Carbon emissions at Timberland facilities dive 46%

- Thirty nine percent of materials used in Timberland apparel were derived from recycled, organic or renewable sources

- Ninety eight percent of footwear SKUs used leather sourced from Gold or Silver rated tanneries

- Absolute carbon emissions for Timberland's owned and operated facilities decreased by 10 percent in 2012; and 46 percent since 2006.

- Timberland made significant strides toward achieving its goal of planting 5 million trees by 2015; since setting this goal in 2010, the company has planted 3.5 million trees and in 2012 alone, employees and partners planted 1,153,840 trees. 

"The benefits that trees provide in the form of helping to prevent desertification, increase yields of farm crops and reduce the effects of droughts are critical to communities everywhere," said Mark Newton , vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility. "As a New England brand known for making products built to enjoy the outdoors, it's only natural that we do what we can to protect the environment."

In 2012, Timberland focused its environmental stewardship efforts in Haiti and China's Horqin Desert, areas dramatically affected by massive deforestation and desertification, respectively.

In Haiti, Timberland's long-term agroforestry initiative has become self-sustaining, and by the end of 2012, it generated increased crop yields of up to 50 percent for participating farmers who sold excess inventory for profit. On the other side of the world, Timberland has cultivated more than 255,000 trees in China's environmentally-fragile Horqin Desert to protect China and neighboring countries from sandstorms and to help minimize the impact of global warming.

Timberland's commitment to sustainability is not limited to tree planting.  The company's 2012 CSR results also demonstrate its commitment to reducing impacts in its four CSR pillar areas: climate, product, factories and service.

Timberland reduced its absolute carbon emissions for its owned and operated facilities from 17,759 metric tons in 2011 to 15,819 metric tons in 2012, a 10 percent decrease. This was primarily driven by reductions in air travel and increased renewable energy purchases.  This decrease exceeded Timberland's 2012 goal, resulting in a 46 percent reduction of absolute emissions since 2006, putting Timberland well on track to achieve its overall emissions reduction goal of 50 percent by 2015.

Last year, Timberland increased the use of recycled, renewable and organic materials in apparel from 25 percent in 2011 to 39 percent in 2012. Additionally, more than 98 percent of leather volume sourced by Timberland for its footwear came from tanneries rated Gold or Silver (by the Leather Working Group) for their water, energy and waste management practices.