Conde Nast Pledges To Reach Paris Agreement Targets

Condé Nast is the first media company to join the UNFCCC’s Fashion for Global Climate Action initiative, pledging to reduce greenhouse emissions to reach the Paris Agreement goals.

Condé Nast is also making packaging pledges as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.

The publisher says it will remove nonrecyclable plastics from its products by 2025. 

Condé Nast will also publish its first carbon assessment report in early 2020, and set its own climate commitment targets for the company. 

The publisher says it will use the influence of its brands, which reach more than 1 billion people around the world, to influence climate action.

"We have a responsibility to use the power of those brands to help raise awareness, define terms of change and point to solutions to ensure our audiences and our industry are informed and engaged in taking climate action," stated Roger Lynch, CEO of Condé Nast. "We also have a responsibility to operate our business in the most sustainable way possible. We are committed to measuring and reporting on our progress as we strive to be better global citizens."

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The fashion industry contributes to environmental issues, such as textile waste, water contamination and pollution, according to the company.

“Today, it is the duty of designers, textile manufacturers, fashion houses and fashion journalists to completely re-imagine, re-design and re-engineer how we make and consume fashion,” stated Wolfgang Blau, global COO-international president of Condé Nast.   

“We absolutely must reach the Paris climate goals,” he added. 

Condé Nast will work with industry partners to promote the re-use of clothes and sustainable fashion to consumers.

Launched in 2018, the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment was created in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme. 

In 2019, more than half of Condé Nast’s owned operations began phasing out fossil-based, nonrecyclable plastic wrapping in subscription and newsstand uses. It is opting for recycled and bio-based alternatives. 

Condé Nast plans to do the same for its U.S. publications in 2020.

As of this month, more than 350 news outlets worldwide have signed on to participate in the Covering Climate Now initiative, which was cofounded by Columbia Journalism Review and The Nationto spur the media’s focus on climate change.

A full list of the initiative's partners can be found here.

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