Amplid came to the conclusion that companies who profit from the use of the environment should – at least - strive to do no harm to the planet, and in the best case actively work to help repair the damage we’ve already inflicted. Building snowboards will always have an environmental footprint, so our goal is to minimize this footprint, whenever possible, by developing new eco-tech and manufacturing processes. And by being the first snowboard company to follow such an eco-correct manufacturing process, Amplid won the first ISPO Eco Award already in 2012 with their “Green Light Project” in.
The textile and sports industry is responsible for approximately 8% of overall worldwide carbon emissions. Frankly, by our mere existence we are part of the problem.
In November 2020 Amplid signed an agreement with the foundation Plant-for-the-Planet, which computed Amplid’s current CO2 emission. Through this cooperation, we support Plant-for-the-Planet in planting trees on the Yucatán Peninsula which capture CO2 and have valuable co-benefits for the sustainable development for the people in the area.
The examined certificate proves the size of the reforestation area which is required to equilibrate Amplid‘s current non-avoidable CO2 emissions and has valuable co-benefits for the sustainable development for the people on-site.
Furthermore, Plant-for-the-Planet educates children to become Climate Justice Ambassadors and support them in the years to come. The ambassadors spread the word about climate neutrality and about how companies become major players in climate policy.
Amplid’s global sales manager Gregor Common is wearing a 2nd hat in his life, next to marketing snowboards: He also dedicates a big chunk of his working hours in „planting trees“. More in this interview…
Gregor, apart from your job as Amplid’s head of sales you are working for a foundation called plant-for-the-planet.org and your goal is to plant a trillion trees for Carbon compensation. How should we reach such a large number?
People who love sports know how important it is to have ambitious goals. A trillion trees are just 150 trees per person. And if companies join us, we’ll get there much faster.
But why should they plant trees? There are so many other important initiatives.
First of all, our childrens’ future is at stake. And our beautiful nature, the world we live in, is threatened. If we fail to plant enough trees, the temperature will rise by 4°C. We can´t run this risk. If wee plant a trillion trees, they would capture around 25% of the current CO2 emissions. By storing the carbon, they give us more time to save our planet. Especially we in the sports-industry need to take care as our love, passion AND business bases on the nature. There’s no easier, faster and cheaper way to compensate CO2 than planting trees. Everybody can support the initiative, we plant the trees so that leaves enough time for everyone putting additional energy into other important projects.
Your initiative was founded by children. How?
At the age of nine, a boy named Felix Finkbeiner gave a presentation in his school. The topic: the climate crisis. When he had prepared his speech, he had read about Wangari Maathai from Kenya, who has planted 30 million trees together with women in Africa. Felix thought: We children and youth could do the same. Let’s plant a million trees in every country! His teacher liked his idea, Felix had the chance to give more speeches, and soon, children from 100 countries promised to plant trees. Today, there are 70,000 children and youths that have planted 15 billion trees together with many adults, governments and companies.
Will our problems be solved when we plant enough trees?
No, we need more than trees. We urgently need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. But trees give us more time to do so. And trees not only store carbon. Through reforestation, we can boost economies in the global south, provide income to the people there, help to build better infrastructure, improve biodiversity and stabilize the water cycle. We end every time at: Reduce, reuse, recycle and compensate.
Why did you personally decide to support the children?
Felix contacted me at the end of 2007 and asked if he may distribute his message at my ISPO booth and I was so stoked that for sure I gave him the space he needed and the audience. That’s how I got hooked up to the foundation.
What can we do to get involved?
Become climate neutral and mindful. Any company and any single person can become climate neutral. Reduce your emissions, plant trees and educate everybody around you – especially the children without losing fun and passion. I believe one of the most important things in fighting the climate crisis is not judging others – it’s about doing and living the right way and educating in a way that makes sense and that can be fun.
Again - cutting down our footprint is an ongoing process. We’re only as good as the impact we have, so we’re investing to improve the lives of everyone that we engage with, all over the world. We want to make as positive an impact as possible on everyone around us.
