What is Footprint Parity

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What is Footprint Parity?

🔺 Footprint Parity occurs when an organisation’s negative environmental or social footprint is equal to (or less than) its positive impact. It represents a company’s ability to fully offset its carbon, resource, or social footprint through sustainability initiatives.

🔺 Why It Matters: Traditional ESG reporting focuses on reducing harm, but Footprint Parity shifts the narrative toward net-positive impact. Companies that achieve footprint parity are not just compensating for their negative impacts but actively contributing to environmental and social regeneration.

🔺 Example: A fashion brand implementing circular economy principles—using 100% recycled materials, eliminating toxic dyes, and offsetting emissions—could achieve Footprint Parity by ensuring that the resources it restores, recycles, or protects equal or exceed what it consumes.

🔺 Did You Know?: According to the Global Footprint Network, humanity currently uses the resources of 1.7 Earths to sustain our consumption patterns. This means we are consuming natural resources 1.7 times faster than Earth's ecosystems can regenerate them.

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