The European Outdoor Group (EOG) has announced substantial success in the supply chain decarbonization Project (SDCP), which is assisting in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing renewable energy usage within the outdoor industry supply chain.

The supply chain decarbonization Project (SCDP) is a pre-competitive collaborative initiative that has already attracted active participation from ten big companies during its pilot phase. It is part of the EOG's larger Climate Action Programme.

The SCDP program, which began in early 2021, is divided into three stages. The first was a mapping study of the brands' top tier 1 and 2 supplier networks, which revealed that the facilities utilized by the companies involved are quite similar. The second stage, which is now in progress, is enlisting the help of an outside partner to conduct facility audits and identify GHG emission hotspots. The last step will see the participating organizations working together to support and fund each other.

Brands involved are collaborating with their shared suppliers, engaging in peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, and taking concrete steps toward the industry's decarbonization.

Working together in this way, according to SDCP, should allow companies to significantly reduce their individual financial outlay per facility intervention, potentially encouraging less experienced or financially constrained companies to participate in similar supply chain facility improvement projects.

Dr. Katy Stevens, head of CSR and sustainability at the EOG, said that what they are doing here is unique, and it really shows the value of the EOG as a facilitator, because the brands would not be willing to disclose the information to each other, but are happy to do so to the association as a neutral body. They're aware that their brands work with the same suppliers, and we see SCDP as a great way to leverage change.

Stevens added that they expected to observe some overlap in the suppliers employed by different brands, but they were blown away by the extent of it. This was solely from their top 15 suppliers and only from ten brands. If they can spread this program throughout the industry, there will be a lot more cross-pollination, shared experiences, and even more cost-effective potential for collective decarbonization.

Verity Hardy, sustainability project manager at the EOG, said that by addressing sites jointly, their brands may have a stronger influence in whether infrastructure or technological upgrades are done at each plant, and be viewed as trailblazers in tackling GHG emission reduction. Rather than waiting until European regulation forces companies to act, they are working to make the outdoor industry a proactive and proactive part of the solution.

Hardy, said that this project provides an excellent foundation for organizations to work together to combat climate change. The complexity of textile supply chains necessitates creative problem-solving to address the problems of decreasing the environmental impact of the commodities produced and marketed. SCDP not only provides a space for companies and networks to work together to make improvements in the supply chain, but it also serves as a fantastic example for other organizations and networks.