The fashion footwear company is extending its sustainable commitment by investing in a nature-based project that supports biodiversity.

MONTREAL, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – In 2018, the ALDO Group became the first fashion footwear and accessories company in the world to be certified climate neutral for its corporate stores, offices and distribution centers. In 2019, the company reinforced its environmental commitment by also having eCommerce shipments and product transportation certified climate neutral. In 2020, the ALDO Group carries forward its sustainability journey by continuing to reduce its net emissions and compensating the unavoidable ones through a combination of nature-based forest conservation and clean energy projects.

For the third consecutive year, the ALDO Group received its climate neutral company certification from South Pole – a leading provider of global sustainability solutions and services with a transparent and rigorous certification process.

”We’re thrilled to see the ALDO Group choosing to become a carbon neutral company. The ALDO Group is truly a leader in the industry and their proactive approach to support projects that reduce emissions will undoubtedly inspire others to follow suit, turning climate ambition into climate action,” said Renat Heuberger, CEO and Co-Founder of South Pole.

By purchasing carbon credits from high-impact emission reduction initiatives, the ALDO Group is supporting clean energy projects in India and China (solar power, wind energy and waste-to-energy), as well as a nature-based forest conservation project in the Amazon basin. The latter simultaneously addresses climate change, supports local communities and smallholders, and conserves biodiversity. All carbon credits are sourced from certified projects, ensuring the investment will make the greatest impact.

“The ALDO Group is dedicated to maintaining its commitment to building a low-carbon future. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished since our first climate neutral certification in 2018 – it’s taken us many years of analysis, research and action to get to where we are today – but we know there’s still much work to be done,” said David Bensadoun, CEO of the ALDO Group. “Our sustainability efforts towards fighting the climate crisis are deeply rooted in our company’s purpose: to create a world of love, confidence and belonging. And so, as a global organization, we have a responsibility to do and be better – for our planet, our communities, and our customers. In fact, we want to enable them to choose good because we understand their expectations and what’s close to their heart. We have embedded sustainability in our values and ways of working and thinking of fashion. We also hope to rally industry players to continue to do so or start and join the movement.”

How We Got Here

Since embarking on its sustainability journey in 2013, the ALDO Group’s main goal has been to reduce its carbon emissions and minimize the need to offset unavoidable ones. That same year, the company started calculating its carbon footprint to set itself a baseline and goals for long term improvements. These goals were approved by the Science-based Target Initiative as part of a collaborative effort between CDP, the UN Global Compact, WRI and WWF. Since then, the ALDO Group has steadily reduced its emissions, notably by improving the energy efficiency of its stores and corporate offices, reducing emissions from product transportation and shipments, introducing sustainable materials with a lower footprint, phasing-out single use shopping bags and working with suppliers and industry partners to decarbonize the supply chain.

Collaboration is Key

As a global fashion footwear company, the ALDO Group acknowledges the importance of remaining focused on its climate neutral journey. In the context of corporations, sustainability evolves quickly and requires constant adaptation and flexibility. The ALDO Group knows this calls for close collaboration with industry groups that act as valued partners and counselors at each step of the process. Since the beginning of its sustainability commitment, the company has prioritized collaborations with reputable partners in order to better enable its plan and efforts towards concretely achieving its set of goals.

In an effort to reinforce its long-term commitment and advance its sustainability plan, the ALDO Group became a signatory member of The United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action in 2019. By doing so, the company joined forces with some of the world’s leading fashion brands, retailers and supplier organizations, all acting against climate change. This platform enables the ALDO Group to take part in a working group on decarbonization and GHG emissions reductions with other signatories of the UN Fashion Industry Charter. Earlier this year, the ALDO Group also became signatory of The Fashion Pact – a coalition of retailers and fashion brands working on collective action to protect the world’s climate, and to safeguard biodiversity and oceans. Other current partners of the ALDO Group include the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and The Leather Working Group since 2016, and The Science-based Target Initiative since 2019.

Our Next Steps

Having achieved significant reductions for its operations’ emissions over the past 7 years, the company sees a necessary shift in its sustainability projects. Thus, it is now scaling up its carbon reduction objectives to address its most material issues: from waste management to its positive impact on local communities, from teaming up with partners to improve their social and environmental footprint to promoting diversity and inclusion. After recently launching its first sustainable fashion footwear and accessories collections under brands ALDO and Call It Spring, the ALDO Group aims to continue introducing more innovative low impact materials for its brands. The company’s long-term plan will also imply perpetuating collaborations with trusted partners to remain accountable of its progress and commit to its set goals.

For more information about the ALDO Group’s commitment to sustainability please visit: responsibility.aldogroup.com.

About the ALDO Group

The ALDO Group is a world-leading creator and operator of desirable footwear and accessory brands. With a presence in over 100 countries around the world, the organization operates under two signature brands, ALDO and Call It Spring, and a multi-brand retail concept, GLOBO. The ALDO Group is also an industry-recognized wholesale distributor and third-party sourcing provider of fashion footwear, handbags and accessories. In addition to its head office in Montreal, the ALDO Group has international offices in Europe and in Asia. Guided on a daily basis by its purpose: A journey to create a world of love, confidence, and belonging, the ALDO Group is simply unique. For more information, visit www.aldogroup.com.

About South Pole

South Pole is a leading provider of global sustainability financing solutions and services, with over 250 experts in 18 global offices. For more than a decade, South Pole has worked with a wide range of public, private and civil sector organizations to accelerate the transition to a climate-smart society. South Pole has mobilized climate-finance for over 700 projects in emission reduction, renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable land-use, and has been recognized for its diligent project development and impact quantification approach with numerous industry awards. They currently hold the largest international portfolio of carbon offset and renewable energy projects of any provider in the market. The company’s expertise covers project and technology finance, data and advisory on sustainability risks and opportunities, as well as the development of environmental commodities such as carbon and renewable energy credits. For more information, visit www.southpole.com.

SOURCE The ALDO Group Inc.