About

PUMA is one of the world’s leading sportlifestyle companies that designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories. It is committed to working in ways that contribute to the world by supporting creativity, sustainability and peace, and by staying true to the principles of being fair, honest, positive and creative in decisions made and actions taken.

Strategy

PUMA is acutely aware that Climate Change is one of the most serious threats to our planet and that all significant commercial and industrial activities generate CO2 emissions. PUMA is aware of its responsibility and has mapped out a concrete plan to contribute to a low carbon society.

As part of its sustainability strategy, PUMA has identified where it stands in terms of carbon emissions and what actions need to be taken to reduce these emissions. It has set clear and ambitious goals, which can be tracked and measured.

In 2009, PUMA conducted a CO2 inventory based on the internationally accepted Greenhouse Gas Protocol guidelines. The inventory focused on properties or operations that PUMA owns or has direct control over, such as their offices, stores and warehouses as well as the transportation of goods and staff business travel. This data was collected at a national level in 46 countries and consolidated in a central environmental management database.

The calculations show that PUMA produced approximately 107,000 tons of CO2 company-wide in 2008. Eleven thousand tons relate to direct emissions from PUMA offices, stores and warehouses through the use of gas and oil for heating and fuel for PUMA's car fleet. Twenty-two thousand, five hundred was classified as indirect emissions attributed to the use of electricity and district heating.

The emissions of their logistic providers are included into their overall emissions accounting (107 ktons for 2008). They are, however, classified as Scope 3 emissions according to greenhouse gas protocol. This means the emissions are triggered by PUMA (as they are paying for the transportation of the goods) but not directly emitted by PUMA.

PUMA is convinced that potential for saving exists in every single one of these areas. Examples are the use of green electricity, optimizing travel and logistics or simply leasing more fuel-efficient cars for their company fleet.

Their first concrete step towards improvement was the change to a green electricity provider for all their major German operations. Beside the use of electricity from renewable sources, their PUMAVision Headquarters, PUMA’s new German Head office, is also equipped with state of the art technology—such as concrete core temperature control and the use of solar power to supply electricity and hot water. These innovations all limit PUMA's impact upon the environment, and PUMA is proud to have the first carbon-neutrally operated headquarters in the sportlifestyle industry.

The Boston Head Office in the USA sets another example with a huge solar power station. They have set the ambitious goal of reducing their actual global emissions by 5 per cent annually between 2010 and 2020. This includes all direct emissions from their own entities, indirect emissions through the use of electricity and steam, as well as business travel.

PUMA is convinced that exploring CO2 saving potentials will also lead to long-term financial savings through increased efficiency of resources used. For instance, through a carbon footprint project carried out in cooperation with a PUMA T-Shirt manufacturer, a specialist sustainability organization and a producer of dyes, PUMA discovered that the carbon footprint of a T-shirt could be reduced by cutting out one step in the dyeing process—and at the same time generating savings for the supplier. Other exemplary carbon footprint product studies were also conducted for a pair of shoes and PUMA’s first fairtrade football.

Together with their industry peers, PUMA has committed to developing a common industry framework, in order to make the results of such studies comparable, as well as exchanging best practice examples.

PUMA seeks to collaborate with partners who share their sustainability vision. Its partners ask and provide support for their suppliers and external service providers to work actively to reduce their own emissions. For example, PUMA's South African strategic partner supplier, Impahla Clothing, became the first carbon neutral apparel supplier on the African continent, following a joint project on sustainability reporting. Other suppliers have shown great interest in this initiative and are currently measuring their emissions as part of the generation of their own sustainability reports.

PUMA’s sustainability work is supported and reinforced by the continuous efforts of its parent company PPR. As a supporter of the UN Global Compact, PUMA endorsed the Seal the Deal! Campaign supporting the signing of a binding international agreement on Climate Change following the Kyoto Protocol. PUMA also participates in a number of other initiatives such as: the Carbon Disclosure Project, the Fair Labor Association to ensure fair working conditions in the supply chain, and the Cotton Made in Africa initiative that supports sub-Saharan African farmers making a sustainable living.

PUMA holds regular stakeholder dialogue meetings to openly discuss their sustainability strategy with scientists, NGOs, academics, suppliers and other relevant stakeholders. They are looking forward to working with the UN Climate Neutral Network to expand and further optimize their climate strategy and actions.

Photo Gallery