Tiffany & Co. Has An Important Message For President Trump

As President Trump nears a decision on withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, an accord that every nation except two signed onto during the Obama era, his administration faces blowback from all sides, including those within his cabinet. France's newly-appointed President Emmanuel Macron just issued a video statement, urging POTUS and the American people to support climate change, and to stay in the agreement. Former president Barack Obama also just addressed the topic in a speech at the Seed & Chips summit in Milan yesterday, highlighting his own climate change efforts. Now, there's a major name in the fashion realm that's speaking up: Tiffany & Co. has joined the conversation with an open letter to President Trump.

The brand posted a message directly addressing the President on its Twitter and Instagram accounts, and has also taken out an ad in today's issue of The New York Times. "Tiffany strongly supports keeping the U.S. in the #ParisAgreement," the brand wrote, followed by a message, shown below, that's succinct, poignant, and powerful. As for reactions to the tweet, some have praised Tiffany & Co. for its efforts in speaking out, while others have been more critical, asking why people should care about what a fashion brand thinks when it comes to climate change. It's the first jewellery brand of Tiffany's scale to speak out about climate change, in addition to other industry names that have continued working toward a more eco-friendly production process that's less harmful to the environment, such as H&M, Levi's, and Patagonia.

The brand provided Refinery29 with a statement regarding its powerful social media posts and Times ad: “As part of Tiffany & Co.’s commitment to sustainability, we support the global movement to act on climate change," Anisa Kamadoli Costa, Tiffany & Co.'s chief sustainability officer, said in the statement. "Using our brand to advocate for this important issue – in addition to Tiffany’s long-term goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 – is one of the most important actions we can take."

Throughout his campaign, President Trump vowed to withdraw the U.S.'s involvement in the Paris Agreement in defence of job creation and competitive markets. Back in 2012, he tweeted that he believed the concept of global warming was created "by and for" the Chinese, "to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive." The accord requires countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, in order to slow down the rising of global temperatures to catastrophic levels. Obama's climate change efforts improved wind power production and increased solar power production, making the costs for renewable energy now comparable to those of oil and gas.

Tiffany & Co., which considers itself a leader in the luxury market, underscores how the brand maintains strict, meticulous standards in terms of where they produce their products, and how its manufacturing practices impact the environment. "We understand that the long-term resilience of our planet and its natural resources, the well-being of people and the success of our business go hand-in-hand, which is why it is key for us to have a positive impact where we operate," the Sustainability section of its website reads. The brand also strives to be transparent with its customers, and that includes posting its entire sustainability report online.

At the moment, the Trump administration has postponed making a decision about whether or not the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Agreement. But it's important to share messages like these, whether they originate from a fashion brand, a celebrity, or a politician, in our efforts to fight for the protection of our planet, and we applaud Tiffany & Co. for speaking out on the topic of climate change.