We are taking action now to preserve the planet for future generations.
Natural fluctuations in climate patterns have occurred throughout our planet’s history. Yet global warming has never occurred on the same scale as we are witnessing today. Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, global temperatures have rapidly risen.
The main cause of this is greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide. That is why we are doing everything we can to reduce our carbon emissions even further.
Our mission:
Zero emissions.
Our goal is clear: We want to reduce our CO2 emissions to zero. Through carbon offsetting, we have reduced CO2 emissions in our eyewear production to net zero as of September 2022. And we continue to reduce our CO2 emissions by regularly introducing new sustainability projects throughout our company. So far, we have achieved excellent results: While our annual CO2 emissions amounted to around 4,850 tons in 2015, we have already reduced that amount by half as of last year. We offset the remaining tons by acquiring certificates from Gold Standard projects.
Independently audited by TÜV Austria.
When it comes to sustainability, one thing matters most of all: trust. To continually build trust with our customers, we have our annual carbon footprint audited by an independent third party. This is not a task that we can entrust to just anybody. That is why we work exclusively with TÜV Austria, the leading independent auditor in the country. TÜV Austria has been upholding principles of objectivity, impartiality and integrity since 1872. To ensure total transparency, the Silhouette Group displays its audit report on the TÜV Austria website under our certificate ID number ZSTS/SWZE/5030.
1300000 kWh
Green electricity
Our on-site solar panels generate 130,000 kWh of green electricity each year, 100 % of which is used in our eyewear production.
14
Solar charging stations
We have installed 14 solar charging stations for electric cars and 6 solar charging stations for electric bikes on our company’s premises.
100 %
of all suitable roof surface area
at our production facilities will be equipped with solar panels by 2023.
Successful emissions-reduction projects
The Silhouette Group exclusively purchases green electricity for our headquarters and production sites. This means all our electricity comes from a mix of CO2-free, sustainable sources, including solar, wind, hydro, biomass and biogas. This is vitally important because electricity is the energy source, we rely on most heavily in producing our premium eyewear, which means that we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint by switching to green electricity sources.
The best electricity is the electricity you generate yourself. That’s why the Silhouette Group has been using three “solar flowers” at our company headquarters in Linz, Austria since 2017. These are flower-shaped arrays of solar panels that tilt to follow the direction of the sun throughout the day, maximizing the amount of power they generate for our electric-vehicle/bicycle charging points. Each year, this sustainable electricity source provides us with around 4,000 kWh, preventing up to 3,528 kg of CO2.
We have set ourselves a major goal of installing solar panels on all suitable roofs at our production facilities by the end of 2024. Once all the work has been completed, over 3,500 individual modules will achieve a nominal power output of 1,350 kWp. This will enable us to generate around 1.3 million kWp of our own green electricity every year, covering 15% of our eyewear production’s annual electricity needs. In so doing, we will also be able to reduce around 530 tons of CO2 annually, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 675 average Austrian households; or the volume of CO2 that it would take 15,800 trees to capture from the atmosphere each year.
The Silhouette Group remains at the cutting edge of environmentally friendly technologies, which makes e-mobility a strong match for our company’s values. We are continuing to convert our company’s fleet to electric vehicles. Currently, a quarter of our vehicles are already electric or hybrid. We also offer an employee discount to encourage our employees to buy e-vehicles of their own.
100 % commitment to reducing emissions.
Silhouette International is strongly committed to reducing its carbon footprint. The approximately 2,000 tons of CO2 emissions that we are currently unable to eliminate are offset through certificates from Gold Standard projects. The Gold Standard Foundation is a non-profit certification organization based in Switzerland.
Only projects that are proven to reduce greenhouse gases while protecting the interests of local environments and populations are eligible for Gold Standard certification. Our certificate number is GSM12886
Carbon-offsetting projects
Premium eyewear from Silhouette is all about feeling light and carefree and seeing new possibilities. Our current and future CO2 offset projects also follow this visionary, positive and holistic lifestyle philosophy. The goal is to promote the use of solar panels in various locations in the Global South. We are starting with a 6-megawatt solar energy farm in Kolanupaka, India which provides state-of-the-art renewable energy while improving the lives of local people. Through this project, Silhouette offsets around 1,100 tons of CO2 each year.
Our evil eye sports glasses offer the best vision, performance and protection for athletes, enabling them to channel their inner power. That is why we have selected a CO2 offset project that matches the evil eye brand’s strong values: A 6.8-megawatt hydraulic power plant that generates renewable energy in Colon, Honduras. Through this project, evil eye offsets 400 tons of Silhouette International's remaining annual CO2 emissions. The plant supplies 23,000 MWh of clean energy each year, helping Honduras to start shifting away from the fossil fuel power stations that it has long relied on. In total, the project eliminates 25,568 tons of CO2 annually.
NEUBAU EYEWEAR combines beautiful design with the highest standards of quality and sustainable technological innovation. Because of these values, NEUBAU EYEWEAR is supporting a CO2 offset project that fits with its mission. The company offsets 500 tons of Silhouette International’s remaining CO2 emissions through a BaumInvest reforestation project in Costa Rica, which mainly focuses on planting the endangered tree species Dipteryx panamensis. Thanks in part to this effort, the species has been spared from extinction. And the project has provided a new home for 70 species of amphibians and reptiles that have resettled in the revitalized forest lands.
Dr. Thomas Windischbauer, COO