Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer, and retailer, Uniqlo made a renewed pledge on Monday for zero greenhouse emissions by 2050, reinforcing sustainability as the cornerstone of their global retail and sourcing operations,

Uniqlo has named a short, recognizable, and lovable cartoon, Doraemon as the global ambassador for sustainability and has revealed a green logo to highlight its dedication towards sustainability.

At a press conference, the anime robotic cat which is known for his blue avatar in countless shows, movies, and events, was presented on stage with a marked difference. The color was changed to green i.e. sustainable Doraemon.

This Doraemon is presaging a leap forward, although Doraemon in the manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko Fujio travels back in time from the 22nd century. Time Asia hailed Doraemon as an ‘Asian hero’ in 2002 and since then it has lost none of his charms. 

Talking about the new partnership, he greeted everyone and told them that he is now green. He will do his best as Uniqlo’s global sustainability ambassador to help create a much brighter future. He said he wanted to work with everyone so that they can make people everywhere more interested in the future of our world.

Doraemon joins a stable of other well-known Uniqlo global ambassadors including Kei Nishikori, Roger Federer, Gordon Reid, Ayumu Hirano, Adam Scott, and Shingo Kunieda.

Throughout the “Doraemon Sustainability Mode” section of retail stores globally, this green font logo for Uniqlo will appear on the brand’s websites and other channels.

Group senior executive officer at Uniqlo’s parent company Fast Retailing,  Koji Yanai pointed out Uniqlo’s numerous sustainability initiatives over the past two decades and said that the impact of Covid-19’s social transformations and evolving consumer attitudes have made it more important than ever to collaborate with customers and other stakeholders in directing positive social change. He added that their aim is to be the most socially responsible brand in the world. And they can turn the power of clothing into a force for good.

Yanai also made it clear that sustainability is not just part of their retail initiative but it is also very critical in terms of procurement of key raw materials, supply chain, water usage in the dyeing process, and all other facets of production.

The parent company of Uniqlo, Fast Retailing Co. Ltd. is one of the world’s largest apparel retailers, with global sales of approximately $19 billion for the 2020 fiscal year. Uniqlo is one of the largest of eight brands in the Fast Retailing Group and is Japan’s leading specialty retailer.