Carbon Zero

Here at Koa Goods, we're absolutely stoked to be a 100% carbon neutral company. In short, this mean we offset at least 100% of the emissions we produce each year, meaning you can have premium, guilt free garments all year long :)

What is carbon and why are we trying to get rid of it?

To keep it brief and as non-sciencey as possible, carbon is an atom found in Carbon Dioxide which traps heat in the atmosphere and causes our oceans to acidify. These are key contributors to the global warming/climate emergency we're currently facing. Basically, excess carbon in the atmosphere is bad and since the industrial revolution, it's been calculated that humans have increased this level by 47%. 

Although nature removes Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere naturally, for example through growth and burial of plants and algae, it is being emitted into the atmosphere at least 100 times faster than it’s eliminated. We can’t therefore rely on nature alone to handle this problem.

What does it mean to be carbon neutral?

Carbon neutrality means achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be done by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal (usually through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating emissions from society (the transition to the "post-carbon economy")

 For us at Koa Goods, it simply means that we have to offset at least 100% of the carbon dioxide we create. There are two ways we're able achieve this:

1. Carbon Reduction - this is where we work hard to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we produce in our business. We do this by consistently adopting more sustainable practices, for example, switching to compostable cornstarch bags for packaging, using organic materials and encouraging our factories to recycle. Whether it be small or big, every step taken to reduce our own carbon footprint can have huge benefits.

2. Carbon Offsetting - this is where we offset (cancel out) the carbon dioxide that we use through reforestation programs. As trees grow, they absorb and store carbon dioxide emissions that drive global heating. So effectively trees are a phenomenal asset when it comes to tackling climate change and the more we plant, the more carbon dioxide we remove from the atmosphere. The beautiful thing about our reforestation program, is that it employs local people in countries with severe deforestation such as Kenya, Madagascar, Haiti and Indonesia. You can find out more about our reforestation efforts here.