Six EcoAthletes Champion Olympians Sign On to Letter Challenging Lululemon to Walk Climate Walk

Joint letter: Lululemon should go for gold on climate at the Olympics

Dear Calvin McDonald, CEO of lululemon athletica inc.

As Olympians and Paralympians who care deeply about meaningful climate action, we urge you to accelerate Lululemon’s transition from fossil fuels to clean energy in the supply chain.

We applaud your efforts as Team Canada’s official outfitter to help athletes perform at their best, and we appreciate your charitable support for the next generation of Canadian athletes. But we cannot truly win if the production of our sportswear harms people and the planet.

The IPCC recommends that greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors must be halved by 2030 in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C. So, we’re concerned to see that Lululemon’s carbon footprint has continued to grow over the last three years, while fossil fuels like coal dominate the facilities where you make your products, harming local communities with toxic pollution. Despite this, you have not promised to transition to renewable energy, phase out oil-based materials, or even reduce absolute emissions, leaving you lagging behind other sportswear brands.

We know that sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint. But with just six years – the length of an average major league baseball career – to go until 2030  it is critical for lululemon to set strong, time-bound interim targets for renewable energy in its supply chain, and commit to providing financial support for suppliers in order to mobilize resources and address barriers to the green transition.

As athletes, we understand what it's like to be behind in a competition and to have to overcome extreme obstacles and challenges to make a comeback. The world is behind on climate and is in dire need of a climate comeback. Lululemon, with its strong health, wellness, and green brand image, should be, in the words of the Olympic Motto, moving ‘Faster, Higher, and Stronger” on climate. Setting a measurable public-facing target for increasing the share of renewable energy in your supply chain is the first step. And doing so will be good for Lululemon’s reputation among the sports community.

Rising temperatures and extreme weather are harming athletes' health and threatening the future of our sports. So we are joining thousands of people, from your hometown in Vancouver to the Olympic venues of Paris, to implore you to commit to deep decarbonisation.

Your sponsorship provides crucial and valuable support to Canadian athletes. We are grateful for that support. But we also expect this partnership to reflect our values. That’s why we ask you to use this opportunity and iconic global stage to commit Lululemon to a path of climate leadership. Mr McDonald, will you use your powerful position to advance Lululemon’s climate commitments and dress athletes sustainably, on the podium and beyond? 

EcoAthletes Champion Olympian Signatories

Rhydian Cowley (Team Australia, racewalking)

Heather Fell (Team GB, modern pentathlon)

Tess Howard (Team GB, field hockey

Sára Kousková (Czech Team, golf)

Margo Malowney (Team Canada, beach volleyball)

Etienne Stott (Team GB, canoeing)

Supported by: