More sustainable and fair value chain

Home
Info
Sustainability
More sustainable and fair value chain

We are very keen to have a sustainable and responsible business practice throughout our value chain. Our overall goal is to contribute to positive development in local communities where we operate. Therefore, we work to ensure decent working conditions and labor and human rights, as well as that we continuously explore more sustainable production methods and look at how we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from production.

Due diligence assessments and sustainable business practices

Bergans has been run by dedicated outdoorsmen for over 100 years. We depend on both people and nature. We need natural resources to make our products and people to design, manufacture and distribute them. We make a living from products to be used outdoors by people who enjoy hiking. Therefore, we must contribute to taking care of the people and nature that are affected by our business, for both present and future generations.

For us, having a sustainable business practice that respects people, society and the environment is a prerequisite for running our business. We therefore work continuously and strategically to ensure this.

We are a member of STICA (The Swedish Textile Initiative on Climate Action), where we, together with other players in our industry, have committed ourselves to setting science-based targets for reducing climate emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, reporting annual emissions figures and initiating concrete measures for to reduce emissions throughout the value chain. Read our joint report.

REPORTING TO THE OPENNESS ACT Bergans has been a member of and reported to Ethical Trade Norway since 2009. Through membership, we have committed ourselves to carrying out due diligence assessments based on the UN's Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights (UNGP) and the OECD's guidelines for responsible business. Read our latest report (PDF)

Do you have questions for us about the Openness Act?

Read more about our work with people in our value chain, and then you are most welcome to contact us.

The people in our value chain

As a long-standing member of Ethical Trade Norway, we at Bergans have committed ourselves to work actively with due diligence assessments, and to ensure sustainable business practices that respect people, society, animal welfare and the environment. This applies both in our own business and the entire supply chain. We expect our suppliers and partners to do the same.

By carrying out due diligence assessments, we are better able to prevent, prevent or limit negative consequences on basic human rights and decent working conditions to which our company can be linked directly or indirectly.

Due diligence assessments

Due diligence assessments are considered the international gold standard for good social responsibility. It is based on the UN's guiding principles for business and human rights (UNGP) and the OECD's guidelines for responsible business.

Due diligence assessments are a method that all member companies in Ethical Trade Norway undertake to use. The method involves 6 steps (see picture) where we as a company must carry out our own risk assessments of negative impacts on people, animals, society and the environment, and stop, prevent and reduce such impacts. The measures must be monitored and assessed for their effect, and communicated to those affected. Where our activities cause or contribute to a negative impact on people, society or the environment, we must stop this activity, and we will seek to restore the damage. Where the supplier is responsible for the negative impact/damage, the supplier is also responsible for recovery.

Policy for sustainable business practices

Our "Policy for Sustainable Business Practices", together with our ethical guidelines for suppliers, forms the basis for sustainability work in our value chain. It describes how we work with due diligence assessments; a strategic and risk-based approach that will ensure that we respect and look after people, society and the environment in our own business and throughout the supply chain.

Download our policy on sustainable business practices Norwegian (PDF) | English (PDF)

Ethical Trade Norway

Bergans has been a member of Ethical Trade Norway since 2009. Ethical Trade Norway is a member organization and a resource center for sustainable trade. The purpose is to promote responsible business practices in supply chains so that trade contributes to safeguarding human and worker rights, society and the environment.

As a member, we receive good advice on our work with follow-up of our own value chain from a personal adviser. We also gain increased competence through various courses and seminars, as well as access to good tools and templates. In addition, the network in Ethical Trade Norway represents a valuable source of cooperation with other players in the industry. Together we stand stronger in the face of the challenges we face, and we have more opportunities to achieve improvements when we work together.

We report annually to Ethical Trade Norway about our work with due diligence assessments in the value chain. Download our annual report (PDF) Confirmation of basic level achieved (PDF)

Ethical guidelines for suppliers

Our ethical guidelines for suppliers, the "Code of Conduct", form the basis for cooperation with our suppliers. The guidelines set requirements for labor and human rights, HSE and building safety, chemical handling, corruption and animal welfare. The ethical guidelines have been drawn up in collaboration with Ethical Trade Norway and are based on internationally recognized standards such as the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the ILO conventions.

All our suppliers must sign that they have received and understood the content of our Code of Conduct, and it forms the basis for being approved as a new Bergans supplier. We always visit the suppliers before entering into agreements with them. We follow up the requirements in the guidelines through factory inspections, in dialogue with and through improvement programs together with our suppliers. We have worked with most of our suppliers for many years. We believe that a long-term collaboration based on respect and trust provides the best basis for achieving improvements for both people and the environment.

Download our Code of Conduct for suppliers (PDF)

Training in basic rights

Bergans wants to contribute to creating improvements at the factories that produce our products. A central prerequisite for improvements is that the workers at the factory know their rights and that there is good dialogue between the workers and the management at the factory (social dialogue). Therefore, Bergans has entered into a collaboration with QuizRR, a Swedish company that works with training in basic rights in factories. Three of our factories in China participate in this, and to date 1,375 workers have completed a total of 6,703 training programs on labor rights. We are now planning to expand the training program to additional factories.

More about QuizRR

Suppliers

AND PRODUCERS

Value chains in the textile industry are often long and complex, and go all the way from raw material to finished product.

Bergans does not own any factories, but collaborates with a number of suppliers who have a high level of expertise and competence in the production of clothing, rucksacks, tents, etc. The manufacturers are some of our most important partners, therefore trust and close dialogue are absolutely essential in our work.

For us, it is a matter of course to produce under sound conditions, both in terms of safety, environmental and ethical, nevertheless it can sometimes be challenging to make it happen. To ensure responsible production and decent working conditions, we always seek to enter into long-term collaborations based on clear requirements with regular and close follow-up.

List of our suppliers

Climate and environment in our value chain

The global textile industry, of which we are a part, contributes to significant greenhouse gas emissions and thus to global warming. At the same time, the industry is helping to create increased consumption and thus an increasing amount of waste. We are aware that we are part of the problem, and are therefore ready to take responsibility and become part of the solution.

We at Bergans work actively to reduce our emissions and reduce our negative impact on nature and the environment. At the same time, we offer services that extend the lifetime of our products.

Climate emissions – Mapping, setting targets, initiating measures

Mapping the climate emissions in our entire value chain is a complicated task, and reducing emissions in production is not a job we can do alone. That is why we are a member of STICA (see below), where together with many other players in the textile industry we work to set science-based reduction targets and are allowed to initiate measures to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

Bergans has mapped our emissions using the GHG protocol's division into scope 1, 2 and 3. We mapped scope 1 and 2 for the first time in 2018. Scope 1 represents emissions from means of transport and all buildings we dispose of (shops, warehouse, head office) and scope 2 is all the energy we use. We have already taken several measures to reduce these emissions, including by reducing and improving the car fleet and investing in renewable energy. We buy a guarantee of origin for both our Norwegian and German energy use from hydropower plants. In 2020, we also moved our head office into a new and more energy-efficient building in Asker, close to a public transport hub.

We have by far the largest climate footprint in scope 3, which is from the production of materials and products, as well as transport backwards in our value chain. In 2020, we also mapped these emissions for the first time, in close collaboration with STICA and the other textile players.

Bergans has set itself the following climate goals:

60% reduction in absolute climate emissions by 2025 for scope 1 & 2, with base year in 2018
50% reduction in absolute climate emissions by 2030 for scope 3, with base year in 2020

Together we stand stronger

We know we get greater impact if we collaborate with others. That is why we have chosen to join STICA - The Swedish Textile Initiative for Climate Action. Together with other textile and fashion players based in the Nordics, we work actively to create a more sustainable industry. The purpose of STICA is to support the textile and clothing industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the UN's "Framework on Climate Change" and the Paris Agreement.

The initiative provides a platform where we can collaborate with other members, share and learn about best practice, new solutions and gain insight into climate-specific data and innovations.

Being part of STICA means we have to continuously report our progress to ensure we are on the right track. The initiative holds us accountable for delivering on our climate promises.

Stica will hold us accountable by:

Require that we annually report and publish our greenhouse gas emissions report and reductions publicly

Ensure that we set science-based targets in line with the 1.5 degree Celsius path
Ensure that we constantly set new goals. As part of STICA, we are required to do more than our share before 2050

Save the Seasons

The seasons are the very premise for our outdoor life. Perhaps winter means something extra special to us Norwegians. For many people, going on a ski trip, freeriding or sledding with the children is synonymous with quality of life. At the same time, the changing seasons are absolutely crucial for nature and ecosystems. Climate change threatens the seasons, which in turn means that animals, plants and people are in danger of losing our livelihoods. When the seasons are blurred, there will be consequences for much more than ski trips in the fields.

We believe that our outdoor life and many other activities linked to changing seasons are part of our common cultural heritage. That is why we took the initiative to declare the seasons worthy of protection. Through the "Save the Seasons" campaign, WWF and Bergans and over 10,000 people urged the Norwegian authorities to put forward a demand that the seasons should be included on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Use of better materials

Which materials we choose to use in our products also has something to say about our overall climate statement. Our product developers increasingly choose recycled materials such as recycled down, wool and polyester, which reduces the need for fossil and climate-intensive raw materials. We are also constantly looking for new and innovative materials that can replace raw materials with a large climate impact.

An example is our innovation collaboration with Spinnova. Spinnova is a Finnish developer of innovative technology for the mechanical production of cellulose-based textile fibres. Technologies based on developing textile fibers from cellulose through chemical processes have existed for some time. What makes Spinnova's patented solution revolutionary is that it does not use harmful chemicals in its manufacture, uses little energy and water, and leaves little residual waste. In addition, it is possible to recycle the products back into new textile fiber through the same mechanical process - and get the same good quality.

Read about the Collection of Tomorrow

Read about Spinnova

Use of better dyeing methods

Traditional dyeing of fabrics and materials requires a lot of water, energy and chemicals. This process corresponds to a large part of the climate footprint of textile production. New technologies are constantly being developed, which can help reduce this footprint. Bergans has used the Spindye (solution dye) dyeing technology to dye the recycled polyester in our Stranda ski collection.

Instead of dyeing the finished fabric, the dyeing starts much earlier. Here, the recycled plastic pellets are dyed before they are spun into thread and fabric. A bit in the same way as a hard plastic is colored (the plastic is colored before it is converted into a product). In this way, we save 75% water and 90% chemicals. At the same time, the color becomes stronger and does not fade, because the thread is dyed through.

This technology is currently somewhat more costly than traditional dyeing, and it is slightly less available. At the same time, it requires us to choose a color very early in the process, which can be a risk in terms of selling the products.

Climate compensation

We occasionally also consider opportunities for climate compensation where we are unable to cut emissions. In 2019, for example, we compensated for our Rabot 365 collection. Although it is made from recycled polyester, polyamide and down, has recycled packaging and is transported by boat, we cannot avoid that it affects the environment and climate. Therefore, we calculated the emissions for this collection and chose to pay a climate compensation for the emissions we were unable to cut, with the money going to support a biogas plant in Suzhou in China. As of today, we have chosen not to continue with climate compensation.

A long service life reduces the climate impact

The longer a product's lifetime, the smaller the product's total environmental impact. That's why we make high-quality products that are designed to live a long and active life. We also design our products with repair in mind. We then make it possible for customers to be able to use the products for as long as possible by offering services such as repair, redesign, second-hand sales, rental and subscriptions.

Read about our circular services

Chemicals

Our garments are technically advanced with high functional requirements. Chemicals are necessary for the production of these high-tech materials, but we must have control over the chemicals used in the production and in the finishing of our products. We work actively to avoid the use of harmful chemicals, both for the environment, employees, suppliers and for our customers' health and safety. We also participate in various research projects and other initiatives to contribute to ever better chemical handling and to contribute to the problems surrounding the release of microfibers, such as TMC.

More about chemicals

About The Microfibre Consortium (TMC)

Bicycle-friendly workload

Facilitating employees to choose an active travel route to and from work is more important than ever. With Cycle-friendly workplace, we get guidance and advice on how to best facilitate more people cycling to work. We also carry out an annual travel survey among the employees. Bergan's head office in Asker was certified as a "Cycle Friendly Workplace" in 2022.

Read about bicycle-friendly workplace

Miljøfyrtårn

We are proud that Bergans meets the industry requirements for Environmental Lighthouses and is an officially approved Environmental Lighthouse company.

Miljøfyrtårn is a national certification scheme that sets specific requirements for our environmental work and for environmental management. This gives us concrete and measurable measures. As an environmental lighthouse company, we meet requirements relating to the working environment, energy use, purchasing and material use, waste management, transport and climate emissions. Bergans is approved by a public certifier, and the certificate is valid for 3 years at a time. This scheme is supported and recommended by the Ministry of the Environment.

From 2022, Bergans is certified with the Head Office model, and will continue to certify its own stores in the future.

See our report to Miljøfyrtårn

Read about the Environment Lighthouse

Packaging

The packaging's most important role is to protect and preserve the product all the way to you as a customer. If the packaging is not good enough and the products are damaged, it will constitute a major environmental burden. At the same time, we continuously work to reduce the use of packaging where possible, reuse packaging - and find increasingly sustainable materials in our packaging.

Bergans is a member of Grønt Punkt Norge and Handelens Miljøfond, and participates in larger pilot projects to reduce the use of plastic packaging together with the European Outdoor Group.

Cooperation - sustainability is not a competition

To solve the climate crisis, everyone must play as a team. Both authorities, national and international organisations, consumers and businesses. Sustainability is not a competition, there is no point in reaching the finish line alone. We are faced with such great challenges that we have to look up and work together, pull each other along - towards the same goal. It is not without reason that one of the UN's sustainability goals is cooperation.

Here are some of the networks and initiatives Bergans participates in together with other actors to collaborate on sustainability measures: