Polartec commits to net-zero future

Milliken & Company, the parent firm of sustainable textile solutions provider Polartec, has made a commitment to a net zero future.

Science-based net-zero targets are now held by Milliken & Company, including for the Polartec brand. The group, which is supported by the UN, is dedicated to assisting businesses in setting emission reduction goals that are in line with climate science and the Paris Agreement.

Earlier this summer, the company had its short- and long-term goals verified. The Polartec brand is included in the targets, which apply to the full Milliken business portfolio.

Polartec interim president and CFO Dan Patterson said that Polartec’s commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions resonates with their brand vision of sustainable science and the pledge to always do better. Together with Milliken as a whole, they are driven to emphasize the value of circularity, transparency, natural resources, and sustainability in order to secure a future founded in conscientious manufacturing and minimal environmental effect.

Halsey Cook, president and CEO of Milliken & Company, said that sustainability is a fundamental principle for Milliken. Communities, businesses, and the environment are all under stress as a result of climate change. The time is now to act purposefully.

According to SBTi, the global economy now comprises US$38 trillion, or one-third, of corporations committed to reducing emissions in accordance with climate science. The 2021 SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard has been used by more than 1,400 firms, and Milliken is one of the first 50 companies in the world to reach authorized science-based net-zero standards. According to Milliken, which has its global headquarters in South Carolina, it is the first business to receive approval.

Kasel Knight, general counsel and head of sustainability at Milliken, said that not all net-zero is the same, which is why Milliken and Polartec pledge to achieve actual net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a base year. By partnering with SBTi, the net-zero promise, along with their authorized near-term and long-term targets, has been completely reviewed by the finest available research on a worldwide scale.