U-POWER PRESENTS RED INDUSTRY GREEN WITH ZERO CO2 EMISSION

At first glance, one might wonder how the production of a safety shoe can have zero impact on the environment when the entire production chain inevitably involves the production of carbon dioxide: the production process of materials and components, assembly, logistics and distribution and any further step in production.

It is certain that, although CO2 emissions can be reduced to a minimum, residual emissions remain. But these emissions can be offset by specific environmental protection projects that compensate for the carbon dioxide produced.

We are talking about Climate Neutral Now, the United Nations initiative to achieve climate neutrality.

U-Power, the European leader in the safety shoe market, is the first manufacturer in the world to present to the public a range of safety footwear not only "green" - thanks to the use of recycled materials and compounds originating from renewable sources - but totally Carbon Neutral.

A vital contribution to containing the rise in temperature and combat climate change by the directives of the Paris Agreement of 2015.

Let us take a closer look at what this is all about.

1. CLIMATE NEUTRAL NOW: THE UNITED NATIONS INITIATIVE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
2. U-POWER AND CO2 COMPENSATION PROJECT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE RED INDUSTRY GREEN LINE
3. SAFETY FOOTWEAR CERTIFICATED CARBON NEUTRAL

CLIMATE NEUTRAL NOW: THE UNITED NATIONS INITIATIVE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

What the initiative Climate Neutral Nowconsists of?

Climate change issues are on the agenda, and urgent action has become imperative. Carbon, first trapped in the Earth, is released back into the air due to deforestation and intensive agriculture, and then from transportation and industries that dump vast amounts of carbon molecules into the air, disrupting the climate system.

Our Earth is based on a balance in which everyone plays a precise role, a fragile and delicate harmony in which everything is connected.

Let’s take stock of the situation with some numbers:

• ✔ Over the past 50 years (the span of a lifetime), the Earth has changed much faster than in all previous generations;
• ✔ The population has tripled since 1950;
• ✔ Over the past 40 years, the ice cap has shrunk by 40%. The sun’s rays penetrate the water by heating it and accelerating the healing process;
• ✔ It is expected that in 2050 a quarter of the animal species could be at risk of extinction (the species are disappearing at a rate of 1,000 times higher than that of nature);
• ✔ 50% of the coral reef - the essential link in the chain of species - has disappeared; 13 million hectares of forest disappear every year;
• ✔ 40% of arable land has suffered long-term damage;
• ✔ In 2050 there could be at least 200 million climate refugees.

Our actions have repercussions on Earth, and this is the time to become aware and to deal with everything that the indiscriminate exploitation of resources has produced.

Climate Neutral Nowis an initiative launched by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2015, which officially entered into force in November 2016 with the aim of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius (preferably 1.5 MHz) compared to pre-industrial levels.

To achieve this ambitious goal to combat climate change, all nations have come together in a binding agreement for a common cause (the Cop26 in Glasgow is just now).

The first steps for change are:

• ✔ Measure their impact on climate change;
• ✔ Start a process aimed at reducing their emissions as much as possible;
• ✔ Apply UN-recognised standards to offset emissions that cannot be avoided.

U-Power has joined this initiative and compensates for CO2 emissions produced for the construction of safety shoes RED INDUSTRY GREENwith specific projects to cancel the negative environmental impact caused by their own production processes.

U-POWER AND CO2 COMPENSATION PROJECT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE RED INDUSTRY GREEN LINE

The project chosen in this first phase is a hydropower plant in Laos to produce renewable energy, which contributes across the goals of sustainable development: Xe Namnoy 2 Hydropower. The plant, located in the southern region of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, will contribute to the country’s energy self-sufficiency by reducing energy generation from thermal power plants that use fossil fuels.

The new power station uses the energy of flowing water to generate clean electricity to be fed into the Lao electricity grid, thereby reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the project supports the local economy by creating employment and training opportunities for the local population, thus contributing to the fight against climate change and the development of the area where the plant is located.

• ✔ 1,048 local people benefit from the improvements brought by the development of water supply;
• ✔ 83,000 Mwh of clean electricity sent to the grid on average per year
• ✔ Ten (10) jobs for the local population during the operational period;
• ✔ 46,000 tCO2e saved in one year, replacing part of the energy generated by thermal power plants.

The credits purchased by U-Power to compensate for its carbon dioxide emissions for the production of the safety shoes of the line RED INDUSTRY GREENare equal to 4,500 tons.

The compensation of CO2 emissions produce by U-Power through the purchase of credits has as a result, a range of products totally certified Carbon Neutral!

SAFETY FOOTWEAR CERTIFICATED CARBON NEUTRAL

Every safety shoe of the RED INDUSTRY GREEN lineis certified Carbon Neutral, to guarantee eco-sustainability and zero-impact production.

But what exactly does Carbon Neutral certification consist of?

The Carbon Neutrality (CN) certificate is the certificate dedicated to those who have achieved net emissions of GHG (Greenhouse Gases) equal to zero through reduction actions and the purchase of recognized CO2 credits.

RED INDUSTRY GREEN is the first line in the world of work shoes to have obtained the CN certification and, in fact, is totally Carbon Neutral.

A significant result confirms the attention of the U-Power label towards environmental issues and actions taken against climate change.

The achievement of this critical milestone confirms the leadership position of the Brand U-Power in the field of safety shoes. It represents the first significant step towards further initiatives to preserve the ecosystem we live in every day. Green footwear can be good support for all companies that want to walk the path of sustainability.

Don’t Worry, be Green…with U-Power!