houseof Case Study

houseof — how the UK’s coolest new lighting brand is amplifying climate action

The goal

The UK's coolest new lighting brand has purpose at the very core of its brand values. houseof, founded in 2019, was born out of a desire to improve high-street retail and end “throw away" culture. Together, houseof's co-founders created a lighting brand with purpose — every lighting product needed to be built to a high standard, live a long-life, and fulfil a specific purpose in the home.

The challenge

The challenge was set: how could houseof fulfil its goal to bring purpose to all areas of its business?

• To begin, houseof needed to evaluate the carbon footprint of its lighting production. From factory line assembly, to shipping and logistics, houseof measured its greenhouse gas emissions and financed one of South Pole's climate action projects to mitigate its footprint.
• Secondly, houseof wanted to respond to the growing consumer demand for high standards of product sustainability. South Pole consulted with houseof on the benefits and methodology of integrating a climate neutral checkout application to its e-commerce website.

The solution

• A carbon footprint calculation of its entire product range from production through to expected usage
• A climate neutral checkout integration — houseof customers are given the opportunity to offset the future usage emissions of the product they buy. This is calculated with the corresponding tCO2e at checkout.
• Access and investment into Huoshi Small Hydro — an exciting climate action project in China that generates renewable electricity. Investment into the project allows houseof and its customers to start mitigating its carbon footprint from the year 2020.
• “Let's save a cool planet" — houseof's team created a communications campaign to inspire consumers and stakeholders using hashtag #houseofchange

The project

Huóshui Small Hydro

Clean energy for China's remote mountain communities

This project consists of multiple small-scale hydropower plants that generate renewable energy for rural Southwest and South Central China. With the help of houseof's investment, the project supplies clean hydroelectric power to the local grid and displaces greenhouse gas emissions, helping mitigate climate change and improving the lives of local people.

South Pole has over 700 climate action projects – discover the tangible ways you can show your commitment to climate action here.