Activists protest Lululemon’s Blissfeel running shoe debut over climate change concerns

VANCOUVER, BC — Just times right after preferred athleisure manufacturer Lululemon debuted its new line of functioning footwear, climate activists involved about the company’s contribution to local climate improve from its coal-run factories took the streets in protest on Saturday, March 26, outside the house the company’s Kitsilano shop site in its hometown of Vancouver, B.C. 

A Stand.earth investigation observed that Lululemon’s Blissfeel women’s jogging footwear are created in factories in China exactly where 66{a0ae49ae04129c4068d784f4a35ae39a7b56de88307d03cceed9a41caec42547} of the electric power applied for producing comes from coal, and only 9{a0ae49ae04129c4068d784f4a35ae39a7b56de88307d03cceed9a41caec42547} will come from renewable electrical power. Most countries where by Lululemon’s factories are found depend closely on a coal-powered electrical power grid, which not only leads to inadequate air high quality that harms the overall health of people today residing nearby, but also contributes to world wide greenhouse gas emissions that worsen the results of weather change. 

Amid chants of “break up with coal”, activists hosted an aerobics workshop on Lululemon’s climate failures. Contributors did group stretching exercise routines, traced human footprints on the sidewalk, and spread fake coal in entrance of the retail outlet. Some others held banners reading “Feel Bliss?” with an impression of coal pouring out Lululemon’s new Blissfeel footwear, while close by, one of the shoes crammed with “coal” was put atop a white pedestal. See shots and online video.

“Lululemon’s new line of women’s jogging shoes may be dubbed the ‘Blissfeel’ for how they sense on your toes, but the coal-run production of these shoes is anything at all but blissful for persons and the local weather. This is particularly the case for women of all ages, who typically bear the brunt of Lululemon’s local climate and air air pollution — in particular in nations around the world like China, Vietnam and Bangladesh — where its products and solutions are created,” said Erdene Batzorig, a Vancouver resident and the Electronic Campaigner with the Fossil Absolutely free Style campaign at Stand.earth. (Browse a lot more about Batzorig’s firsthand expertise increasing up with coal pollution in this Ga Straight op-ed.)

The multi-trillion greenback fashion industry’s greenhouse fuel emissions surpass those produced by other polluting industries these as aviation and shipping and delivery, and are envisioned to dramatically boost in the coming decades. In spite of portray by itself as a “healthy lifestyle” model and sustainability chief, Lululemon has nevertheless to commit to eradicating coal from its provide chains, and has finished very small to advocate for the changeover from coal to renewable power in the nations around the world where by its factories are positioned — including Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. Lululemon is notably lacking from joint attemptssigned by other trend brands, including competitor Nike, to stimulate style-generating nations to maximize renewable electricity. 

“Instead of making a state-of-the-art operating shoe that stands out amongst its competition by applying renewable power, Lululemon’s new ‘Blissfeel’ running shoes are expanding the desire for coal, raising the company’s air pollution and local climate impacts, and undermining its mentioned determination to ‘wellbeing’. If Lululemon is serious about advancing the wellbeing of both folks and world, it can start off by shifting its factories off coal, investing in renewable strength, and advocating for the fast changeover from coal to renewables in nations around the world where its factories are found,” said Muhannad Malas, Senior Local weather Campaigner with the Fossil Cost-free Trend marketing campaign at Stand.earth. 

Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald explained as recently as February 2022 that he believes “everyone has the appropriate to be well” in connection with the company’s World-wide Wellbeing Report, but seemingly that belief does not implement to the people today who get the job done in its factories or live around the coal-powered producing of its clothing and footwear.

Track record

For much more than a calendar year, Stand.earth has known as on Lululemon — 1 of the most important, most rewarding, and swiftest developing sportswear brands in the earth — to do superior on local climate improve. In February 2022, Stand.earth criticized the company’s Crew Canada Olympics gear for contributing to climate alter and threatening the incredibly long term of wintertime athletics (See pics). In November 2021, Stand.earth released an evaluation revealing that even with Luluemon’s participation in style field local climate initiatives, and even with its determination to minimize emissions in the coming ten years, the company’s supply chain emissions actually improved in 2020.

Stand.earth’s Fossil Free Style Scorecard released in August 2021 benchmarked 47 prime vogue companies on their endeavours to deal with weather transform. The report broadly failed the style business on its endeavours to handle local weather modify, and gave Lululemon a D- for failing to get meaningful action to function with suppliers to enhance renewable strength use in its offer chain, section out coal use, or advocate for or sourcing renewable energy for its factories. 

Understand more about Stand.earth’s Fossil Absolutely free Vogue Campaign at lulucoal.com.

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Media contacts: 

(On Web site) Erdene Batzorig, Digital Campaigner, [email protected], +1 514 585 9260 (Pacific Time)
(Remote) Muhannad Malas, Senior Local climate Campaigner, [email protected], +1 604 757 7246 (Jap Time)