What is Cubus doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

As greenhouse gases increase in the atmosphere, they trap heat, causing the global average temperature to rise. Dipankar Bose, Global Environmental Manager at Varner, explains why this is a problem and how Varner, the owner of Cubus, works to reduce the textile industry’s impact on global warming.

Loss of biodiversity, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels, which in turn affect food production—climate change is a major concern for several reasons.

“At Varner, we are not only trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which will help mitigate global warming, but we also need to try to reduce total energy use and increase the share of clean, renewable energy,” says Dipankar.

3 Main Areas for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

“Varner is among those mapping their emissions,” Dipankar explains.
Cubus is owned by Varner. All Varner-owned chains and partner factories are included in the calculation, providing a good idea of the scope of emissions. Afterward, science-based reduction targets will be set, showing how much Varner is contributing to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.

“So now we have a baseline that represents our emissions—we know how large it is, and we have a target. The measures to achieve the goals are implemented through a reduction roadmap. In this roadmap, we have identified three main areas,” the expert explains:

Our Material Usage and Related Emissions

“The first area we focus on is preferred materials, which have lower emissions and a smaller environmental footprint. If fewer resources are used in the production of the final material, it is more sustainable because, in many cases, energy is used in the process of making the materials, directly and indirectly, from farming to dyeing fabrics. Everything uses energy and resources, which have a climate impact.”

“Examples of preferred materials include recycled cotton, which has lower emissions than regular cotton; recycled polyester, which has lower emissions than regular polyester; and EcoVero viscose, which has lower emissions than regular viscose.”

Materials account for the majority of Varner's total emissions.

The Factories Producing the Garments

Varner has more influence over the factories producing the garments than the ones that, for example, make the yarn or textiles.

“The factories producing the clothes are direct suppliers, which makes it possible for us to work on energy efficiency and shifting toward sustainable energy sources,” Dipankar explains.

“If the factory relies on fossil fuels, such as coal, we explore the possibility of running the factory on solar energy or the possibility of purchasing renewable energy from the local grid.”

The factories producing the clothes represent the second-largest portion of Varner’s total emissions.

Transport, Energy Use in Stores, and Packaging

The third largest source of emissions relates to transport, energy use in stores, and packaging. Negotiating with transport partners to switch to increasingly more sustainable fuels is part of the environmental experts' job at Varner.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy on air freight. It has long been a policy at Varner to prefer sea transport over air and rail over road transport, when possible,” the expert explains.

“In terms of energy use in stores, the average emissions from Varner stores are lower than in many other countries. The Nordic energy mix we use today also has much lower emissions in comparison. This is why we first look at reducing total energy consumption,” Dipankar explains.

“However, this may not be enough to reduce our emissions, as the energy use in our stores is already highly efficient. Together with the departments responsible for store maintenance and concept development, we are looking at the possibility of switching to certified energy sources. We have also initiated efforts to reduce the packaging footprint,” adds the environmental expert.

FUTURE-ORIENTED: Varner’s supplier, the Kashion Industry Co., Ltd factory in Ningbo, China, has installed solar panels on its roof as part of its shift toward renewable energy.
Photo: Jeeby Ma, Varner Environmental Specialist, China.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions – A Long Road Ahead

There is a large gap between innovation and investment, Dipankar explains:

“We are not big enough to influence decision-makers, so Varner alone cannot bring about the major decisive changes needed in the textile industry. We rely on local authorities in the production regions, or national governments, to recognize the need and support the industry’s shift toward renewable energy. If the infrastructure and incentives in the production countries do not align, it is challenging to switch to renewable energy in all factories. Nevertheless, we are aware of our responsibility and are working purposefully and optimistically toward change, step by step,” concludes the climate and environmental expert.

Do you want to learn more about how Varner works with clothing production, the environment, and sustainability? In our 2023 sustainability report, you will find everything you need to know and more.

If you have other questions about how we work with sustainability, you can also send an email directly to sustainability@varner.com.