Crocs pushes back net-zero target by 10 years

Footwear specialist Crocs is taking a step back on its previously outlined net-zero target, now striving to become net-zero by 2040 instead of 2030, as initially planned.

The move came as part of the company’s latest environmental, social and governance (ESG) report, where it provided further progress and evolution updates on its milestones in this area.

The latest shift is linked to Crocs continued growth over the past year, which has included the acquisition of casual footwear brand HeyDude.

Following the takeover, Crocs said it had to take steps to align the brand with the organisational pillars of its whole enterprise, including in its sustainability impacts for both the supply chain and company culture.

The firm added that with the acquisition and Crocs’ global expansion, it was pushed to revisit the net-zero commitment that it had initially made in 2021.

Speaking on the report as a whole, Crocs’ CEO, Andrew Rees, said in a release: "Our organisation has seen tremendous growth and transformation in the past year, and our business looks different today with the expansion of our brand portfolio than when we set our initial goals in 2021.

“This report captures our hard-earned progress, essential learnings and the bold ambitions we continue to aspire to as an organisation.

"We are pleased with the progress we have made in our ESG journey and are as committed as ever to becoming a more sustainable and equitable global organisation."