What makes a brand ethical? This is probably my most frequently asked question, and it’s always a difficult one to answer. While I could shout out buzzwords like ‘organic materials’, ‘living wage’, ‘slow fashion’ or ‘zero waste’, what really makes a brand ethical is much more all-encompassing. Ethics mean doing what’s right, so to be ethical in my eyes, brands need to have a solid moral compass stitched into their DNA. Doing the right thing – for people, animals and the planet – needs to be the raison d’être of everything they create and consume.
With that in mind, philanthropy is just part of the picture. Take Nordgreen as an example – in addition to ethical manufacturing and community initiatives, their products are designed to last with quality and durability at the heart of their sustainability strategy, helping minimise waste. They also aim to make every aspect of their business carbon neutral by planting trees to offset their emissions and using wind power for their electricity.
“Our commitment to our global community and planet doesn’t end with our current initiatives and partnerships. We realize that to create working solutions, we must do more to offset the impact of our carbon footprint.”
Again, it’s important to remember here that offsetting carbon impact is not the same as reducing carbon impact altogether, and can be a dangerous area for greenwashing and distraction from the real challenge of cutting out fossil fuels from fashion. We can’t take environmental and social efforts in isolation when considering a brand’s ethics – we need to step back and look at the bigger picture, beyond the buzzwords.
Here, I sat down with Nordgreen’s co-founder and CEO Pascar Sivam to discover more about their brand values and why the industry needs a more holistic view of sustainability and minimalism.
