How Sustainable is Black Diamond?

Black Diamond first measured its greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which categorizes emissions into three scopes: Scope 1 (direct emissions from a company), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased electricity), and Scope 3 (all other indirect emissions across the supply chain). As is true for many outdoor brands, Black Diamond reports that around 99% of its emissions fall into the Scope 3 category. It set the goal of reducing its carbon intensity (measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide per dollar of revenue) by 50% by 2030. It is important to note, however, that carbon intensity can decrease while total emissions increase if a company does not also have an absolute emissions reduction goal (i.e., reduce Scope 3 emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to a 2021 baseline year). The brand is in the process of establishing absolute reduction goals, but has yet to release them.

Unfortunately, Black Diamond’s reduction target is not verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative, an organization that assures reduction goals are aligned with Paris Agreement warming thresholds (though the brand says that it is in the process of establishing them). Still, the brand has made progress in reducing its emissions between 2021 and 2025; over that period, it has reduced its carbon footprint by approximately 17%, although the brand primarily attributes this reduction to business simplification and a lower revenue base. Unfortunately, during this time, carbon intensity, or emissions per dollar, increased by nearly 3% when compared to the brand’s baseline year. While we’re encouraged to see a reduction in Black Diamond’s absolute emissions, we hope to see it bring down its carbon intensity in coming years.