Down remains, arguably, the most efficient insulator available (although Aerogel with its incredible 95% air content, is trying), with which to make icy weather clothes, sleeping bags & bedding, ). & according to the International Down & Feather Testing Laboratory (IDFL) "Down & feathers have the lowest carbon footprint of any other fill material, both natural & synthetic." But high quality down is the feathers of ducks & geese, normally plucked from their chest region, in some instances whilst they're alive. Not something that is appreciated by vegans or animal welfare proponents. But there's options for saying ethically warm.
Down Alternatives
One path is to avoid down filled garments & sleeping bags altogether. there's lots of synthetic, petroleum derived, insulation options like Polarguard, Thermore, PrimaLoft, etc. Some, like Primaloft, even have recycled content, if your ethics reflect concern around oil extraction. The use of finite fossil fuel petroleum aside, synthetic insulations don't have the longevity of down, as their polyester fibres are heat sensitive & lose their bulking ability (a.k.a. loft) over time.
For household bedding you might think about the likes or organic wool, organic cotton or hemp filled comforters/duvets/doonas, such as on offer from Rawganique.
Pre-Loved Down
Your next best alternative would be pre-loved down. Down products are usually more pricey than their synthetic cousins. In most cases it takes high quality materials & craftsmanship to contain the better grades of down. (We aren't speaking feather here, but those spidery, whispy down clusters that are free of quills). All this quality makes for a product that can, with care, last 20 to 30 years, or more. So lots of used options do come to market. purchasing pre-loved down avoids any additional animal welfare issues. Down soaps are obtainable that keep such products tidy & perky for lots of decades.
Nest Harvested Down
However, if a new down product is a must, then reckon about the choices offered by outdoor sleeping bag brands like Tundra, Crux and Bask. These guys source their down by working with suppliers who hand collect down from the nests of moulting geese, or from the famed Eider, a sea duck. In the later case the female Eiders pluck down from their own breast to line the nest to keep her offspring warm in the northern arctic circle. If collecting in the coursework of the nesting season, the harvesters often replace the down with hay, so eggs stay cosy. The down from each Eider nest might yield up to 16 grams of down. A lovely six season down sleeping bag might be filled with 500 grams of down. So with over 30 nests requiring a visit one can quickly see why ethically sourced down is of such a high cost.
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