The hard work behind
improving transparency

So, as one element of our Sustainable Impact Strategy, we are transitioning from our proprietary Down Transparency Standard (DTS) to the globally recognized Responsible Down Standard (RDS). This change is no simple task. Teams across Canada Goose tackled this multi-year endeavour, knowing it’s right for our consumers and our supply chain.

The RDS is governed by the Textile Exchange, an independent nonprofit that partners with brands, retailers, and suppliers in the global textile industry to establish best practices and fair business models.

The RDS aims for holistic animal welfare. Its standards require that there be no live-plucking or force-feeding in the supply chain and that all down is a by-product of the poultry industry and it respects the Five Freedoms of animal welfare.

At a glance, our former proprietary standard and the RDS have many aspects in common. What excites us about transitioning to the RDS is the deeper level of accountability and transparency it will establish throughout our supply chain. Third-party audits and detailed record-keeping at each stage in the supply chain will ensure that certified down makes it from the farm to the final product without non-certified down getting mixed in.

Together, Goose Crew members in every department have poured countless of hours into planning the transition. Finances, operations, warehousing, logistics, raw material procurement, product development, production, corporate citizenship – we have all been part of the journey. Additionally, every Canada Goose employee who works with down at any point in the process has received training in RDS compliance. This training is critical. We ensure traceability by recording the correct data at every step of the way.

One important step in record keeping was to update our Down Production Chart (DPC) reporting. Once we purchase down, it’s not only shipped to us, but to our many CG and contracted facilities. DPCs are our way of tracking down between purchase and use. Thanks to DPCs, we can know which down lots goes into the what products at all down filling facilities.

By early 2020, we had completed RDS audits for all of our down filling manufacturing sites. The last phase of the transition covers our internal tracking systems and data management. COVID-19 slowed us down temporarily, but we remain on track to become RDS certified as a brand by the end of 2021.

At that time, 100% of our domestic, Canada-based manufacturing facilities will be certified to the RDS – meaning you will see RDS certification on our parkas. We also require the purchasing and use of RDS down in the rest of our supply chain outside of Canada.

We’re proud to belong to a growing community of global brands who, like us, are committed to responsibly sourcing down. Our consumers can be confident that the down in their Canada Goose products is responsibly sourced, fully traceable, and third-party verified for best practices in animal welfare.