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Canada Goose is one of the world’s best-known high-end outerwear brands. But how ethical is Canada Goose? Read on to learn why we rate Canada Goose “Not Good Enough”. This article is based on the Canada Goose rating published in September 2023 and may not reflect claims the brand has made since then. Our ratings analysts are constantly rerating the thousands of brands you can check on our directory.
The controversial Canada Goose
If you live in a colder climate, especially in North America, chances are you’ve spotted countless fur-trimmed Canada Goose parkas worn by folks across university campuses and city streets. As one of the most popular high-end outerwear brands in the world, Canada Goose is sold in over 40 countries with an annual revenue of over $1bn.
No stranger to controversy, the label has come under scrutiny several times over the years for its contentious use of animal-derived materials, especially coyote fur.
Canada Goose has historically labelled its coyote fur as “ethically-sourced” on its website, insisting all the wild-caught coyotes are killed in the US and Canada compliant with a set of state, provincial, and federal standards, however, wild trapping is extremely difficult to regulate and monitor, and breaches are common.
After pushes from animal rights advocates like PETA and a strong shift away from animal fur purchasing by consumers in recent years, the brand has made moves to incorporate only reclaimed or “deadstock” fur into its designs from 2022, and has even stated it will eventually remove fur entirely from its collection. However, there doesn’t seem to be many updates since they made this fur announcement in 2021, and you can still find fur products that don’t make any indication about the origin. The brand should publicly disclose where the remaining fur styles come from.
Despite this, its sales are still through the roof year over year and we have to ask: how is Canada Goose impacting people, the planet, and animals in producing its feather-filled apparel? How ethical is Canada Goose?
Environmental impact
As an outerwear brand that celebrates a love of the outdoors, Canada Goose is starting to turn its radar towards lessening its impact on the planet we all share. When it comes to environmental impact, Canada Goose is rated “It’s a Start”.
The brand uses a medium proportion of lower-impact materials including recycled materials, incorporates some bluesign certified fabrics, and offers clothing recycling to consumers to help address end-of-life textile waste. However, there’s no evidence it’s set a target to manage water use in its supply chain. While we commend the brand on these initial steps, there is certainly room for improvement here.
Labour conditions
Considering a Canada Goose coat retails for around $1000, the brand can certainly afford to support workers better. But Canada Goose rates “Not Good Enough” for people.
It’s unnervingly hush hush about its practices behind the scenes, scoring a measly 11-20% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index. While this is a slight improvement from its previous score, it’s still nowhere near the level we expect of a responsibly brand.
There is no evidence the brand implements practices to support diversity and inclusion in its supply chain, and most concerningly, it doesn’t seem to pay a living wage in its supply chain.
Animal welfare
Beyond the lingering questions about the brand’s use of fur, Canada Goose still uses other animal-derived materials, including leather, down, and wool.
While the brand has a general statement about minimising animal suffering and traces some animal products to the first stage of production, there is as yet no formal animal welfare policy in sight. It does now state it uses Responsible Down Standard down in its products, which is a step in the right direction.
For now, the brand is still “Not Good Enough” for animal welfare, but Canada Goose’s rating would benefit from the brand getting up-to-speed with ethical consumer desires and replacing the outdated animal-derived materials in its apparel.
Overall rating: ‘Not Good Enough’
We rate Canada Goose “Not Good Enough” overall based on our research. For a brand that claims to be acting sustainably and respecting people and the planet, it needs to be doing more on all fronts. Canada Goose should start by making good on its promise to remove fur from all products and strengthening its environmental practices. The brand must also ensure its workers are treated fairly and paid a living wage. Only then might the brand be considered responsible in its production practices.
Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.
If you’re on the market for responsibly-made outerwear to guard you against the elements this season, there are better brands making strides in sustainability and ethics (and leaving fur out of the equation) you might prefer.
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