly under their control.