Columbia Sportswear

Columbia appears to heavily rely on high emissions and/or synthetic materials while also using some lower emissions materials. It uses materials that have certifications from RDS, LWG, and Bluesign. Commons couldn't find any stated plans to increase low emissions materials and/or decrease synthetic materials. We expect more action and accountability from large brands with outsize influence.

Columbia's parent company, Columbia Sportswear Company, shares information on its overall energy strategy. It has started to incorporate renewable energy to power its production sites and corporate offices. It has general targets for expanding its use of renewable energy. It implements general energy efficiency measures in its production sites and corporate offices. It doesn't share information on its energy use or efficiency measures in its storefronts. Columbia sources and manufactures its materials globally, which is standard practice in the textile industry.

Columbia doesn't appear to have made efforts to minimize the amount of material used in its packaging. Its parent company discusses packagining initiatives at other brands, but not at this brand. Commons couldn't find information on this brand's packaging materials. We assume larger brands still have the standard practice of plastic packaging and excess waste.

Columbia offers free under warranty repair options, including: send-in for repair. Columbia offers a 1-year warranty on some items, including footwear, and a limited lifetime warranty on outerwear. It gives basic care instructions that can help extend product lifespan.

Columbia has a take back program called Rethreads. This program accepts any brand's clothes, shoes for resale or downcycling. Columbia shares details on how successful this program is at diverting certain items from landfills.

Columbia offers some products across multiple seasons but also releases new items seasonally each year.

Commons is still evaluating this brand's marketing emails.

Columbia has a sustainability page with high-level details on its climate strategy, but this page is hard to find on its website. Its parent company, Columbia Sportswear Company, publishes annual reports, with limited, high-level information on initiatives and impact. Its last annual report was published in 2023, but was missing many of the disclosures and data points included in previous reports.

Columbia's parent company, Columbia Sportswear Company, previously measured its emissions, but doesn't currently share its findings. The last report was in 2022, but only included scopes 1 and 2. The company has never disclosed its scope 3 emissions, which are estimated to be 95% of its footprint. We expect from transparency and accountability from large brands.

Commons couldn't find emissions reduction targets for this brand. Larger brands have an outsized impact and responsibility to reduce their emissions, and Columbia Sportswear Company investors have recently pushed the company to set targets extending to scope 3. Commons couldn't find evidence that this brand offsets any emissions.

Columbia's parent company, Columbia Sportswear Company publishes information about its supply chain partners, disclosing their names and locations across Tier 1 (final production manufacturing), Tier 2-3 (materials and packaging sourcing). It traces some of its supply chain, but doesn't comprehensively share its findings. It publicly shares a supplier code of conduct, which ensures the right to collective bargaining, prohibits forced labor, prohibits child labor. Its code of conduct doesn't disallow unauthorized subcontracting, ensure a living wage, establish grievance mechanisms, or include clear environmental clauses. Columbia Sportswear Company doesn't have a stated policy of regularly auditing its supply chain partners. This may increase human and environmental risks.