Earth Day 2022: Why Oris are Climate Action Forerunners and Sustainability Pioneers
This Earth Day 2022, we discover how Oris are leading the way in terms of sustainability. Role models for climate action, they are arguably going further than any other watch manufacturer.
With the theme, ‘Invest in Our Planet’, today’s Earth Day Climate Action Summit offers solutions to help deliver the greenhouse gas reductions needed by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement. Additionally, there are hundreds of events taking place all over the world. There is a major focus on encouraging businesses to act now. Earthday.org stress that “sustainability is the path the prosperity”. Also, they highlight consumer power with 45% of Gen Z having stopped purchasing certain brands due to sustainability or ethical concerns.
Oris Sustainability Report
Oris has long aligned itself with environmental projects, producing special timepieces over many years to raise awareness and funds for conservation charities. Also, the company is already climate neutral.
However, in 2022 they took the decision to go much further than that. Recognising that taking action is more important than story telling and ‘greenwashing’, they published their first ever Sustainability Report. The report is the beginning of a project to reduce their carbon footprint by 10% every year, for the next three years. It makes for inspirational reading. This Earth Day, let’s take a look at how Oris plan to do it.
The Oris 3 Year Plan
In partnership with ClimatePartner, Oris have calculated and offset their carbon footprint. In 2019, their global activities generated approximately 2,300 tonnes of CO2. Now the task is to reduce these emissions.
In 2015, the United Nations published the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This was based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals. From eradicating poverty to taking action on climate, the goals provide a basis around which companies such as Oris can build sustainability programmes. Oris’s mission is to meet all these goals.
Sourcing
Mechanical watches are already a highly sustainable product. However, with a focus on sourcing, Oris believes more can be done to reduce their impact. Oris is replacing virgin materials with recycled or upcycled alternatives. From here, they will further reduce their environmental impact by increasing the use of sustainable materials in watches and packaging.
Firstly, the Aquis Date Upcycle utilises recycled PET plastic to make unique dials. Also, Oris has pledged to continue to manufacture the watch as long as there is demand. It’s become a powerful symbol of their ‘Change for the Better’ Campaign.
Secondly, in partnership with Cervo Volante, Oris is utilising discarded deer skins to create sustainable watch straps for the three Big Crown x Cervo Volante models.
Moreover, Oris uses FSC-certified materials for its standard packaging. Also, some boxes are made using a natural, algae-based material or recycled plastic.
Environment
Oris is offsetting its unavoidable emissions via two carbon-offset projects. Firstly, an international clean oceans project called Plastic Bank. Secondly, a wind energy project in the Caribbean. Both projects have links with clean oceans and clean energy which are fimly on Oris’s agenda. Supporting Plastic Bank means each compensated tonne of CO2 prevents 10kg of plastic entering the ocean. With Oris, that amounts to 25,000kg of plastic. Similarly, investment in the wind energy project means around 2,500 tonnes of CO2 have been prevented from entering the atmosphere.
Plastic Bank
Not only are Plastic Bank keeping plastic out of our oceans, they are also creating jobs in some of the poorest nations on earth. Around 13 million tonnes of plastic leaks into our oceans every year. However, much of the problem lies in developing economies, where there is insufficient infrastructure to manage waste in an environmentally responsible manner. At Plastic Bank projects in countries including Haiti, Indonesia, Brazil and the Philippines, people collect plastic waste, which they can then exchange at local collection points for money, food, drinking water or even school fees. In this way, Plastic Bank is building what it calls “a regenerative, inclusive, and circular plastic economy”.
Community
Oris partner Everwave is pioneering practical technologies to clean up plastic from the world’s waters. These include special boats that collect plastic rubbish directly from the ocean. Another partner, #tide ocean material® turns ocean-bound plastic into a premium raw material that can be used in sustainable new products. Moreover, Oris also works with two coral restoration agencies to restore reefs damaged by coral bleaching events caused by rising water temperatures. Also, they are involved in a project to conserve the Wadden Sea, the world’s largest unbroken tidal system. The list goes on!
Hölstein: Closer to Home
At the company’s headquarters in Hölstein, Switzerland, solar collectors now generate 60 per cent of the factory’s electricity. Other practical steps taken include reducing emissions from commuting by allowing staff to work from home 1-2 days per week. The company is also converting to electric and PHEV cars around the world and reducing air travel.
Take inspiration from Oris this Earth Day 2022
Why not take inspiration from Oris for Earth Day 2022 and pledge to take climate action now? Maybe you can think about changes you can make in your own life or at work? Also, money talks. Using consumer power to support sustainable companies has a huge collective impact. Let’s act now to preserve and protect our health, our families, and our livelihoods.
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photo credits:
www.oris.ch
