Climate neutral shoes - yes what?
From now on, not only are our products 100% climate neutral, but also our entire company. What does that mean exactly for our shoes and you as a customer? Carl explains it to you in the interview.
Why is it important to you that MONACO DUCK and all products are climate neutral?
As a citizen and as a customer who feels responsible for the decent use of our resources, I expect companies to produce in a fair and environmentally friendly manner. For me, that means leaving as little damage as possible to our environment. The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world. Fashion should be fun, but at the same time it shouldn't cost such a high price - our environment and a sustainable planet. As the founder of MONACO DUCK, it is therefore important to me that we relieve our customers of all worries and shape a certain decency. Our hope is, of course, that the model will work and that other players in the industry will follow suit.
What has changed for work, the team and the products as a result of climate neutrality?
The project itself is a lot of fun. We now know exactly how much dirt we cause, from the way to work to the coffee machine in the office to our materials and transport routes for production. Thanks to climate projects that we support, we can work in a climate-neutral manner. However, the future envisages that we will take one step more by making all of our processes even more climate-friendly and even clearing away the dirt of others, i.e. becoming climate-positive.
And what for all customers?
The number 1 purchase criterion is usually not sustainability or climate neutrality. We primarily sell design and quality. Selling climate-neutral products from a climate-neutral company is part of a casual decency, a lifestyle that we like to embody and our customers like to embrace.
Why did MONACO DUCK choose exactly these climate protection projects?
The decision for the two projects "Stop the plastic flood - marine protection" and "Better power supply and sustainable development in India" was really not an easy one for us, because there are so many great projects and we would like to support them all. Julian has good friends in India and has even been to a wedding there before. Since he was very impressed by this country, it quickly became clear that we definitely wanted to support a project in India. Over 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean every year - an incredible number that shocked us very much. It quickly became clear that we wanted to support this project as the second. You can find out more about this project here.
What is the biggest source of CO2 at MONACO DUCK?
In fact, our products generate significantly more CO2 emissions than our corporate activities. We already have a very low corporate carbon footprint here, but of course we want to reduce it even further. As far as our products are concerned, most of the emissions are actually caused by the raw materials used. So here it is important to always use more environmentally friendly raw materials. This is particularly striking when you consider that the production and processing of wool requires significantly less energy than cotton and synthetic fibers.
Isn't it more important to save your own greenhouse gas emissions than to rely on compensation?
Absolutely! And that's exactly what we do. First you have to know where and how many emissions arise, from the way to work to the office, the materials used and production. You can only save if you know exactly how many emissions are generated where. That's exactly what we do.
How does MONACO DUCK reduce its own CO2 emissions?
We support our employees to come to the office by bike or publicly. The most important thing, however, are the materials used in production, which we are continuously making more sustainable. Not to be forgotten, however, is to avoid overproduction. Up to 30% of the goods produced in the fashion industry are disposed of. Offering high quality for long-lasting products is of course also essential, so the customer does not have to constantly buy new products and throw away products that have been discontinued.
Isn't that all just greenwashing?
Under no circumstance. Julian and I, as well as all employees in the team, are absolutely behind it. If you have any doubts, feel free to contact us at any time or visit us in Munich. We are happy to explain everything in detail and personally!
What are you personally doing to reduce your own ecological footprint?
I travel less, especially by plane. I try to eat more sustainably, so eat less beef and cook more vegan. I also try to produce a lot less rubbish in my private life. When it comes to fashion, I've of course become very critical. As a man I don't have much and only the basic colors like light gray, navy blue, beige and white, but I buy high-quality and sustainable products.
What are other goals in terms of sustainability, environmental and climate protection for MONACO DUCK?
As I said, it is not enough for us to be climate neutral in the long run. We want to be climate positive. The first step for this is that we reduce our emissions to a minimum, so that we only have to offset a minimum through supported climate projects. In the second step, we also want to get rid of the dirt of others, i.e. be climate-positive. We very much hope that well before the EU's project goal, namely to become climate neutral by 2050, it is a matter of course for most companies to work in a climate neutral manner.
