Sustainability | Airush Kiteboarding

In 2021, our brand stepped up our commitments to ensure all individuals connected to our business working are treated fairly, treated ethically, and fair labour is practiced throughout our supply chain. Our brand and all suppliers work in line with the Fair Labour Association, where high benchmarks are set for us to work in line with, we also implement the FLA Code of Conduct.

Working towards accreditation with the Fair Labour Association is not a ‘one-off audit’ scenario. We have deliberately made a long-term commitment to engage in an open dialogue with the FLA and other companies for lasting change.

Sustainability is a journey, and we acknowledge that there are so many areas in which we could do more. Below are some of our key initiatives so far…

CARBON OFFSETTING

Carbon offsetting is often viewed as a corporate shortcut to mitigating environmental harm created without making any changes nor engaging in the community. We have a different view and are very fortunate to be part of the development of the Thor Heyerdahl climate park. For every kite or board purchased from Airush Kiteboarding, we will plant and nurture a mangrove tree to maturity within the park. Each of these incredible mangroves can potentially absorb over one ton of CO2 over 20 years, whilst protecting the low-lying coastlines from stormy weather and tsunamis, plus increasing fish production.

ENERGY USE

In order to reduce environmental harm and increase sustainability at the Airush headquarters in South Africa, we have renovated a turn-of-the-century building where, through the installation of solar panels and advanced battery systems, we have reduced our overall electricity demand from the power grid by over 70 percent, and our carbon footprint by an estimated 7.5 tons per year. We have also incorporated progressive insulation to limit the heating and cooling requirements and installed LED lighting.