From our founders

We would like to throw a positive light into a space that can feel very gloomy. Taking stock of our achievements and celebrating advancement is important as there is so much wonderful change happening not only at ELK, but also broadly in the industry. To be honest though, sometimes we can feel a bit stuck. Trying to balance the many positives whilst making sense of the slow pace of change in our field, alongside the behaviour of many consumers flocking to fast-fashion companies who are reporting record sales, is hard.

Someone we respect deeply asked us recently whether we question if fashion can ever be truly sustainable. The answer is, we grapple with this question every day. Even for us, however many goals we achieve and however good our intentions are, we still have an impact and we will do ongoing as long as our product lives on in the world.

So, we remind ourselves that we are trying to offer better products in comparison to what else is in the marketplace. We hold ourselves accountable by measuring everything and then publicly sharing the results. We do not want to mislead anyone or hide behind empty words and unsubstantiated claims.

We use our pillars of planet, product and people to guide us and help us balance our impact and make damn sure we are clear that we don’t have everything sorted. Excitingly, we have more sophisticated data than ever, after having measured a large portion of our Scope 3 emissions for the first time, a big piece of work that few other fashion companies have undertaken.

Our work is progressing through our focus on circularity, material sourcing, partnerships, GHG emissions and supply chain. We are working closely with suppliers on customised sustainability action plans and at home we are working on our communication strategy to broaden awareness and understanding.

Our to do list is long but we have more clarity than we have ever had. We understand how much we are in control of the change - as long as we drive it and do not give up.

So, let’s go, we have a lot to do.

Marnie Goding and Adam Koniaras, ELK Co-founders

From our Head
oF Sustainability

The past year has been a transformational journey in how we embody sustainability at ELK. The progress outlined in this report is a testimony to the hard work of our team and how deeply our suppliers and customers care about the way in which we make our products.

One of the most significant developments has been our commitment to set a Net-Zero emissions target aligned with the 1.5°C pathway of the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) before the end of 2024.

Why is this a big deal? It helps us align with the Paris Agreement’s overarching goal of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The Net-Zero pathway necessitates rapid decarbonisation of our value chain & operations without being reliant on carbon offsets. This is a tremendously challenging task for a business our size, but it is the right thing to do and will deliver direct positive environmental impact than our previous goal of becoming carbon neutral.

We have already taken a major step in our Net-Zero journey and have for the first-time measured the carbon footprint of our value chain, which has showed this is where 99% of our environmental impact is. Materials are the biggest opportunity for reducing our environmental impact. One of the ways we can do this is by continuing to increase the use of ELK preferred fibres in our collections. Despite challenging market conditions, we have increased our preferred fibre use to 64%, up from 45% in our previous reporting period.

Another highlight has been the roll out of our sustainability action plans (SAPs) for our core suppliers. The SAPs are a simple step-by-step guide for our suppliers to align with our sustainability expectations and an important part of our Net-Zero journey.

Other significant achievements for the past year include the launch of our care & repair program, fulfilling our commitment to 1% for the Planet, continuing to be powered by 100% renewable electricity for our direct operations, and starting our in-house materials life cycle assessment (LCA) program.

Looking ahead, we will be redefining certain aspects our sustainability strategy, including our preferred materials guide and an increased focus on data. We will also keep an eye on product stewardship and ESG reporting developments.

I thank you for taking the time to read our transparency report and hope that you find it to be honest, transparent, and insightful.

Vaibhav Gaikwad, Head of Sustainability

Sustainable design:
Products + Materials

We are supporting sustainable forestry, regenerative farming, and clean chemistry by switching to more ethically produced and environmentally preferred fibres and materials.

Our preference is to work with natural materials that are renewable and biodegradable. Where synthetics are required for performance, we are limiting their use and seeking out certified recycled options. We support circular design principles and are working to increase our use of recycled materials.

We continue to map our supply chain to better understand where and how our products and raw materials are produced, so that we can manage risks and identify opportunities for improvement.

CIRCULARITY

We hope to keep our products in circulation for as long as possible. We are conscious of the impact that the wider fashion industry has on landfill, both through waste produced during manufacturing and the disposal of clothing and textiles at the end of their life. This not only allows precious resources to lose their value, but also contributes to CO2 and chemical release into the environment.

With this in mind, we are working to adjust our systems and develop programs that minimise the waste produced from ELK products, supporting a more circular approach. Whether it’s using up discarded leathers within the supply chain to create new products, or repairing existing ELK products, we aim to take accountability over the full life cycle of our products.