Our promise
We are committed to reaching the targets set within the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. We want to inspire our partners, communities and competitors to do better by setting an example of dedication and resilience to achieve our objectives, with the ultimate goal to become a circular business with net zero emission by 2050.
Our perspective
We create products that will last for all the journeys you’ll set out on, with a real purpose. Our design philosophy is based on durability, timeless aesthetics, versatile functionality, and minimized impact. We understand that no brand can claim to be truly sustainable, but it won’t stop us from playing our part in combating the challenges posed by climate change and social cleavage.
Our most important journey is still ahead of us - our journey to becoming a truly circular business, extending product lifetime, reducing the amount of products needed on any journey, using only renewable energy throughout our supply chain, and enabling a complete repurpose of all our products at the end of their life.
We believe in science-based decisions, industry-recognized certifications, and thorough sourcing processes to select the best materials, minimize the diversity of fibers and components used, and work with the best suppliers. This is how we optimize the impact that our products have on the environment and the communities involved in their manufacturing. One step at a time. Always with a sense of urgency.
In 2019 - our baseline year - Db emitted 6,560 tons of CO2e - the annual footprint of 875 Norwegians. To follow with the Paris Agreement, we need to divide that figure by two by 2030. However, as a young and scaling business in a high-growth phase, we do not believe that we can deliver on that commitment.
We have instead set an intensity target with the aim to divide by 2 our CO2e emissions by kg of product manufactured. Our ambition to decarbonate the supply chain and to relocate part of our production closer to our markets is not fully time set until 2030, so we will keep on updating our yearly targets until 2030 with the same end goal. We believe that by sticking to ambitious goals and initiating the right projects in the early 2020's, we put ourselves on the right path to significant improvements by the end of this decade.
In 2020, we brought our emissions down to 5,435 tons, that reduction being mainly caused by supply chain disruptions during Covid. In 2021, those emissions went almost back up to our baseline emissions, at 6,388 tons in spite of a strong effort made at converting most of our materials to less impactful alternatives. We would love to tell you how we’re doing compared to our other brands, but unfortunately most of them won’t publish their numbers.
What we're doing
Scandinavian design doesn’t follow trends.
The most radical act you can do is buy things worth keeping. We work within the Scandinavian design philosophy of functional minimalism, employing durable materials and trims that offer a long life. To back this up, with offer a limited lifetime warranty on our products to all Db black members.
Same solid product, lower impact.
It starts at the unit level. By redesigning and re-engineering our products, thoughtfully replacing materials with recycled and recyclable alternatives, working with the most responsible suppliers, and transporting them using the lowest impact methods, we aim to significantly reduce our per-product emissions every year.
Reducing our overall company emissions.
While we are reducing our emissions per bag, as a growing company we sell more bags every year. To manage our total Co2 impact, we are exploring new consumer models - like resale, rental and repairs - with the the long-term goal of becoming a truly circular business.
Stand on the shoulders of giants.
We aren’t actually experts on climate impact. That’s why we work with only the leading certification bodies and suppliers to create, track, and measure our environmental performance.
Connecting the dots.
While a perfectly closed loop isn’t a reality today, piece by piece we will get there. We source recycled materials, design for longevity, you can resell your used Db products and buy second hand using our Db Renewed service, and soon you will be able to rent our products too. All of this helps increase the lifespan of our products.
Notorious but necessary
We’re working hard to reduce our impact, but we are still a long way off reaching net zero emissions. While it's not the whole answer, offsetting the emissions we haven’t managed to cut or reduce yet can further lighten our impact.
To do this, we partnered with CHOOOSE and they help us offset the total carbon footprint of every bag we sell on our website by getting involved with different initiatives in our production countries. One example of this is the Song Chung Hydropower Project hydropower project in Vietnam that Db is currently supporting, which is certified by the Gold Standard and the CDM.
What you need to know
Labelling and disclosure should be as important to your product consumption as it is to your diet. We will publish the product’s climate impact on our products from 2022 while we will present our sustainability report with annual progress along with ongoing updates on here on our .com.
