Like you, we’re huge into the outdoors. And right now, the outdoors needs a hand. Climate change is affecting the snowpack, rivers, alpine and wild spaces we love, and it’s our responsibility to help fix it.
MEC is taking serious action to fight the climate crisis. We’re experts in all things outdoor gear – how to make a backpack, what tent stands up to 100km/hr winds, how to pack for a ski trip – but when it comes to emissions, we look to climate experts and science to guide us.
In January 2023, MEC committed to setting business-wide emission reduction targets in line with climate science. In January 2024, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved MEC's targets.
Bottom line: this is a huge step for MEC.
Our targets
We’ve split our targets into scope 1 / 2 and scope 3 so that it lines up with how we measure our emissions footprint.
Scope 1 and 2: direct operations (our stores)
Target: To reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions 55% by 2030 from a 2021 base year, and 90% by 2050.
Scope 1 and 2 includes emissions from our stores and buildings from things like heating, cooling and electricity. “Absolute” means that even if we open more stores, we’ll still work to reduce our emissions.
Scope 3: supply chain (our products)
Target: To reduce scope 3 emissions 55% per sold product by 2030 from a 2021 base year, and 97% by 2050.
Scope 3 is a massive category. It includes the stuff we make and sell, products from other brands we sell, shipping from factories to distribution centres to members, the waste from our operations, how gear is used (e.g., how many times something is washed, how long it lasts), and what happens to things at the end of their life (e.g., landfill versus recycling).
We’ve submitted these targets for validation through the SBTi, and we’ll share an update once this is complete.
Strength in numbers
To meet our targets, there’s hard work ahead. And like any solid expedition, we can’t go at it alone. We’re working closely with the Outdoor Industry Association’s Climate Action Corps, which includes more than 100 companies in the outdoor industry that have a goal of being the world’s first climate positive industry by 2030.
Climate positive means to:
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in line with a science-based target that addresses all scopes
- remove even more GHG from the atmosphere than you emit
- advocate for broader systemic change.
MEC was a founding member of the Outdoor Industry Association’s Climate Action Corps in 2020, and we’re proud to continue working with them.
