Koalas and Consumers Form a 'Three-Legged Race' for Human Survival and Biodiversity

Employees of Koala, an Australian home furniture company, who are carrying out endangered animal protection activities with the '1% for the Planet' members.
[Photo by Koala]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Due to explosive population and consumption growth, rapid urbanization, and excessive natural resource use, the world we live in is experiencing an unprecedentedly rapid decline in biodiversity.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)'s "Living Planet Report 2020," released in September 2020, an analysis of 20,811 individuals from 4,329 species worldwide showed that from 1970 to 2016, the population sizes of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish observed decreased by an average of 68%. The main cause is the rapid destruction of habitats suitable for wildlife due to changes in habitats caused by indiscriminate natural destruction.

The decline in biodiversity directly affects human livelihoods, which depend on obtaining essential nutrients from living organisms on Earth. Therefore, biodiversity protection and restoration must be recognized as survival issues, and comprehensive innovation is needed to reverse the trend of biodiversity loss.

To this end, expanded conservation measures by companies, sustainable production, and consumers' efforts toward sustainable consumption must accompany these efforts. In this regard, Australian home furniture company Koala is gaining attention for conducting various out-of-the-box biodiversity restoration activities that allow consumers to directly contribute to wildlife protection through purchasing products and services together with the company.

Founded in Australia in 2015, the furniture brand "Koala" is one of the "companies that practice environmental protection through consumption," valuing sustainable consumption. Aiming for change in the furniture industry and wildlife protection, Koala has embedded sustainability into its brand DNA since its inception and carries out various donation activities in partnership with global environmental organizations such as WWF and "1% for the Planet."

Koala has established a system where consumers can contribute to protecting endangered wildlife by purchasing products, donating 1% of annual sales to improve people, animals, and the environment. Through its partnership with WWF, Koala has been continuously donating to protect endangered animals since 2017.

In particular, inspired by the koala, the protected animal from which the brand name is derived, Koala supports actual koala protection every time a consumer purchases a Koala product under the slogan "buy one, adopt one."

Additionally, Koala strives to protect animals and the environment from the product manufacturing stage. All Koala products are 100% vegan, using plant-based materials such as Tencel instead of animal-derived materials like goose down to protect animals. Furthermore, Koala adds sustainable value throughout the product lifecycle by producing bed frames using wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and "Repreve" fibers made from recycled plastic waste.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.