Stand.earth Files Anticompetitive Complaint Against Lululemon Over Environmental Claims

Environmental advocacy group Stand.earth announced Monday it had filed an anti-competition complaint with the Canadian Competition Bureau against Canadian fashion giant Lululemon.

The complaint alleges that Lululemon has been misleading customers about its environmental impact.

Lululemon has long presented itself as an advocate for environmental sustainability. However, Stand.earth's complaint challenges this image, stating that Lululemon's business practices do not align with its publicized commitment to being an environmentally positive company.

Stand.earth's complaint revolves around Lululemon's self-proclaimed slogan, 'Be Planet,' juxtaposed with the findings of its Impact Report, which revealed a 100% increase in climate pollution since adopting the slogan.

“Lululemon claims to be 'one planet,' but their own reporting shows they have doubled carbon pollution since they made that claim,” said Tzeporah Berman, international program director at Stand.earth.

“They benefit from a carefully constructed image of sustainability and environmental well-being, and claim to make products that contribute to a healthy environment, but their exponential growth has been based on fossil fuels, from clothing literally made from fracking gas to polluting manufacturing that threaten the environment. health of communities in the Global South. Lululemon's mantra is supposedly 'Be Planet,' when it's actually 'Be Profit.'”

Additionally, more than 60% of Lululemon's materials are derived from fossil fuels, which contribute to climate pollution, cannot be effectively recycled, do not biodegrade, and release microplastics into oceans and waterways.

“Lululemon claims that its 'products and actions prevent environmental damage and contribute to restoring a healthy planet'; However, their products are manufactured in factories that burn coal for energy and in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia, which rely heavily on fossil fuels to power their production,” added Rachel Kitchin, senior climate campaigner. corporate at Stand.earth.

“Despite these claims, some of the company's largest suppliers have not taken clear steps to reduce their negative impact on the planet. I would call it greenwashing. If Lululemon wants its words to ring true, it should immediately commit to eliminating carbon and switching its products from fossil fuels to clean energy.”

As of this month, nearly 50,000 community members have signed a letter urging Lululemon to transition to clean, renewable energy sources for its manufacturing processes.

The filing of this complaint comes amid a global trend of increased scrutiny over greenwashing by large corporations, filed with the federal Competition Bureau in recent months.