From data to decarbonization: How Mammut scales Product Carbon Footprinting

Sustainability has long been part of Mammut’s brand identity. The Swiss outdoor apparel and equipment brand, founded in 1862, has a track record in responsible production. From using recycled fabrics in the 90s to strengthening social compliance commitments in 2008, Mammut has focused more strategically on decarbonization since 2018. They validated science-based climate targets with the SBTi and professionalized their Product Carbon Footprinting (PCF) partnering with Cozero.

In our latest webinar, Cozero’s Senior Sustainability Manager Laura Harron speaks with Tobias Steinegger and Matteo Albertoni from Mammut’s Corporate Responsibility team about this journey. They discuss the shift from Excel-based tracking to a data-driven system that enables them to reduce emissions and collaborate with suppliers across their product lines.

This article outlines key lessons Mammut learned in building a scalable, high-quality PCF system. It also highlights how this system supports smarter decision-making, supply chain engagement, and transparency.

Watch the webinar replay here.

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Why PCF matters at Mammut

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Tobias Steinegger, Head of Corporate Responsibility, opens the session by explaining why PCF has become critical for the company.

Mammut’s product range is broad, with complex materials sourced across a global supply chain. A 2023 emissions analysis shows that more than 97% of emissions fall under Scope 3. Within that category, products and materials account for more than two-thirds. This is where Product Carbon Footprinting becomes essential.

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Mammut’s data-driven approach to scalable PCF

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Matteo Albetoni, Corporate Sustainability Analyst, explains how Mammut collects and uses data. He describes the process as ongoing, evolving from sample-based estimates to more detailed primary data.


Their PCF approach is built on three core data sources:
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1. Product data maintained by the product development team
2. Custom emission factors from textile databases or suppliers
3. Data from Tier 1 manufacturers
   
   

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Once the team collects the data, they analyze each product component, with a focus on weight. When full information is missing, they use averages or representative products. Tobias stresses the importance of documenting assumptions to keep the process traceable.

The team then groups materials into categories to reduce complexity. More than 500 materials are mapped to around 150 emission factors.Matteo also emphasizes the need to check for errors. This includes identifying outliers, avoiding double counting, and accounting for missing or null values. It’s essential to plan enough time for quality control.

“Data is a journey, it’s never perfect, but it improves over time.” 

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From insights to actions

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PCF tracking allows Mammut to identify emission hotspots. For instance, woven fabrics have shown to be more emission-intensive than knitted ones. Surprisingly, the reduction from recycled materials was not always as high as expected.

These insights guide product development and support collaboration with the product team. They also help Mammut monitor emission intensity across suppliers and shift toward lower-carbon options.

Emission savings become visible through comparison over time. For Tobias, these learnings confirm that the company is moving in the right direction. Mammut is growing as a business while reducing emissions. It’s an early sign of decoupling growth from emissions, though the journey is far from complete.

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Lessons for the industry

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Tobias Steinegger shared practical tips for others:

• Start with what you have. Be rather conservative in your assumptions.
• Improve data collection. Good data quality is paramount.
• Avoid over-reliance on generic data; it limits progress.
• Assumptions will be inevitable, but keep track of them in process documents.
• Allow time for reviewing and cleaning data.

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Cozero’s support has helped Mammut maintain data quality throughout this process.

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“Don’t be afraid of the journey. You’ll learn about your products, your company and how things actually work.”

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What’s next

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Mammut is working towards reducing emissions by more than 50% by 2030 compared to 2018. Next steps include incorporating more supplier-specific emission factors and more site-specific information on energy consumption.

The Mammut case shows how data can drive progress. It helps product teams make informed decisions, guides supplier selection, and supports low-carbon product strategies.The key takeaway: companies don’t need to have everything figured out from day one. What matters is building internal capabilities, focusing on data quality, and using the right tools to manage the journey.

‍Are you interested in exploring Product Carbon Footprinting? Do you want to identify hotspots and improve decision-making? Book demo with our experts!