Climate and Air
Climate and Air
Climate Ambition
In 2015, the Paris Agreement fixed a minimal objective in order to maintain the global temperature increase below 1.5°C. Since the launch of the VoltAIRe programme, Zadig&Voltaire’s has always been to play a role, at its level, in achieving this target.
To this end, the brand wanted to define its objectives in accordance with scientific recommendations made by COP21, by joining the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi).
The SBTi is a coalition of four institutions - the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), United Nations Global Compact, World Resource Institute (WRI) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) - which strives to define and promote best practices in order to fix climate objectives based on scientific recommendations and independently assess companies’ objectives.
In May 2023, Zadig&Voltaire’s ambitious climate objectives for 2030, aligned with the 1.5°C target, were verified and approved by the Science-Based Target Initiative (SBTi).
The latter are aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and their validation constitutes an important step in our continuous commitment to play a role in combating climate change at our level.
In accordance with the objectives approved by the SBTi, Zadig&Voltaire is committed to:
• reducing by 46.2% the absolute greenhouse gas emissions of its Scopes 1 and 2 by 2030 compared to the reference year 2019, and to increasing its annual renewable electricity supply from 0% in 2019 to 100% by 2030;
• reducing by 55% per euro of turnover the GHG emissions of its Scope 3 from goods and services purchased, as well as transport and distribution upstream, within the same time frame.
Assessing Impact
In 2021, an external expert assessment of the brand’s overall carbon footprint was the first step in defining our ambition and developing our strategy around climate change. Updated at the end of 2022, this measure confirmed the major role played by raw materials, in particular in our CO2 emissions, which represent almost 90% of our impact. In 2022, Zadig&Voltaire’s total CO2 emissions amounted to 212,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent
SCOPE 1: Direct emissions related to power consumption on our sites (stores, offices, etc.)
SCOPE 2: Indirect emissions related to the purchase and consumption of electricity on our sites (stores, offices, concessions)
SCOPE 3: Other indirect emissions related to all activities with the exception of our operations – supply chain: production of raw materials, manufacture, transport, generation of waste, work-related travel, care and product end of life etc.
Climate Strategy
100%
renewable energy
100%
of stores equipped with full LED
100%
of products aligned with Zadig&Voltaire Sustainable Product standards
Specific programmes and initiatives in order to reduce emissions related to the brand’s direct operations: priority given to green energy as well as energy conservation and efficiency in stores
Roll-out of the Green & Efficient Energy Programme on Zadig&Voltaire sites
This programme strives to gradually move towards a renewable energy supply for all sites of the global Energy-climate programme launched in Europe, the United States and Asia, seeking to roll out energy conservation and efficiency measures.
At the end of 2022, 100% of our sites in France and 25% of our stores in the United States were powered with green energy and the measures of our energy efficiency programme were rolled out.
100% of new stores and renovated stores are equipped with LED lighting. A transformation programme for existing stores is in progress. At the end of 2022, 100% of stores in China and 60% of stores in the USA were equipped with full LED. An audit of equipment in existing stores is in progress in Europe in order to roll out the approach.
Establishment of Sustainable Store Standards
In 2022, the brand formalised its Sustainable Store Standards, defining measures to implement to ensure effective management of waste produced by stores, with a view to their recycling, to ensure alignment with the Zadig&Voltaire Green & Efficient Energy programme and its policy concerning the materials used when designing stores or store furniture.
Rolling out of Zadig&Voltaire’s Sustainable Products & Packaging Standards
These standards seek to reduce the environmental impact of the brand’s collections, both in terms of raw materials and the manufacturing process.To this end, Zadig&Voltaire implemented a programme to overhaul sourcing, use 100% key raw materials from sustainable channels by 2025 and gradually incorporate this requirement into all of its specifications.
At the end of 2022, 50% of all materials used to make the collections were also certified vs. less than 1% in 2021.
To go even further with this approach, Zadig&Voltaire is incorporating an increasing number of certified products throughout the supply chain, guaranteeing the implementation of particularly rigorous practices at all stages. For example, 65% of the Jersey collection was certified based on the organic textile specifications (material, dyes, printing techniques, traceability) for the entire supply chain.
Committed to helping preserve air quality and in addition to the certification of materials and products, Zadig&Voltaire pays particular attention to the use and management of chemicals in its supply chains. The brand joined the Leather Working Group (LWG) in 2021 and only uses leather from tanneries certified by this body, based on their practices regarding chemicals and the environment.
In order to go over and above the EU’s REACH regulation, which is extremely demanding when it comes to the use of chemicals, we developed standards formalised in an even stricter pRSL (Product Restricted Substances List) document which we are gradually deploying among our suppliers.
Supporting the circularity of materials
The Zadig&Voltaire teams are working hard to increase use of recycled or regenerated materials in our collections and packaging- Our iconic Japanese satin is now made from 60% recycled fibres.
• All of our trainer soles are made from 30% recycled materials
• We are gradually increasing the use of regenerated cashmere in our knitwear collection
Zadig&Voltaire is rolling out its policy regarding the use of zero virgin plastic from fossil fuels and increasing use of recycled or biobased materials for packaging. 100% of polybags used by the brand are made from biobased or recycled and 100% recyclable materials. 100% of paper/cardboard packaging used by the brand is manufactured using certified fibres from sustainably-managed forests and recycled fibres, with up to 60% for shopping bags and 75% for e-commerce boxes.
Reducing the impact of transporting products
Zadig&Voltaire has entered into initiatives with the brand’s logistics partners in an effort to reduce use of air transport and gradually move towards less polluting means of transport and distribution in all regions of the world whenever possible.