At Contour Design, we have always been passionate about one thing: making your work life more comfortable. But what good is a comfy workspace if we don’t take care of the world around us?
That’s why we’re excited to pull back the curtain on our internal processes and share some of the improvements we’ve made and goals we’ll strive to achieve in our 2024 Sustainability Report.
This isn't about just ticking boxes for us. It's about making a real, positive impact for you and everyone we share a planet with. We believe that creating innovative ergonomic mice and keyboards doesn’t mean we can’t try to save the planet while saving your hands. Our products are intended to make you feel good, inside and out.
So, What's Sustainability All About?
People and companies often use the term “sustainability” loosely, but what does it mean for Contour? It’s simple: creating products that last longer (meaning less waste), reducing our environmental footprint, and ensuring everyone involved in making our products is treated with fairness and respect.
We’re on a mission to build a future where the technology that supports your work also supports our world. Because without Mother Nature on our side, ergonomics will be the least of our worries.
We believe that focusing on sustainability isn't just a marketing gimmick or sales talking point; it's essential for any responsible company, and it matters to you, too.
This is why we are taking a stance of full transparency to show you our strengths, shortcomings, plans, and goals for creating products that care for you, our workforce, and our environment.
Our Blueprint for a Greener Tomorrow
We follow established global frameworks, such as the GHG Protocol (for measuring carbon emissions) and the GRI (for sustainability reporting), as well as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, to ensure we treat people fairly. Think of these as our blueprints or roadmap, helping us ensure the changes we make are genuinely positive and scientifically sound. We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk.
Our sustainability journey isn’t just about cleaner air and recycling; it's about creating a more sustainable future. We have adopted a three-pillar approach to ensuring our company prioritizes the best interests of both people and the planet.
· Product: Reducing our overall carbon footprint through emissions, materials, and lifespan
· People: Ensure all our employees, from manufacturing to office staff, as well as vendors, are following and upholding recognized standards for human rights and working conditions
· Governance: Ensure complete transparency and accountability in our operations, as well as robust anti-corruption safeguards.
Greener Gadgets
We’re incredibly proud of our innovations in 2024, which not only enhance your experience but also have a positive impact on the world around us. The launch of the RollerMouse Pro and SliderMouse Pro in 2022 marked the beginning of our commitment to sustainable product design. We’ve carried this forward by redesigning and relaunching some of our legacy product lines with a focus on sustainability.
For example, our RollerMouse Pro3 was relaunched with new materials that emit over 10% less CO2-eq. This means you get the same great ergonomic support while making a more eco-conscious choice. But we didn’t just stop there! We've conducted Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for all our products, providing us with crucial environmental data throughout the material sourcing, manufacturing, and transportation processes. Our complete transparency means you can feel even better about the products you use every day.
What’s old is New Again: The Future of Product Lifespans
Waste not, want not, right? We’re always exploring ways to extend the lifespan of our products through improved build quality and refurbishment programs, as durable products are not only better for your wallet but also for the planet. We've teamed up with some incredibly bright minds at the Danish Technical University (DTU) and Aalborg University (AAU) to research how we can make this happen. Imagine giving your trusty Contour device a second life, making your investment in comfort even more sustainable!
We Think People First
Our commitment to people is just as strong as our commitment to the planet, because how things are made matters as much as what we make. We are deeply committed to upholding human rights and ensuring that our employees and vendors have proper working conditions. This isn't just talk; we've conducted human rights assessments based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
These assessments enable us to identify and mitigate potential human rights risks associated with our operations and products. This matters because the products you use should be beneficial to you and manufactured in a manner that respects workers at all touchpoints. We’ve even conducted full-on-site human rights audits at our Copenhagen headquarters, our US office, and our China-based manufacturing plant as part of our commitment to ensuring that all employees are seen and heard.
Why Human Rights Matter in Business
So, why is this so important for a company and you? Besides being the right thing to do, we aim to establish ourselves as leaders in providing safe, caring, and productive working environments for both our employees and vendors.
This includes everything from fair labor practices to setting lofty targets for diversity and inclusion. We’ve implemented DEI trainings for our staff and conduct bi-annual “pulse checks” across all locations to ensure we are meeting the high standards we set for ourselves. When you choose Contour, you support a company that cares about the people behind your product.
Protecting Our Planet
When it comes to the planet, we’re serious about minimizing the environmental impact of our products to ensure a healthier world for all. In 2022, we joined the Science-Based Targets initiative, a partnership that enables us to set meaningful greenhouse gas reduction targets aligned with current climate science.
We’re making fundamental changes, such as reducing our sales fleet vehicles and ensuring that over 80% of the remaining cars are electric, with a plan to transition all company cars to electric by the end of their current leases. We're also exploring ways to reduce energy and resource use with our suppliers, such as collaborating with aluminum and plastics suppliers to source recycled materials instead of virgin materials. These steps contribute to a reduced carbon footprint for Contour’s entire product portfolio.
Understanding Our Carbon Footprint
As a hardware manufacturer, a significant portion of our emissions stems from the materials used in our products and their production. While our total emissions increased slightly in 2024 due to the rise in overall production, we’re dedicated to reducing our per-product emissions year after year. While manufacturing processes and transport are minor factors in our total carbon emissions, we are leaving no stone unturned in our quest to enhance our sustainability practices.
Knowing where our most significant impacts lie helps us focus our energy effectively, allowing us to make smarter, greener choices in how Contour products are produced.
The Importance of Strong Internal Governance
Maintaining strong internal governance and transparency in our business practices is essential for being a company you can trust. Policies, such as our code of conduct and gift registry, enable us to operate in good faith with both our customers and partners. However, that’s not all. In our commitment to raising the ethical bar, we hold all our partners and vendors to the same high standards.
Good governance also means having systems in place, such as our anonymous whistleblower hotline, which enables anyone in our company to report concerns without fear of bias. This accountability is crucial to building trust and ensuring we continually strive to improve for our workforce, partners, and customers.
Our Commitment to Transparency
We believe in being open about our progress, the successes, and identified areas of improvement, so you know precisely what Contour stands for. That's why we joined the UN Global Compact in 2021 and publish our Communication on Progress (COP) annually. This report is part of that commitment to transparency.
We’re focused on specific UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where we believe we can have the most impact, such as promoting gender equality, responsible consumption, and sustainable production.
The Path Forward
The quest for carbon neutrality is never-ending, and we’re already thrilled at the positive strides we’ve made. From making more sustainable manufacturing decisions to ensuring we foster excellent working conditions for our employees and maintaining transparency in our processes, we’ve started our journey off on the right foot.
As we look to 2025 and beyond, we can assure you that we will continue to improve our policies and practices to help create a better product and a better world for you.
