Steve (host):
Welcome to the 13th edition of Wonderspace which was originally released as a video orbit on the 29th November 2020. Since then we've been asking the same 6 questions to people from around the world. Our questions revolve around life and wonder, places of reset and stories of hopefulness, which I think we need more than ever. The setting for all of our interviews is a virtual window seat on the space station, from where we see everything from a different perspective. This week our orbit takes us from Western Europe to Sudan and joining us in this ultimate window seat we welcome Florianne Palouel.

Steve (host):
Florianne is the head of sustainability and transparency at Picture Organic Clothing in Annecy in France. PICTURE is best known for designing and manufacturing some of the most innovative and sustainable outdoor clothing. PICTURE are also known for producing epic adventure films which have been seen millions of times on YouTube. I start by asking Florian, from this window seat 250 miles above Earth, which place, city or country would you want us to fly over and why?

Florian:
I think I would go to Canada and especially to the Banff National Park. I went there 5 years ago and I still remember those incredible lakes, mountains, glaciers, wildlife, scenic roads. It's incredible. But fortunately, I live now in a really beautiful place in the French Alps. The city is called Annecy.

Florian:
And you also have endless possibilities to escape and go outdoors. So at the end, I would say that I have found my little Canada here which is great too and just made me realise that there is plenty of stuff to discover in your backyard and sometimes you don't need to go too far.

Steve (host):
Florian give us a glimpse into your life story so far with an emphasis on what you are doing currently.

Florian:
My life story so far is not going to be super interesting so I would rather share my work as a sustainability manager in the textile industry I think it's gonna be more interesting. I've been having this full-time position at Pitcher for 2 years now. So we are producing mainly snow jackets and snow pants with a recycled polyester from plastic bottles. So it's 1 of our very first commitments to the environment. But now with all of the things going on, we feel like it's time to go next level in our commitments.

Florian:
When I think about going next level, it's about reducing our emissions, having a clear climate and carbon strategies, or talking much more about energy than materials because you know energies is the problem of the world, fossil fuels especially and materials is only the problem of the textile industry So we need to have a broader scope and really targeting the causes of climate change, so fossil fuels, natural gas, coal, oil. So it's our commitment and yeah it's clearly about being aligned with the IPCC recommendations and make sure we are going into the right direction.

Steve (host):
Where on earth is your place of reset or recharge?

Florian:
I would not say that I have a specific place to reset or recharge. To me it's more about moments, no matter the place. So talking about moments of life, my favorite time of the year is winter and when you find those bluebird days with deep powder, wow it's really 1 of the best feelings in the world for sure. It's more about a moment and not really a place.

Steve (host):
What wonder of the natural world excites you the most?

Florian:
Definitely snow. You know I love snowboarding so much but the lack of snow is 1 of the symbols of climate change in mountains. So in a way it's becoming more and more rare. So when you see some you're like a kid, you want to enjoy it to the maximum.

Steve (host):
Florian, what is your story of hopefulness that's not your own? About a person, business or non-profit who are doing amazing things for the world.

Florian:
My story of Hopfulness is about a French brand called Hopal. They are located in the French Basque Country And I really love their devotion in creating simple, durable products with the least impacts on the planet using recycled materials, clean energy, local production. So yeah, for sure, this is still a small company, but they already do great things. And more important, they have a clear vision for the textile industry, the textile consumption. So to me it's brilliant.

Florian:
Maybe at the end they will not do a lot of different things, but they will be experts in doing 1 and I love that. The people behind Hopal are great guys, so yeah, I love them.

Steve (host):
Finally, as we prepare to re-enter, what insight, wisdom or question would you like to share with us?

Florian:
I would like to share that PCorp is 1 of the most demanding certifications in the world when it comes to responsible companies using business as a force for good. So we've been certified for 1 year now. And to me, it's really a process to improve our commitment and make sure we are going into the right direction once again. So I'm driving the company with 2 things, the B Corp certification for every aspect of our business and the IPCC recommendations when it comes to our climate strategy.

Steve (host):
More information about picture can be found at picture-organic-clothing.com And in the story of hopefulness Florian spoke about another sustainable French brand called Hopal which you can check out at hopal.com. If you want to find out more about Wonderspace, join the community or listen to the previous episodes. The website is ourwonder.space. I want to thank Florian for being with us on this Wonderspace orbit. I hope you can join us again next week for more wonders and stories of hopefulness.

Florian:
Thanks for watching!