POSITIVE LUXURY REWARDS IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN’S SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE WITH RE-CERTIFICATION OF ITS BUTTERFLY MARK
In 2022, IWC promised to “make decisions that last beyond our lifetime” and that included to continue meeting the highest standards of sustainability performance. As recognition of its success and efforts in this field, IWC has received re-certification of Positive Luxury’s Butterfly Mark – a trust mark awarded to those luxury brands that meet the highest sustainable standards throughout all areas of their business.
The IWC JOURNAL spoke with Carina Porot, who is the global lead of the manufacturer’s sustainability team, about the significance of IWC’s re-certification, the successes and challenges in all things sustainable, and why blue is the new green.
Read the interview below.
MOVING THE SUSTAINABILITY NEEDLE
How did you react when you learned that IWC achieved Positive Luxury’s Butterfly Mark re-certification?
There was a feeling of triumph. Oftentimes, people are unaware of the magnitude of sustainability or how it impacts every function within a company. The number of moving parts, not unlike a mechanical watch, can be overwhelming. Since I re-joined IWC in October 2021, we have worked tirelessly from our headquarters to our boutiques to our wider supplier and partner network, so the Butterfly Mark re-certification shows that the work IWC has done in the past, and our recent efforts have paid off.
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What does the Positive Luxury Award stand for?
For us, Positive Luxury’s Butterfly Mark provides external validation and independent verification that we’re moving in the right direction. That we aren’t resting on our laurels. Sustainability is a journey, it’s not one and done. And since we’ve maintained our certification since 2014, it’s evident that we’re continuously pushing ourselves towards the decisions and actions that move the sustainability needle. The Butterfly Mark adds an additional layer of accountability and transparency that we’re on the right track in our sustainability journey.
We’ve taken the easy and not-so-easy steps on our sustainability journey. Now comes the challenging parts, but we love a challenge
— IWC’s Team Posidonia during their restoration project in Spain’s Costa Brava
BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN
IWC is involved in a large number of sustainability-related projects. Which are the three most relevant goals that IWC has achieved in 2022?
For us, blue is the new green. In our 2022 Sustainability report, we emphasised the importance of and increased focus on biodiversity and blue carbon projects. In September, we launched our Posidonia project, the first of our blue carbon projects focused on the restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems in Costa Brava, Spain.
This was followed by the planting of 500 trees in our IWC Forest outside of Madrid in November. We have decided to launch carbon capturing projects in Europe because most of our CO₂ emissions are produced here where our production and manufacturing take place, and most of our suppliers are in Europe.
Why is it significant for IWC to receive the Award?
Unfortunately, it’s easy for brands to say, “we’re sustainable, take our word for it.” Oversight in the luxury industry is still a work in progress and consumers are rightfully no longer buying into the neatly packaged claims of greenness. Achieving the Butterfly Mark re-certification confirms to consumers that we’re a conscious brand.
IWC’s Global Sustainability Lead, Carina Porot
Made to aspire caring for the environment: The Positive Luxury’s Butterfly Mark
Tell us a little bit about the IWC Sustainability Committee. What kind of topics are you currently talking about?
We already highlighted our focus on biodiversity, blue carbon projects and carbon capturing. We’re also finalising our Strategic Roadmap 2030 to fully embed sustainability even more across our organisation including at our headquarters, manufacturing centre, boutiques and regional offices.
We will of course look at the Butterfly Mark assessment and prioritise the areas where we aren’t yet strong. We’ve taken the easy and not-so-easy steps on our sustainability journey. Now comes the challenging parts, but we love a challenge.
What’s next for IWC in terms of sustainability?
We’ve already announced the increased frequency of our sustainability reporting to an annual cadence and our 2023 report will be released in June and audited in compliance with the Global Reporting Initiative. With our forthcoming sustainability report, we’ll also present our way forward, with our first long-term strategy that will lay out what the next 8 – 10 years look like on IWC’s sustainability journey.
Find out more from Carina Porot about IWC’s sustainability efforts in the IWC Podcast Partners in Time.
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