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Olympic athletes call on Lululemon to go for gold on climate

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Several Olympic athletes have signed a joint letter to Calvin Mcdonald, CEO of Canadian sportswear giant Lululemon, asking him to commit to clean energy to address the climate crisis.

Lululemon is Team Canada’s principal sponsor and official outfitter at the Paris Games, which starts next week. The signatories, supported by sports advocacy organization EcoAthletes and climate non-profit Action Speaks Louder, include Team GB Olympic medalists Etienne Stott (canoeing), Tess Howard (hockey) and Heather Fell (modern pentathlon), Rhydian Cowley (Australian Team, race walking) Sára Kousková (Czech Team, golf), and Canadian Olympic beach volleyball player Margo Malowney, who has also penned an op-ed for the Canadian National Observer, published today. The campaign is also supported by Canadian endurance athletes Leanna Carriere and Timm Döbert.

In the op-ed and letter, the athletes have expressed concerns about the severe effects of the climate crisis on their ability to perform and compete at the elite levels of sport. As lululemon seeks to sponsor professional athletes, the signatories emphasize that they want sportswear to align with their climate-conscious values and accordingly ask that Lululemon set an ambitious target for transitioning to clean renewable energy in its supply chain.

According to a recent investigation into Lululemon’s textile supply chain, the brand’s suppliers are not on track to meet climate targets. Greenhouse gas emissions are rising and coal and other fossil fuels dominate the energy mix, with renewable electricity representing a tiny proportion of energy consumption. The research also found evidence of local environmental violations, including air and water pollution negatively impacting nature and local communities in Southeast Asia.

The athletes have asked that Lululemon use the Olympics as an opportunity to commit to a path of climate leadership on the iconic global stage. Almost 4,000 emails have also been sent by sports fans and spectators in a petition asking Lululemon’s sustainability committee to invest in the decarbonisation of its supply chain ahead of 2030.

This comes after the release of a new report that calls climate change ‘an existential threat to sport’ due to the impacts of extreme heat on athletes’ health and wellbeing. The report, crafted with input from world-class athletes, recommends that sports reexamine its relationship with fossil fuel-affiliated companies. According to the report’s co-author, Kaitlyn Trudeau, Senior Research Associate at Climate Central, “The science is clear: There is simply no substitute for reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, which mostly come from burning fossil fuels. We need action at every level and that absolutely includes companies.”

The campaign is also supported by Canadian nonprofit Stand.earth, which recently submitted a legal complaint accusing Lululemon of greenwashing, which is now being investigated by Canadian authorities. Alongside partners Remake and Oxfam Canada, Stand.earth are demonstrating outside the Canadian Olympic Committee’s headquarters in Toronto and at Lululemon’s flagship store in Vancouver this month, asking the brand to stop burning fossil fuels and commit to 100% renewable energy.

Key Quotes

“I am passionate about the potential for both athletes and the sports industry to lead positive change. The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committee has committed to reach net zero emissions by 2040, and Paris 2024 promises to halve the carbon footprint of previous games. To reach these goals, they need partners who share their ambition.”
– Margo Malowney, Canadian Olympian and beach volleyball pioneer

“Our research suggests that Lululemon’s textile manufacturing processes present a threat to the wellbeing of local communities, ecosystems, and the broader climate crisis. To address this, Lululemon must set a public-facing, time-bound target for transitioning towards 100% renewable energy in its supply chain. Athletes no longer want to be dressed in fossil fuels, and sportswear brands like Lululemon must step up to protect the future of sport.”
– Ruth MacGilp, Campaign Manager, Action Speaks Louder

“More and more athletes understand that the apparel industry, including athletic apparel, is responsible for a growing share of global greenhouse gas emissions, and it is not doing nearly enough to make significant improvements on sustainability.”
– Lewis Blaustein, Founder and CEO, EcoAthletes

“We believe the Canadian brand has a real opportunity to become a champion for nature, alongside a growing chorus of world-class athletes who want to protect the future of sport. By investing in the green transition to clean renewable energy across its supply chain, Lululemon can truly make Canada proud.”
– Timm Döbert and Leanna Carriere, Canadian endurance athletes, Wings of Survival

“When Team Canada walks onto the world stage in Paris at the 2024 Olympics, they deserve to be dressed in uniforms that reflect their values. Instead, Lululemon is draping our athletes in oil. Lululemon claims that its leggings help “restore a healthy planet,” but Lululemon has doubled its climate pollution, burned thousands of tonnes of coal, and turned endless barrels of oil into clothing.  It’s not always easy for fashion companies to go green, but being the best isn’t supposed to be easy – just ask the Olympians. It’s time for Lululemon to go for gold, and stop clothing our athletes in greenwash.”
– Rachel Kitchin, Senior Climate Campaigner at Stand.earth

“The fashion industry’s current trajectory is unsustainable and unjust, and Canadian brands must take the lead in driving change. As a prominent Canadian brand and the sponsor of Team Canada’s 2024 Olympic kit, lululemon has a unique responsibility to lead by example in adopting ethical practices.”
Mwangala Matakala, Campaigns Specialist at Oxfam Canada 

Link to the joint letter

Dear Calvin McDonald: Lululemon should go for gold on climate at the Olympics

Signatories:

  • Etienne Stott (Team GB, canoeing)
  • Heather Fell (Team GB, modern pentathlon)
  • Tess Howard (Team GB, hockey)
  • Rhydian Cowley (Australian team, racewalking)
  • Sára Kousková (Czech Team, golf)
  • Margo Malowney (Team Canada, beach volleyball)

Notes to the editor

Action Speaks Louder is a not-for-profit organization galvanizing people around the world to hold major corporations to account for their climate promises. We pressure large, consumer-facing, brand-sensitive corporations to live up to their climate commitments as part of the movement to transform the global energy landscape – dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and boosting renewable energy procurement, whilst creating the political space for governments to increase ambition in the process. 

EcoAthletes is a not-for-profit organization which supports athletes to inspire their fans to join the climate change fight. Over 160 athletes representing Olympic delegations and major league sports teams around the world are EcoAthletes champions, using their platforms to advocate for meaningful climate action.

For any further questions please contact ruth@speakslouder.org +44 07730037721

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