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The North Face

At Wedge, we have gathered and analyzed the following information on The North Face to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of its sustainability efforts.

The North Face

As you may know The North Face is a part of the VF corporation which is an American global apparel and footwear company founded in 1899. The company's 13 brands are organized into three categories: Outdoor, Active and Work. The company controls 55% of the U.S. backpack market with the JanSport, Eastpak, Timberland, and Vans brands.


Carbon Emissions:  

  • The North Face's parent company, VF Corporation, is working hard to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they produce. They've set a goal to reduce their emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to what they were producing in 2017. As of 2022, they've already reduced their emissions by 66%.

  • They're also working to reduce emissions from their suppliers and transportation by 30% by 2030 compared to 2017 levels. As of 2021, they've managed to reduce these emissions by 8%.


Carbon intensity measures greenhouse gas emissions in relation to a company's revenue or employees. It helps assess a company's carbon footprint and commitment to reducing emissions. 


The North Face has a goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. In 2021, the company's CO2 intensity was 1.44 kg CO2e/€1000 revenue, which is lower than the average for the apparel industry. However, The North Face's CO2 intensity is higher than some of its competitors, such as Patagonia (1.1 kg CO2e/€1000 revenue) and Arc'teryx (0.9 kg CO2e/€1000 revenue).


Labor Practices:

The North Face's commitment to ethical labor practices includes: a public commitment but doesn't include: an action plan and separate labor costs. Living wage paid rating of 1/5.

For more details, visit the brand's Fashion Checker page.

Renewable Energy Sources:

The North Face has a goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2025. In 2021, the company used 36% renewable energy. The North Face is working to increase its use of renewable energy by investing in solar and wind projects.


Transparency: The North Face's Fashion Transparency Index score is 65.8- better than 99% of the other brands in the index. The index assesses brands' transparency regarding their social and environmental policies. For more information, visit the Fashion Revolution website.

Sustainable Materials:

The North Face's Sustainable Materials Vision aims to ensure that their top nine materials originate from regenerative, responsibly sourced renewable, and/or recycled sources by 2030.

  • Recycled Materials: VF Corporation is aiming to source 50% of their polyester from recycled materials by 2026. As of 2021, they've already achieved 36%.

  • The North Face is committed to using sustainable materials. The company has a goal of using 50% recycled or renewable materials by 2025. In 2021, the company used 30% recycled or renewable materials. The North Face is working to increase its use of sustainable materials by developing new materials and working with suppliers to source sustainable materials.

  • Other Materials: Top materials used by weight:

    • Rubber: 40%

    • Polyester: 18%

    • Cotton: 15%

    • Leather: 5%

    • Paper: 4%

    • Nylon: 3%

    • Foam: 2%

    • Wool: 1%

    • Down: 1%

    • Others (including brass, polypropylene, etc.): 11%