Climate-change commitment is now a must for SOG members
The Scandinavian Outdoor Group (SOG), an association of more than 70 outdoor brands from the Nordic Countries, has added to its membership criteria.
From now on, all SOG members must commit to taking steps to restrict global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Companies without a formal commitment to 1.5 degrees as part of their sustainability strategies will no longer be allowed to members of the group, which has its headquarters in Åre, Sweden. Any existing member that has not yet made such a commitment has until the end of 2022 to introduce one.
SOG said it had decided to introduce this new requirement following the publication of the latest report from the United Nations’ Independent Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). “The report makes it painfully clear,” it said. “The world needs to halve greenhouse gas emissions in just seven-and-a-half years to have a chance to stay below 1.5 degrees, then halve again for 2040 to reach net-zero by 2050.”
It said it had wanted to align SOG membership with “this challenging roadmap” and send a strong message to the global outdoor industry. Secretary general, David Nordblad, said: “We don’t just want to follow but lead the way forward, making sure the planet is safe for generations to come.”
