Meet the heroes in our 2019 Annual Report
Published:
by: Laura Repas
- News
We are thrilled to be sharing our 20th Anniversary Annual Report with you. Over the years, many people have proven themselves Canopy heroes by inspiring and supporting our work. Read on to find out about how some of these people have worked with us to help save forests.
WHO: Helena Helmersson, CEO of H&M Group. WHY THEY ARE A HERO: Helena Helmersson was the Head of Sustainability at H&M for more than a decade, overseeing the brand’s numerous sustainability initiatives. She was in this position when Canopy first approached the company to join the CanopyStyle initiative as one of our early brand partners in 2014. Since then, Helena has been a champion for the transformation of the viscose supply chain, working with her team to introduce the first line of viscose clothing made from recycled cotton fabrics (instead of trees) and joining us in Davos earlier this year for the launch of Survival: A Pulp Thriller , Canopy’s plan to transition the pulp, paper, packaging and viscose supply chains to Next Generation Solutions.
WHO: Carrie Freiman, Director of Sustainability, Reformation WHY THEY ARE A HERO:
Reformation has always been ahead of the sustainability game, pioneering the use of deadstock and other waste fabric in their collections. Under Carrie’s leadership they have been a CanopyStyle partner for over a year, and were part of the inaugural Pack4Good announcement. Reformation has already made great strides in its packaging work. For Earth Day 2020 the brand promoted Pack4Good on their very popular social feeds.
Reformation has always been ahead of the sustainability game, pioneering the use of deadstock and other waste fabric in their collections. Under Carrie’s leadership they have been a CanopyStyle partner for over a year, and were part of the inaugural Pack4Good announcement. Reformation has already made great strides in its packaging work. For Earth Day 2020 the brand promoted Pack4Good on their very popular social feeds.
WHO: Sergio Blecua Morales, Senior Sustainability Advisor, Zara/Inditex WHY THEY ARE A HERO:
Sergio is Inditex/Zara's long-standing representative in CanopyStyle’s Leaders for Forest Conservation, a group of leading brand representatives who come together quarterly to drive issues of fashion and forests forward. Sergio's superpower is his unassuming charm combined with an unerring ethical compass, guiding us all to protect the world's forests and innovate with a focus on collaboration, solid systems, and integrity.
Sergio is Inditex/Zara's long-standing representative in CanopyStyle’s Leaders for Forest Conservation, a group of leading brand representatives who come together quarterly to drive issues of fashion and forests forward. Sergio's superpower is his unassuming charm combined with an unerring ethical compass, guiding us all to protect the world's forests and innovate with a focus on collaboration, solid systems, and integrity.
WHO: Mandy Gull, Deputy Grand Chief of the Cree Nation WHY THEY ARE A HERO:
Mandy Gull’s home, the Broadback Forest in Waswanipi, Cree territory, is one of Canopy’s Landscapes of Hope. As an elected leader of her community and the Cree Nation, Mandy has been a tireless advocate for ambitious conservation and First Nations control of this important forest. Amongst Ms. Gull’s extensive travels to advocate for conservation of her communities’ traditional lands, she travelled to NYC in 2016 to speak to fashion brands directly about how the work of Canopy and the Waswanipi Cree had the potential to save the Broadback.
Mandy Gull’s home, the Broadback Forest in Waswanipi, Cree territory, is one of Canopy’s Landscapes of Hope. As an elected leader of her community and the Cree Nation, Mandy has been a tireless advocate for ambitious conservation and First Nations control of this important forest. Amongst Ms. Gull’s extensive travels to advocate for conservation of her communities’ traditional lands, she travelled to NYC in 2016 to speak to fashion brands directly about how the work of Canopy and the Waswanipi Cree had the potential to save the Broadback.
WHO: Farwiza Farhan, Director Forest, Nature & Environment Aceh (HAkA) WHY THEY ARE A HERO:
As the leader of HAkA, Farwiza works to protect the Leuser Ecosystem, one of Canopy’s Landscapes of Hope, by empowering local communities, holding palm oil companies and government to account with legal action, and working to create wildlife-friendly economic development in communities. Farwiza was part of Canopy’s Aceh Conservation and Green Finance Delegation in 2018, that travelled from Sumatra to British Columbia to research the conservation economy model of the Great Bear Rainforest. Farwiza's impact on community driven conservation has been recognized with numerous prizes, including the 2016 Whitley Award.
As the leader of HAkA, Farwiza works to protect the Leuser Ecosystem, one of Canopy’s Landscapes of Hope, by empowering local communities, holding palm oil companies and government to account with legal action, and working to create wildlife-friendly economic development in communities. Farwiza was part of Canopy’s Aceh Conservation and Green Finance Delegation in 2018, that travelled from Sumatra to British Columbia to research the conservation economy model of the Great Bear Rainforest. Farwiza's impact on community driven conservation has been recognized with numerous prizes, including the 2016 Whitley Award.
WHO: Andrew Wright, Photographer, Philanthropist, Advisor WHY THEY ARE A HERO:
Andrew Wright’s mind never sits still. His energy and strategic smarts make him a valued and dynamic strategic advisor of Canopy. His skill at capturing what matters with his camera has also helped Canopy to showcase the beauty of the forest and its creatures to audiences around the world. Canopy counts ourselves lucky to have caught his imagination and attention for over ten years!
Andrew Wright’s mind never sits still. His energy and strategic smarts make him a valued and dynamic strategic advisor of Canopy. His skill at capturing what matters with his camera has also helped Canopy to showcase the beauty of the forest and its creatures to audiences around the world. Canopy counts ourselves lucky to have caught his imagination and attention for over ten years!
WHO: Patrik Lundström, CEO re:newcell WHY THEY ARE A HERO:
Patrik Lundström is a seasoned executive from the industrial sector who has stepped into innovation for circular production with both vision and action. re:newcell’s pulping tech was used to produce the first commercial volumes of viscose made from recycled cotton clothing rather than from wood. We are grateful for the courage Patrik has demonstrated in bringing an idea of a solution to a tangible reality. We bet the forests are grateful too.
Patrik Lundström is a seasoned executive from the industrial sector who has stepped into innovation for circular production with both vision and action. re:newcell’s pulping tech was used to produce the first commercial volumes of viscose made from recycled cotton clothing rather than from wood. We are grateful for the courage Patrik has demonstrated in bringing an idea of a solution to a tangible reality. We bet the forests are grateful too.
WHO: John Begley, CEO Columbia Pulp WHY THEY ARE A HERO:
John Begley is a man with a visionary idea – to bring much-needed employment to eastern Washington State by building a pulp mill that uses a ubiquitous waste product in the area – leftover wheat straw. Instead of farmers having to burn or pay for the straw’s removal, they can sell it to Columbia Pulp, creating revenue, dramatically reducing pollution, and our favourite benefit – taking the pressure off forests.
John Begley is a man with a visionary idea – to bring much-needed employment to eastern Washington State by building a pulp mill that uses a ubiquitous waste product in the area – leftover wheat straw. Instead of farmers having to burn or pay for the straw’s removal, they can sell it to Columbia Pulp, creating revenue, dramatically reducing pollution, and our favourite benefit – taking the pressure off forests.
WHO: Stella McCartney, Fashion Designer and Activist WHY THEY ARE A HERO:
Like the woman herself, Stella McCartney’s eponymous label has always been dedicated to social and environmental justice. They were an early CanopyStyle partner and recently joined Pack4Good. Stella McCartney herself has contributed quotes and video messages to Canopy’s events and campaigns. The high-impact #thereshegrows social media campaign, spearheaded by McCartney, brought attention to the endangered Leuser Ecosystem to an audience of over 900,000, 000 followers. She continues to blaze the trail of what’s possible environmentally and is consistently one of the first to trial new Next Generation Solutions to showcase their commercial viability.
Like the woman herself, Stella McCartney’s eponymous label has always been dedicated to social and environmental justice. They were an early CanopyStyle partner and recently joined Pack4Good. Stella McCartney herself has contributed quotes and video messages to Canopy’s events and campaigns. The high-impact #thereshegrows social media campaign, spearheaded by McCartney, brought attention to the endangered Leuser Ecosystem to an audience of over 900,000, 000 followers. She continues to blaze the trail of what’s possible environmentally and is consistently one of the first to trial new Next Generation Solutions to showcase their commercial viability.
