A global movement aimed at pressuring governments into action over climate change is calling on Canadians to join a mass strike planned for Friday and “disrupt business as usual.”
But many retailers in Canada seem to be ignoring that call, with only three chains planning to shutter operations to help raise awareness about Swedish activist Greta Thunberg’s movement.
“Sustainability is really part of our DNA,” said Phil Arrata, CEO of Vancouver-based MEC.
The company will close its 22 stores in Canada on Friday until 5 p.m. local time to allow staff the opportunity to participate in protests.
Organizers plan climate strikes on Friday in more than 150 countries, including Canada. Vancouver is one of several Canadian cities with planned actions, according to the Global Climate Strike website.
The movement started with Greta, an activist who protested outside of her country’s parliament for several weeks in August 2018.
When her action caught the attention of social media, she expanded the movement to encourage kids to skip school every Friday to pressure global leaders to act. The young activist and her Fridays for Future school strike followers are now calling on everyone to walk out of their commitments Friday in a collective strike.
“We can all take part, whatever our circumstances, by refusing to accept the status quo,” reads the strike’s website.
Arrata said MEC staff wanted to participate.
The company knew it may be short staffed that day as a result, he said, and didn’t want to skimp on customer service or overwhelm the employees who choose to come in.
The company emailed its members to inform them about the closures and explain why they made the decision.
“The current rate of emissions causing climate change, if continued, puts the earth on a path to seeing 3-4 degrees of warming by mid-century. This will cause significant impacts to where we live, work and play,” the note reads.
Another Vancouver-based company, Lush Cosmetics North America, made a similar decision.
The toiletry maker said it will shut down its 50 shops, manufacturing facilities and online shopping in Canada on Friday in an effort to encourage its 2,216 staff and customers to participate in local actions. It closed some 200 shops in the U.S. last Friday, when the strike took place in that country.
“We have really come to understand the impact that climate crisis is having on our staff, as well as the rest of the world,”said Carleen Pickard, the company’s ethical campaigns specialist.
Vancouver-based Lululemon Athletica Inc. intends to keep its shops open, a spokesperson said, but would accommodate staff scheduled to work who wish to attend the strikes instead.
An Indigo Books & Music Inc. spokesperson said the retailer’s home office teams in Toronto and Montreal would have the opportunity to participate.
