First, we started by working with The New Zealand Merino Company’s regenerative wool program, ZQRX, to source M0.0NSHOT’s wool from Lake Hawea Station.
Second, we calculated the specific farm-level carbon footprint of Lake Hawea Station. The organizational carbon footprint that forms the starting point for the allocation was developed independently of this project and verified by Toitū Envirocare, a New Zealand-based B Corp and carbon certification business.
Then, we collaborated with The New Zealand Merino Company to translate this farm footprint into a product-level wool material carbon intensity for M0.0NSHOT.
This new wool carbon intensity is used to calculate the product’s carbon footprint using the Allbirds Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Tool, with modifications. The initial Allbirds LCA Tool was third-party verified against the requirements of ISO 14067, which specifies principles, requirements and guidelines for calculating the carbon footprint of a product.
The carbon footprint of M0.0NSHOT accounts for on-farm carbon sequestration, in addition to emissions, which is a deviation from standard industry practice. As a result, the calculated carbon footprint for M0.0NSHOT, unlike Allbirds’ standard products, is not fully aligned to ISO 14067.
However, Allbirds believes this wool carbon intensity value captures a more comprehensive model of the total emissions fluxes happening on-farm.
“Our imperative from day one at Lake Hawea Station was to demonstrate that farming can be part of the climate emergency solution. With our native reforestation projects and planting we sequester almost twice what we emit. On the other side of the ledger, we consciously reduce emissions. Lake Hawea Station is deeply committed to farming regeneratively, investing significantly in enhancing our biodiversity and have introduced new animal well-being programs and hydro and solar infrastructure. It is fantastic to work with a brand at the other end of the supply chain who shares our regenerative philosophy and values around climate action,” says Finn Ross, Lake Hawea Station.