September 1, 2018 Just Climate? This Brand Assessed EVERYTHING

Carbon Footprints may be a good start, but the Swedish outdoor brand Houdini’s new sustainability report takes it to the next level, outlining a total of nine of its impact areas using the novel Planetary Boundaries Assessment model.

Swedish outdoor brand Houdini is the first company in the world to assess its environmental impact based on the Planetary Boundaries Assessment. This model builds upon research presented by Johan Rockström and his colleagues at the Stockholm Resilience Centre back in 2009.

In the report, the researchers highlighted nine environmental factors and by establishing limits for how much impact each factor could withstand, they illustrated the safe area within which humans can operate.  Exceeding these boundaries risks causing a cascade of undesirable environmental effects that are impossible to undo.

The assessment was performed by the non-profit organization Albaeco, who reviewed Houdini’s environmental impact over the course of one year based on all nine boundaries: climate change, novel entities, stratospheric ozone depletion, atmospheric aerosol loading, ocean acidification, biogeochemical flows, freshwater use, land-system change and biosphere integrity. The result is a much more holistic footprint assessment than the type of sustainability reporting that single-mindedly focuses on only one or two areas, often at the expense of others.

For Houdini and its CEO Eva Karlsson, the report is an important tool: “It’s Houdini’s mission to not just limit our negative impact on the planet, but to have a long-term positive influence – the Planetary Boundaries Assessment is a key foundation for that ambition.”

Photo: Stockholm Resilience Centre