Just How Green Are Your Hiking Boots? Industry Aims to Find Out

In a world where it's so hot or dry that no one wants to hike, bike, run or climb, outdoorsy companies like Nike, Patagonia, REI and Timberland will be in deep trouble.

So it makes sense -- and it's certainly about time -- for the companies that sell outdoor apparel and equipment to come up with common standards to measure the environmental impact of their products.

This week, an industry group called the户外行业联盟announced that its members have spent several years doing just that. The companies unveiled "a ground breaking environmental assessment tool" that they call anEco Index，说：

它为整个供应链中的公司提供了基准和衡量其环境足迹的方法，使他们能够确定改进的领域，并做出明智的采购和产品生命周期决策。

It sounds good, doesn't it? The trouble is, the group says it will take a long time for the industry to develop and agree on standards that are simple, reliable and meaningful enough to present them to consumers. In fact, there's no commitment to turn the index into a shopper-friendly tool, the industry says:

该索引的当前重点是internal/supply chain facing tooland not a consumer-facing label. This focus could be revisited in future years.

That's disappointing. It's particularly disappointing because one company --Timberland- 证明可以衡量和报告其产品的影响。碰巧的是，今天（8月3日）召开了一次电话会议，以谈论自己的Green Indexand how it fits into the new industry-wide initiative.

Jeff Swartz, the CEO of Timberland and a leader of the corporate-responsibility movement, said he wants to play nicely with competitors and other retailers, as the industry tries to settle on common metrics. "We can't afford a Betamax-VHS debate," he said. "Harmonization is an imperative."

At the same time, Swartz made clear that he's frustrated by the slow pace of the industry initiative.

Without labels or online data that enable consumers to compare, say, a boot from Timberland with one from Steve Madden or UGG, companies that do the right thing -- whether by eliminating harmful chemicals from their products, using more recycled materials, or putting solar power on the roof of a store -- will struggle to get rewarded for their efforts, which frequently add costs.

This isn't a problem only for Timberland. Patagonia, Nike, Levi's and REI have all undertaken meaningful sustainability efforts.

"Consumers need information that helps them discriminate between brands," Swartz said.

对于通过主流零售商分发的品牌而言，挑战尤其严重，因为那里的销售人员比专业商店中了解或关心可持续性问题的销售人员少。竞彩足球app怎么下载

Said Swartz: "It's very hard for me at Nordstrom or Macy's or places like that to present outdoor product, thoughtfully made, and have the consumer value it."

None of this is meant to suggest the rating products is simple. David Labistour, the CEO of a Canadian retailer calledMountain Equipment Co-op，谁加入了Swartz的电话，即使是一个看似简单的问题 - 是由有机棉制成的衣服吗？使用棉花与聚酯纤维的生命周期影响，在干衣机中需要更少的时间。

Labistour指出，到目前为止，不可能让该行业达成有关产品绩效标准的同意，而这些产品可能会增加消费者的需求。

“巴塔哥尼亚防水外套和北面防水外套有什么区别？”他问。哪个睡袋最温暖？现在，消费者无法知道。

尽管如此，Timberland的绿色指数仍显示了可以做什么。它于2007年推出，衡量了各种产品的影响 - 通过生产产生的温室气体，产品中存在有害化学物质以及使用可回收，有机或可再生材料的使用 - 并使用公式来提出一个分数，以实现单一的分数每个产品。（您可以阅读有关方法的更多信息这里and download a 16-page 2009 report on the Index from Timberland's information-packed website.) Here's a sample label:

How's Timberland doing? That's hard to say because its performance can't be compared to industry norms. During the second quarter of this year, the company's average score was 6.91 on a scale of zero to 10, where lower scores mean a lighter footprint. "It ain't so good, and it's slightly worse than it was this time a year ago," he said. Partly that's because fall and winter products, which are heavier and therefore have a greater impact, are shipping earlier this year. Not until the end of next year will Timberland reach the point where it can apply the Green Index to all of its footwear. "It's very perplexing if you're a consumer," Swartz.

Even more discouraging, there's not much evidence that most consumers care all that much about the environmental impact of the things they buy. I'm at the beach in Delaware this week and, I swear, 80 percent of the vehicles here are minivans or SUVs, EPA mileage ratings notwithstanding.

"I don't think we can rely on consumers," said Labistour.

And yet–there are reasons to be encouraged as the outdoor industry, along with others, stumbles gradually towards standards and metrics.

大多数消费者可能不在乎，但是越来越多的年轻购物者会喜欢。在Timberland和Rei等公司工作的人们也是如此。其他压力来自沃尔玛等主要零售商，sustainability consortium，来自UL环境的新计划and Greener World Media. (SeeThe Business of Rating Business）Good Guide是朝正确方向迈出的又一步。

Bottom line: We're closer than ever to the point where shoppers have access to simple, meaningful and reliable information about the sustainability of the things they buy. That's got to be a good thing.

Greenbiz.com高级作家Marc Gunther是一位长期的记者和演讲者，其重点是业务和可持续性。竞彩足球app怎么下载Marc维护一个博客MarcGunther.com. You can follow him on Twitter@marcGunther.

有关ECO指数的进一步新闻报道，请参见Jonathan Bardelline的文章“Levi's, Outdoor Industry Join Forces for Product Footprint Tool."