Indirect suppliers 14 systems and Guidelines 15 stakeholder engagement 17
ENvirONMENT 19
management Processes 20 Innovation 20 Design 21 marketing 22 Development 23 sourcing 24 own operations 27 sales 29 communication 30 Human resources 30 It 31EMplOyEES 32
2012 MilESTONES 36
pErFOrMANCE 42
supply chain 43 audits and training 46 enforcement 52 environment 54 employees 56 community affairs 61Growing our business brings with it many challenges. our strategic Business Plan until 2015 – called route 2015 - sets out ambitious targets for the growth of the adidas Group. While working towards these strategic goals, we also want to meet society’s evolving expectations of business practices. these include our responsibilities towards our employees, the people who make our products, the environment and the communities where we operate.
In 2010 we set 2015 social and environmental targets that aim to shape how we will grow and meet our business goals in a sustainable way. targets are important because they give us a clear orientation and landmarks to reach and they spur us on to go further and achieve more.
this report is focused on reporting our efforts to reach the milestones we set ourselves for 2011.
Progress in 2011
two milestones highlight the progress we are making in managing social compliance in our supply chain:
1. our direct suppliers’ performance is rated through a key performance indicator, or c-rating, on a scale of 1c-5c.
In our direct supply chain, which accounts for four- fifths of our sourcing volume, nearly 40% of our direct suppliers and 62% of our strategic tier 1 suppliers were rated as 3c factories or better. so we are on track to meet our 2015 target to see 60% of our direct suppliers reaching at least 3c.
2. We aimed to improve the lowest performing suppliers in our direct supply chain and we had remarkable success:
reducing the lowest rated factories (1c) from 19% of our supply chain in 2010 to 8% by the end of 2011.
In the environmental area, we continued to increase the number of products containing environmentally optimised components. the amount of adidas footwear meeting our baseline environmental criteria more than doubled in 2011 and now accounts for 65% of all adidas athletic footwear.
the starting point for delivering our environmental strategy 2015 is to have the right systems and guidelines in place.
We have met our 2011 milestone to develop a format for these guidelines and we have introduced a new system to record and track our key environmental data covering around 80% of our own operations’ footprint.
While working towards these strategic goals, we also want to meet society’s evolving expectations of business practices.
Ceo sTATeMenT
In July 2011, we published a complete list of the names and addresses of the factories producing adidas clothes, shoes and equipment for the london 2012 olympic Games.
the list also shows the status of worker or trade union representation and whether there is a collective Bargaining agreement in place at the individual facility.
reCogniTion
We value feedback from stakeholders on our sustainability strategy and programmes. for the 12th consecutive year, in september 2011, adidas aG was selected to join the Dow Jones sustainability Indexes (DJsI), which track the performance of leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. Based on this result, adidas aG was not only rated as sam sector leader 2012 in managing sustainability issues but was also classified as sam Gold class in our industry. furthermore, our company was once again acknowledged to be one of ‘the Global 100 most sustainable corporations in the World’.
The fuTure
there are challenges ahead. the rising costs of limited resources create a commercial and environmental imperative to adopt more sustainable practices. calls for greater social justice demand business plays a part in tackling poverty and poor living conditions. addressing these and other concerns requires us to embed our sustainability strategy deeply into our company. I am particularly excited about innovative programmes such as our virtualisation and product excellence projects contributing to a significant reduction in resource use. their positive impact on both our financial and environmental performance represents a strong alignment between our business and sustainability goals.
By focusing our report around our 2011 milestones, we hope we have provided a clear account of the first steps on our five-year journey towards our sustainability targets for 2015.
there is still much for us to do but we are confident we are on the right track.
Please let us know what you think at [email protected].
thank you.
herbert hainer chief executive officer adidas Group
We cannot reach our goals without engaged employees.
following our global employee engagement survey, we began a comprehensive results-to-action process to maintain our top scoring areas and improve upon areas of weakness. We now have action plans in place covering more than 83% of the organisation.
engAgeMenT And CollAborATion
engaging with stakeholders has remained an important element of our sustainability strategy in 2011. this engagement helps us to understand issues and be
responsive to concerns raised. It also leads to collaborative working. We recognise that many of the issues we face cannot be solved by the adidas Group alone and working with other actors in our industry helps drive lasting change.
so for example, the adidas Group acted as the lead party in a supplier-brand caucus formed in 2010 to engage with Indonesia’s trade union movement. Its aim was to develop a basic framework for the exercise of trade union rights in the workplace. an agreement was finally reached and signed in Jakarta in June 2011. the protocol is recognised as a landmark achievement in Indonesian labour rights.
When Greenpeace launched its Detox campaign calling for an end of discharge of hazardous chemicals in the textile industry, we worked with a coalition of other brands to develop a joint roadmap towards the zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020.
PrePAring for london 2012 – The ‘susTAinAble gAMes’
as the official sportswear Partner of the london 2012 olympic and Paralympic Games, adidas has an important role to play in delivering the ‘sustainable Games’ vision.
all london 2012 adidas products and services must be sourced and manufactured to environmental, social, and ethical guidelines and standards set by the london organising committee of the olympic and Paralympic Games (locoG). suppliers and factories have been briefed on these standards and regular audits are conducted to ensure that all products are sourced and transported in an ethical manner. around 90% of all adidas olympic articles have some sustainable content.
our aPProacH to
sustaInaBIlIty
our APProACh To susTAinAbiliTy
overview of our susTAinAbiliTy sTrATegy
the five areas of our strategy are:• embedding environmental sustainability in all products, processes and services to significantly improve our environmental impact across our value chain and to positively contribute to our business performance.
• effectively managing business risks and social
compliance in our supply chain, which is expanding, and becoming more complex with multiple relationships and stretched lines of communication and control.
• extending our engagement internally and externally – partnering with others to embed new thinking and better ways of collaboration within our business and along our supply chain. Working together to make a difference.
• creating the best and most productive workplace in the industry by becoming a champion in talent and
succession management, a world-class recruiter and a top 10 employer in every key market in which we operate.
• making a difference in the communities where we operate by supporting programmes that truly meet local needs.
governAnCe of our susTAinAbiliTy sTrATegy
We are a company that operates globally and outsources most of its production to a multi-tiered supply chain. so it is essential to develop an approach that covers our social and environmental responsibilities both inside and outside the company. In no way can a single corporate unit carry this out. Group social & environmental affairs (sea) and Group Human resources (Hr) play a critical role in fulfilling our responsibilities in this area.Group social and environmental affairs (sea) reports into the General counsel of the adidas Group and is tasked with:
• ensuring compliance with the “Workplace standards”
within the supply chain, and with that being part of the Group’s risk and compliance management system.
• leading, promoting and managing the development and implementation of environmental strategies across the Group’s value chain.
• extending and maturing the engagement and
collaboration with others to drive changes in the industry.
• managing the community affairs programme at Group level.
• managing the Group’s corporate sustainability communication and reporting.
We are striving to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry and this demands that we return strong financial results. But leadership is not only about results, it is also about how success is achieved. It is about striking the balance between business needs and social and environmental demands.
Balancing these interests requires strong commitment, strategic direction, efficient and careful execution, as well as regular reflection on the progress made.
the adidas Group’s sustainability strategy is rooted in the Group’s values – performance, passion, integrity and diversity. It is built on the achievements and learning from previous years. It takes into account changes in the societal landscape, global trends and goes hand-in-hand with our overall business strategy. It reflects the feedback that we have captured from our stakeholders and sets clear targets we are striving to achieve.
prOgrAMME STrATEgy
how susTAinAbiliTy suPPorTs our business sTrATegy
In october 2010, we presented the most
comprehensive and aligned strategic Business Plan our Group has ever created: route 2015.
over these five years, we want to achieve qualitative and sustainable growth by building desirable, leading brands in the consumers’
and customers’ perception. consumers nowadays increasingly expect companies to do more than just consider social and environmental issues. they want the products they buy to be the best, helping them be the best they can be. But they also want to buy these products from companies that are at the leading edge in terms of making a difference to the world at large.
We know that we can only follow this route if we are fully committed to managing our business operations in a
sustainable way. While we have made big strides in laying the foundations for success in previous years, we must continue to drive innovations and to strengthen our systems and processes.
We also recognise that while the individual elements of our sustainability strategy are robust and well-managed, we could improve the cross-linkages, which would increase the strategy’s effectiveness. the stronger our sustainability strategy, the more it will help us realise our business ambition to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry.
there are five elements to our sustainability strategy:
• environmental sustainability
• social compliance in our supply chain
• engaging stakeholders
• Developing our employees
• contributing to local communities.
environMenTAl susTAinAbiliTy
Integrating environmental thinking and acting into our daily operations and developing smarter solutions – this is what we want our environmental strategy to achieve.
It aims to substantially improve the Group’s environmental footprint by changing our processes across every part of our value chain from innovation and product design via development and manufacturing operations to our own stores and other sales channels.
soCiAl CoMPliAnCe in The suPPly ChAin
Workers in our suppliers’ factories play a central role in our programme. It was concern for their welfare and rights that led us to write our “Workplace standards” and to establish a compliance management system covering all brands of the adidas Group.
our supply chain is large, multi-tiered and varied.
We have a detailed approach to managing relationships with our suppliers and we continue to develop ways for engaging suppliers who are part of our direct and indirect supply chain.
engAging sTAkeholders
as a company we do not operate in isolation and we seek feedback from internal and external stakeholders by carefully listening, responding and engaging with them.
our engagements are with people in the company as well as externally including governments, civil society, investors, analysts, customers, and industry alliances.
We engage internally with employees and managers to develop appropriate and innovative ways of embedding sustainability thinking and processes within our organisation. externally we look for innovative forms of partnerships and collaboration that drive change in the industry.
develoPing our eMPloyees
our people are crucial to our success. We strive to create a working environment that promotes team spirit, passion, engagement and achievement.
We promote a performance culture based on strong leadership and therefore link employee compensation to Group and individual achievements. We aim to continuously develop our employees with opportunities for career progression, while upholding a culture that celebrates diversity and encourages global mobility.
We also know how important it is to continue to attract and recruit new people to the adidas Group. In this so-called
‘war for talent’, it is important that we become a world-class recruiter, and this ambition has led us to launch innovative programmes to raise our profile with potential employees.
We aim to create a stimulating and attractive work
environment as we strive to be a top 10 employer of choice in the key markets in which we operate.
ConTribuTing To loCAl CoMMuniTies
as a multinational enterprise, the adidas Group is represented in many countries around the world and its business operations impact people’s lives in those communities. While there are many possible ways to get involved in aid or community programmes, the challenge is to know the local needs of the communities. We therefore have chosen a largely decentralised and brand-oriented model for community involvement recognising that people in the subsidiaries best understand the needs and cultural sensitivities of their local communities. Brand programmes are managed under the adi Dassler fund, the reebok corporate responsibility Programme and the taylormade- adidas Golf charity Programme.at Group level we continue to support our suppliers’
communities as we make contributions to organisations that promote sustainable development practices within the industry.
rEpOrTiNg ApprOACh
We aim to act responsibly and communicate honestly. We recognise that stakeholders have a legitimate interest in our social and environmental performance and our ambition is always to satisfy that interest with complete and accurate information.
We have produced annual reports on our sustainability performance since 2000. each year we reflect on what we can do better, taking on board feedback we have received, reviewing who is reading our reports and visiting our corporate website and reflecting on the fact that more and more people are interested in our social and environmental performance.
reAChing MilesTones – The bAsis of our rePorT
last year the adidas Group launched its five-year business strategy route 2015. We also set targets for 2015 across our sustainability programme with milestones for 2011.
this year our report is focused on the progress we have made on reaching those 2011 milestones. the title we gave last year’s report still holds: performance counts. It is this focus on performance, and the outcomes of this year’s efforts, which is at the heart of our sustainability Progress report for 2011.
to complement this focus on reporting progress in reaching our milestones, we have added content to the sustainability section of our corporate website. this now covers the context for our sustainability programme, our approach to the issues in more detail, and includes case studies where we have put our strategy into practice.
We envisage maintaining this two-pronged approach in the remaining years up to 2015, with additional enhancements, as we further develop our sustainability communications strategy.
using The gri
We recognise that the Global reporting Initiative (GrI) Guidelines are the international benchmark for sustainability reporting.
since information provided on our corporate website and in our 2011 sustainability Progress report is deeply interconnected and built on each other, we apply the GrI 3.1 Guidelines to the total content of both sites. to show how we have complied with the GrI, we are preparing a GrI content Index, which will be added to our corporate website.
for more information about the Global reporting Initiative, please see www.globalreporting.org
HIGHlIGHts 2011
Publishing A roAdMAP To zero disChArge
In november 2011, the adidas Group, c&a, H&m, li ning, nike, Inc. and Puma released a joint roadmap towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals (ZDHc) in the supply chain by 2020 for public consultation. It is an ambitious plan, one that sets a new standard of environmental performance for the global apparel and footwear industry. the roadmap includes specific commitments and timelines to realise this shared goal.More about our roadmap to zero discharge on our corporate website.
iMProving The PerforMAnCe of suPPliers
at the end of 2010, the adidas Group adopted an aggressive policy to improve the lowest performing suppliers in our direct supply chain. In India, close to 80% of our local suppliers had failed to meet or maintain our minimum expected score of 2c under our social compliance KPI system. focused capacity building by our local compliance team led to a marked turnaround in 2011, with over 80% of our local suppliers now meeting our 2c minimum. those that have failed to meet our expectations will be phased out in 2012.
More about improving suppliers’ performance in the
‘Suppliers’ section of this report.
world of sPorTs iso 14001 CerTifiCATion
as part of the adidas Group’s Green company programme, in 2011, our site in Indianapolis, usa, and our World of sports Headquarters location in Herzogenaurach, Germany, were successfully certified in accordance with the Iso 14001 standard for environmental management systems.this brought us to ten major adidas Group sites covered by certified environmental management systems by the end of 2011.
read more in the ‘Environment’ section of this report.
environMenTAl dATA Tool for boTh green CoMPAny And suPPliers’ dATA
In 2011, a new reporting tool was designed and implemented for both our Green company reporting and our suppliers’
reporting of environmental performance. the tool will help drive environmental improvements for our own operations and for our suppliers, and will allow us to compare data more easily.
More about the new reporting tool in the ‘Environment’
section of this report.
these highlights from our year represent some of the key steps we have taken in 2011 to be a more sustainable business. In keeping with the ongoing challenges of sustainability, some are milestones we have reached while others describe the early stages of initiatives that will help us meet our targets for 2015 and beyond.
reAChing ouT To sTAkeholders in london
In may 2011, we hosted a stakeholder dialogue on the topic ‘respecting labour rights in Global supply chains:the Impact of major sporting events’. representatives from uK labour and human rights organisations, the london organising committee for the olympic Games and Paralympic Games (locoG) and socially responsible investment analysts attended along with senior staff from the adidas Group. the meeting has helped shape how we work with our suppliers around major sporting events, including the london 2012 olympic Games.
More about this stakeholder engagement on our corporate website.
Publishing our suPPlier lisT for The olyMPiCs
In July 2011, the adidas Group published a complete list of london 2012 olympic Games suppliers with the names and addresses of the factories by country. the list also shows the status of worker or trade union representation and whether there is a collective Bargaining agreement in place at the individual facility. We took this step as part of our ongoing effort to be transparent about our supply chain.
See the list of our suppliers on our corporate website.
keePing our susTAinAbiliTy ProMises AT The olyMPiCs
as the official sportswear Partner of the london 2012 olympic Games, adidas fulfilled its commitment to provide products with sustainable content for the Games.
the volunteer uniforms are an important part of this commitment and 100% of the uniforms contain sustainable content, while the special edition fluid trainer is our most sustainable shoe.
More about meeting Olympics commitments in the
‘Suppliers’ section of this report.
highlighTs 2011
PiloTing The APPArel CoAliTion index ACross MAny ProduCT CATegories
as a founding member of the sustainable apparel coalition, 2011 saw the adidas Group participate in both the development and testing of a cross-industry apparel sustainability measurement tool. nearly 20 products were piloted from brand adidas, reebok and rockport, and these covered all business units and global creation centres.More about this pilot project on our corporate website.
lAuChing The susTAinAble MAnufACTuring iniTiATive
During 2011 the adidas Group launched an ambitious
research project to help our suppliers manufacture products while minimising negative environmental impacts – that is, sustainable manufacturing. the first phase of the project – a partnership with the royal melbourne Institute of technology university in australia – was piloted in Indonesia, with the participation of a cross-section of footwear and apparel suppliers, as well as tier 2 material suppliers. the results of the pilot exercise will be shared on an open source basis.
More about the Sustainability Manufacturing initiative on our corporate website.
resPonding To revised un huMAn righTs PrinCiPles
In september 2011, the adidas Group issued its position on the integration of Human rights into its business operations.
With this step we wanted to inform stakeholders how the company is responding to the revised oecD Guidelines, the final report published by the un special representative on Business and Human rights, Professor John ruggie and state of california’s transparency in supply chains act of 2010.
More about our position on human rights on our corporate website.
dow jones seCTor leAder
In september 2011, for the 12th consecutive time, adidas aG has been selected to join the Dow Jones sustainability Indexes (DJsI), the world’s first global sustainability index family tracking the performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. In the category
‘clothing, accessories & footwear’, adidas aG was rated as industry leader in sustainability issues and corporate responsibility for the eighth time.
More about this on our corporate website.
woMen in leAdershiP PosiTions
starting in 2011, the adidas Group has set itself the goal of increasing the number of women in leadership positions. We recognise we have a role to play in supporting employees who are striving to balance family life with a successful career. therefore, among other initiatives, we have put a strong focus on work-life integration during the remodelling of our headquarters and have planned in parent-child offices and an investment into a childcare centre.
More about our efforts to support women in the workplace in the ‘Employee’ section of this report.
eMPloyee develoPMenT ProgrAMMes
We continue to invest in developing our own employees because we believe in internal talent pools and systematic talent and performance promotion. therefore, in 2011, we have launched two new development programmes: the‘People Development Programme’ targets young employees with remarkable potential and the ‘fit to lead’ programme teaches leadership skills to our first-time people managers.
More about how we develop our employees on our corporate website.
suPPlIers
the clusters show that we moved closer to our target that by 2015 80% of strategic tier 1 suppliers will meet compliance expectations and a minimum performance rating of 3c.
suppliers who are rated 1c (with social compliance KPI scores of 29% or below) are viewed as having systemic problems. typically they are factories which have inadequate or underdeveloped management systems and are unable to support long-term sustainable compliance with the adidas Group’s Workplace standard. By the end of 2011, 8% of all suppliers were rated as 1c. this is a substantial decrease from 19% in 2010 and has been achieved through a focused effort on capacity-building.
We designed a comprehensive capacity-building programme that required suppliers to develop and improve Hr and Health, safety and environment management systems, as well as strengthen the capabilities of their personnel and organisation. the programme includes classroom training, project assignments and periodic progress reviews. members of the social & environmental affairs (sea) team were actively involved in providing consultation to suppliers where needed.
In countries like India and Indonesia, the team also engaged and commissioned external experts to deliver tailored training.
Progress was then measured and improvements noted for each of the unit of measures of our social compliance key performance indicators.
2012 MilesTones
In 2012, our supplier KPI capacity-building programme will build on our experience and successes from 2011. We aim, by the year end, to:
• achieve 68% of our strategic tier 1 suppliers at 3c rating or better, and 15% at 4c rating or better
• 45% of all direct suppliers to meet 3c rating (good) or better
• target newly approved suppliers to help them achieve a minimum 2c rating
• Provide ongoing training and consultation for existing suppliers to improve their KPI rating to the next level.
DirECT SuppliErS
TArgeT 2015: 80% of sTrATegiC Tier 1 suPPlier fACTories To MeeT 3C (good) or beTTer under our soCiAl CoMPliAnCe kPi rATing And 25% of TheM To be in The self-governAnCe CoMPliAnCe Model
2011 mIlestone
tackle the lowest performers by improving 1c-rated suppliers to a minimum rating of 2c and exit those suppliers that do not meet this grade.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
In 2011, comprehensive capacity building was designed and implemented for suppliers who were at 1c rating in 2010 across asia. target countries included India, Indonesia, thailand and china. the capacity-building programme has resulted in more than 70%
of 1c factories making the required improvements to achieve a 2c rating. those suppliers who failed to reach a minimum of 2c are to be phased out in 2012.
lArgely AChieved
AdditionAl comments
During 2011 we improved how we monitor supply chain compliance by customising programme activities with three redefined clusters of the supply chain. these clusters stressed more value-added practices by the fair, good and best compliance performers. the highest performing suppliers implemented “self-governance” activities, including more sophisticated reporting. fair, good and best performers participated in the “Partnership” cluster, focusing on collaboration with multiple buyers in shared factories (such as the sustainable compliance Initiative and the Brown shoe collaboration), and participating in multi-stakeholder initiatives (such as the fair labor association and Better Work). the poorest performing suppliers are in the “risk management”
cluster.
• the risk Management cluster includes those factories scoring at 1c or 2c – about 61% of our supply chain
• the partnership cluster includes 3c factories – about 28% of our supply chain
• the Self-governance cluster is composed of 4c and 5c factories – about 11% of our supply chain.
suPPliers
iNDirECT SuppliErS
TArgeT 2015: sCoreCArds for business uniTs And
inTerMedAries MAnAging our indireCT suPPliers To AChieve An AverAge PerforMAnCe rATing of 70% or higher
2011 mIlestone Drive business entities’
accountability for their supply chains’ compliance performance by:
• expanding the number of strategic compliance plans (scP) and report card (rc) assessments.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
the number of strategic compliance plans has increased by 29% from 31 to 40 and report cards by 13% from 55 to 62.
TArgeT AChieved
AdditionAl comments
our target is for our Group business units (Bu) and licensees, altogether known as our Business entities (Be), to achieve an average report card score of 70% or higher by 2015. By the end of 2010, 55 report cards had been completed and the average score for all the Bes globally was 63%. By the end of 2011, 62 report cards were completed and the average global score improved to 67%.
sea works with the Bus and licensees to develop their strategic compliance plans (scP) and report cards (rc). the rc evaluates the Business entities’ performance over the previous 12 months in integrating the Group’s ethical sourcing policies into their daily operations and throughout their supply chain. Gaps embedding the policies and practices are identified by assessing responses for defined standards and requirements. the final step develops and implements a forward looking strategic action plan. some of the report cards in 2011 remained desk top exercises and were not updated.
the rc assessment includes benchmarks to evaluate the Business entity’s collaboration with the sea team, the disclosure and accuracy of its supply chain data in the fair factories clearinghouse (ffc), compliance with sea standards and guidelines, and the effective management of supply chain audits and corrective actions. a final measurement benchmark assesses the overall compliance performance of its global supply chain. the report card score is a cumulative score up to 100%.
low scores indicate serious shortcomings in the Business entity‘s management of sea requirements within their organisation and in the supply chain. the sea team meets with low-scoring Bes more frequently to support the improvement of compliance processes and management systems. Business entities with high scores, in particular those who already have established a compliance programme and an internal audit team, operate in a self-governance mode.
this means that they are allowed to enter the results of their internal audit findings in the ffc database. the sea team conducts random audits in these factories to confirm the findings and to inform the regular KPI assessments.
2012 MilesTone
• In 2012, scorecards to be reviewed and updated for 90% of our business units and licensees that have own sourcing arrangements.
2011 mIlestone Drive business entities’
accountability for their supply chains’ compliance
performance by:
• launching an environmental component to the scP.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
an environmental component was integrated into the standard strategic compliance planning tool and launched globally for application to all core suppliers.
TArgeT AChieved
(rollouT And iMPleMenTATion) for APPArel Core suPPliers
PArTiAlly AChieved
(rollouT And iMPleMenTATion) for eMeA And AMeriCAs Core suPPliers
AdditionAl comments
factories are required to prepare and keep updated a three- year strategic compliance plan (scP) that directs their internal efforts to comply with the adidas Group Workplace standards, through the development of sound management systems, monitoring processes and training. recognising the need to align the environmental aspects of the programme into the sea core tools, we revised the scP to incorporate an environmental element allowing the factory to address sustainability as a whole. this is in line with the need for suppliers to be transparent in their approach to addressing their overall sustainable practices.
With the additional environmental element in the scP, suppliers are now taking a closer look at their internal environmental programme and initiatives. they are also challenged to look at their activities in a more comprehensive manner – considering the interactions between labour, health & safety and environmental issues.
2012 MilesTone
• We will continue to promote the environmental component of the scP to core suppliers in the emea and americas regions.
furthermore, the sea team and the ffc have started working with arts (association for retail technology standards) to create an industry-wide solution to interface compliance data between different database platforms. several other brands, multi-stakeholder initiatives and organisations such as nike, fla, GscP, seDeX and Better Work are also part of this project.
the ffc plays a crucial role in this project and its recognition and visibility within the industry increased in 2011.
2012 MilesTone
• In 2012, sea will continue to promote the ffc as an industry- wide tool for sharing compliance information and harmonising corrective action plans.
2011 mIlestone
Integrate the next generation of monitoring tools by benchmarking our tools and practices against those of other brands in key industry alliances, such as the fla and GscP.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
largely achieved and continuously acted upon. the launching of the sustainable compliance Initiative and the Global social compliance Programme equivalency process are still works in progress but we continue to mature our tools and methodology in collaboration with these programmes.
lArgely AChieved
AdditionAl comments
We leveraged industry and sectoral initiatives such as the fair labor association’s sustainable compliance Initiative (fla-scI), the fair factories clearinghouse (ffc), and the Global social compliance Programme (GscP) to continue calibrating our monitoring methodology, strategic compliance planning tool, and key performance indicators.
the fla’s scI methodology focuses monitoring on all of the stages of the employment life cycle, from recruitment through the termination of employment. the adidas Group actively participated in global testing of the scI tool in the americas, asia Pacific and emea. We are also working closely with brands like nike and Philips van Heusen to identify standards for a commonly used set of monitoring question sets derived from the scI tool. this will further advance the jointly applied monitoring content and practices with up to 100 shared factories.
the sea Human resources management systems (Hrms) programme was evaluated and harmonised to seamlessly integrate with the scI methodology. the fair Wage assessment project started in 25 factories (4 full assessments and 21 self-assessments in the Philippines, thailand, and latin america) and will collect and measure worker compensation practices against 12 wage benchmarks, and identify frameworks that sustainably improve wages. scI, Hrms and fair Wage assessment continue to be thoroughly tested and will be completely integrated into the sea team’s internal coverage and practice by 2013. see below for more on the fair Wage assessment exercise.
SySTEMS AND guiDEliNES
TArgeT 2015: esTAblish CoMMon indusTry-wide MoniToring PlATforM And Tools used To CheCk And MeAsure workPlACe CondiTions
2011 mIlestone
Promote the mainstreaming of the fair factories clearinghouse (ffc) as an industry-wide tool for compliance collaboration and harmonised activities.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
the sea team is an industry pioneer in harmonising corrective action plans with other brands using the ffc’s data sharing platform.
lArgely AChieved
AdditionAl comments
We have been using the fair factories clearinghouse (ffc) as the adidas Group’s compliance database since 2006. In 2008, the ffc created a feature to enable its member companies to share factory audit reports, corrective action plans (caP) and other related documents. We have shared our audit results in the ffc with all the other members since then.
the sea team has been the leader in sharing the most number of monitoring documents in the ffc and in harmonising caPs with other brands in shared factories. With the consent of the factory management, the caPs of the two brands are harmonised into one caP, which allows the factory to respond to just one caP instead of two different ones. this saves valuable resources for the factory and for buyers, and creates consistency for everyone.
It also reduces the number of audits in a factory as the brands can alternate audit responsibilities between each other and update the harmonised caP.
In 2011, the sea team asked the ffc to further improve and simplify its collaboration aspect and the ffc subsequently introduced new specifications to its members by end of 2011. In order to promote collaboration further, the ffc even introduced a new membership model with both “full membership” and
“sharing only” membership. In this way companies do not have to be full members to collaborate and harmonise caPs with other members.
the adidas Group strongly supports the ffc data sharing capabilities because we believe that if there are more companies using the ffc to share audits and to harmonise caPs, the industry as a whole will benefit.
In 2011, we introduced the ffc to the “Brown shoe
collaboration” companies. the “Brown shoe collaboration”
consists of a range of brands within the business and casual footwear segment. most of them were not ffc members so the ffc provided them with trial memberships for six months to allow them to edit the harmonised caP in shared factories.
We continue promoting the ffc as an industry-wide solution in our interactions with other brands, federations and initiatives including the World federation of sporting Goods Industry, Better Work, the fair labor association, the sustainable apparel coalition (sac) and the Global social compliance Programme (GscP).
We use the fair factories clearinghouse (ffc), a shared compliance monitoring platform that enables us to collaborate on activities in factories shared with other buyers, in other words, to more efficiently engage with factories. In 2011, we shared compliance data in the ffc for 913 of our factories.
additionally, we engaged in 18 collaboration activities directly with other brands, and through Better Work. In many of these cases, we developed harmonised remediation plans with other buyers and established consistent messages for factory management. this clearly set expectations for suppliers to fulfil the benchmarks of the partnership compliance model and move to adopt practices for a self-governing compliance model.
We have 93 self-Governance audits conducted by our 4c and 5c-rated suppliers, fla participating suppliers, and selected licensees.
In 2012, we will start applying the “equivalence Process” of the Global social compliance Programme. this helps companies and initiatives to benchmark their own systems, tools and processes against agreed best existing practices as described in the GscP reference tools. a more detailed description can be found on the GscP website at http://www.gscpnet.com/
equivalence-process.html
2012 MilesTones
• finalise the commonly shared (scI) monitoring question sets with other brands and buyers.
• continue preparations to integrate scI, Hrms and the fair Wage assessment to internal sea practice by 2013.
• start applying the Global social compliance Programme equivalence assessment.
2011 mIlestones Drive efficiencies and
effectiveness in the monitoring and improvement of workplace conditions by leveraging our partnerships and
collaborations with selected brands, multi-stakeholder initiatives and other stakeholders by:
• Promoting the
harmonisation of corrective action plans at a factory level through brand collaborations and engagement with key suppliers.
• completing a fair Wage pilot in collaboration with the fla and Ilo by prototyping in the Philippines and central america.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
the milestone was largely achieved and continuously acted upon. fair Wage piloting and collaborations met the 2011 target but the increase in the number of suppliers with harmonised corrective actions plans was less than expected.
lArgely AChieved
AdditionAl comments
the 2011 milestones were direct actions with the supply chain to achieve 2015 targets of 80% of our strategic tier 1 suppliers reaching a 3c KPI rating and 25% of them to take direct responsibility for their own social compliance performance. the 2015 targets for collaboration and partnerships with multiple stakeholders (multi-stakeholder initiatives, brands, and local civil society) included work in 2011 to find resolutions in several factory reports – ocean sky, style avenue, Pt Kizone. the fair Wage project, rolled out in five countries, supports the 2015 target that strategic suppliers transparently report on sustainability performance.
Stakeholder partnerships and collaborations
In 2011, we worked closely with the fair labor association and other brands to refine and finalise the sustainable compliance Initiative (scI). the scI is an innovative approach for assessing working conditions and developing corrective action that focuses on proper and effective human resource management systems.
sea staff participated in pilot testing of the tool with suppliers in china, India, el salvador and Bulgaria. team members attended training to assess the value of the systems and practices in the workplace, including identifying the item to be assessed, and then evaluating that item in a way that leads to sustainable recommendations and remedies.
the sea staff participated in developmental working groups with the fair factories clearinghouse’s new programme (arts) to seamlessly share compliance data, and the sustainable apparel coalition’s sustainability Index content for the environment and social compliance.
notable collaborations with other brands included work on the fla–scI, and an increased number of corrective action planning with factories shared with another sports brand. shared corrective action planning is rolled out in seven countries – Indonesia, vietnam, turkey, egypt, Brazil, Honduras, and mexico.
ongoing efforts in partnerships with eight other brands in the
“Brown shoe collaboration” continued for the third year, with the development of common corrective action plans for multiple shared factories for a large scale shoe supplier in china.
the collaboration also expanded coverage by looking at opportunities to set common standards and approaches for the safe use of chemicals.
active engagements with local civil society, other buyers and regulatory authorities led to prompt and successful resolution in the ocean sky and style avenue factory cases in el salvador.
STAkEhOlDEr ENgAgEMENT
TArgeT 2015: sTrATegiC suPPliers To hAve TrAnsPArenT rePorTing PrACTiCes AbouT Their susTAinAbiliTy PerforMAnCe in PlACe
2011 mIlestones address external
requirements for transparency and disclosure:
• fulfil locoG requirements and contract obligations on supplier disclosure and seDeX uploads.
• Publicly disclose olympic supplier list from mid-2011 and update quarterly to ensure it is current and accurate.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
as a local sponsor of the 2012 london olympic Games, the adidas Group comprehensively met the requirements as outlined in the sourcing code of the london organising committee of the olympic and Paralympic Games (locoG).
Beyond these requirements we disclosed our olympic supplier list to the public and updated it quarterly. We also developed and delivered a legacy programme of outdoor sports facilities for local communities in the uK and ran the first ever sports event- focused stakeholder dialogue.
TArgeT AChieved
AdditionAl comments
engaging openly with stakeholders and establishing leadership approaches for transparency and disclosure is a fundamental part of our sustainability strategy.
Being so visible at major sporting events draws attention to how we do business, so the adidas Group has taken a proactive approach in engaging with stakeholders about its corporate responsibility practices for the london 2012 olympic Games. the approach has included specific actions:
• meeting the requirements of the locoG sourcing code and disclosing our olympic supplier list to the public
• Providing a sporting legacy to the uK and delivering a grassroots programme to the community
• seeking direct dialogue with uK-based labour and human rights groups about how events are organised and how the parties involved manage their wider responsibilities when it comes to protecting human or labour rights.
Fair Wage pilot
the fair Wage approach is based on assessing 12 complementary fair Wage benchmarks to gain a complete overview of wage practices at the enterprise level and to identify remedial needs. Different fair Wage tools capture the different aspects of the wage story in the enterprise and provide findings that are reliable and robust. these include an online questionnaire for managers, a table of statistics on wages, employment and company performance, quantitative interviews of workers and qualitative surveys of a few selected companies.
In 2011, three suppliers in the Philippines and one supplier in mexico started full fair Wage assessments, and 21 suppliers in el salvador, Brazil, thailand and china worked on fair Wage self-assessments. In Q3 2012, a consolidated fair Wage assessment report will be completed and given to the adidas Group and the four factories which completed full assessments.
the opportunities in the fair Wage project will help individual suppliers, as well as the adidas Group, to identify the
management practices required in fair Wage dimensions. the assessments evaluate compliance with legal wage provisions, wage levels and wage adjustments, and set a series of wage policy recommendations. these recommendations encompass the quality of pay systems, their fairness and efficiency, as well as the strength of communication and social dialogue.
2012 MilesTones
• Integrate scI methodology into current monitoring practices and tools; deeper application from 2013 onwards.
• complete and report on 25 full and self-assessments by suppliers using the fair Wage methodology and tools.
leaving a legacy to the uk community
as a sponsor of the london 2012 olympic Games, we wanted to provide a sporting legacy to the uK that would get more people active and break down barriers to sport and physical activity.
We engaged with local and central government, organisations like the youth sports trust, sport england, and locoG in the development and rollout of the adiZone programme. the adiZone programme revolves around creating innovative multi-sport venues that provide a social platform for members of the community to do a range of activities.
By end of 2011 the company has built over 50 adiZones spanning across every region in england equipped with sustainable facilities for both able-bodied and disabled users. Brand adidas is determined to increase the number in the uK by setting up more than 100 adiZones across the country by the time the Games start. the goal is to make sports participation accessible by offering everybody a chance to get active. each adiZone is a free-to-use, permanent “outdoor gym-like”
installation measuring 625sq metres and is open 365 days a year, incorporating basketball, football and tennis areas, a climbing wall, an outdoor gym and an open area to encourage dance, aerobics and gymnastics, set up by the local communities together with adidas.
Stakeholder dialogue 2011
Building on previous engagements, in may 2011, the adidas Group hosted a stakeholder dialogue on the topic “respecting labour rights in Global supply chains: the Impact of major sporting events”. the dialogue included representatives from uK labour rights and human rights organisations, from the london organising committee for the olympic Games and Paralympic Games (locoG), srI analysts and senior staff from the adidas Group.
the feedback from the meeting helped to shape our approach to managing our supply chain for major sporting events, including the london 2012 olympic Games. the dialogue was hosted by an independent facilitator. a paper summarising views from the meeting is available on the adidas Group sustainability website.
2012 MilesTones
• to share the findings from the stakeholder dialogue with sports events organisers to raise the sustainability bar for future events where the adidas Group is a sponsor.
• to further promote transparent reporting practices about our suppliers’ sustainability performance, we will identify key jurisdiction where public listed supplier companies are required to conduct non-financial (esG) reporting; we will start engagements with partners who are listed in those markets.
Meeting the lOCOg Sourcing Code
the london organising committee for the olympic Games and Paralympic Games (locoG) issued a sustainable sourcing code to its partners. the code clearly outlines four key principles for commercial partners to follow:
• ensuring responsible sourcing
• using secondary materials
• minimising embodied impacts
• using healthy materials.
Ensuring responsible sourcing
all direct suppliers and sewing subcontractors selected to manufacture locoG-licensed products:
• are to meet the adidas Group Workplace standards
• are fully disclosed in seDeX (supplier ethical Data exchange)
• are subject to regular labour, health & safety compliance inspections by adidas Group sea compliance staff
• meet a defined key performance indicator (KPI) which rates a factory’s compliance performance
• Have a management plan in place that details a factory’s compliance programme and future targets
• are publicly disclosed via the adidas Group website.
using secondary materials
overall, 90% of the adidas Games products contain sustainable content including 100% of athlete village-wear, 100% volunteer- wear, and 73% of on-field performance products. the london volunteer’s uniform is a prime example. all items in the volunteer package contain, at a minimum, 35% sustainable content, with three-quarters of the volunteer clothing and accessories containing more than 50% sustainable content.
additionally, all volunteers will be wearing the london version of the popular fluid trainer shoe. the fluid trainer is technically advanced in the area of sustainability, with pattern innovations and sustainable content that impact the whole shoe. the shoe contains recycled polyester mesh, recycled eva (ethylene vinyl acetate), as well as recycled rubber, and has achieved a 70% or greater pattern efficiency for every piece of the upper.
Minimising embodied impact
all direct suppliers selected to manufacture adidas-branded locoG-licensed products and their major materials suppliers have undergone environmental assessments of their sites.
assessments are used for the development of individual factory improvement programmes. factories’ progress is tracked regularly.
using healthy materials
locoG-licensed products comply with the adidas Group restricted substances list and are in compliance with standards listed in the locoG sourcing code.
envIronment
environMenT
MANAgEMENT prOCESSES
TArgeT 2015: overAll TArgeT - develoP A MAnAgeMenT sysTeM ThAT ensures A suCCessful sTrATegy iMPleMenTATion As well As An effeCTive MAnAgeMenT of environMenTAl iMPACTs, risks And oPPorTuniTies
2011 mIlestone Develop a format for guidelines and tools.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
the overall structure for guidelines has been developed.
lArgely AChieved
AdditionAl comments
managing the environmental strategy 2015 across our brands and functions is a complex process. the strategy covers the entire adidas Group and value chain. In 2011, we developed a format for guidelines and tools to ensure that the strategy is comprehensive, coherent and that the targets complement and strengthen each other. this will be further refined and implemented to support all functions and brands in their environmental strategy work.
valuable input for the structure of the guidelines was delivered by two university theses: one dealing with ‘Innovative tools for corporate environmental strategies’, and one on ‘environmental management accounting (ema): a means of ensuring Business Integration of environmental strategies’.
key performance indicators
In order to follow up on all targets and to measure the achievements over time, key performance indicators (KPIs) were introduced in 2011 for several business processes, such as Development, sourcing and Green company. We will look to develop further KPIs for other business processes in 2012.
group-wide index development
this year saw the development and piloting of version 1 (v1) of a sustainable apparel Index. the v1 apparel Index is an initiative of the sustainable apparel coalition (sac), an industry-wide group of leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, manufacturers, non-governmental organisations, academic experts and the u.s. environmental Protection agency. the Index is built around three different levels: brand, product and manufacturing facility level. as a member of the sac we participated in the pilot of the v1 Index that took place from september 2011 to January 2012 with a project team of around 15 employees and several product teams from adidas, reebok, taylormade and rockport. the pilot results confirm the complexity of the undertaking and also highlight the challenge in developing a robust assessment methodology across the entire apparel supply chain.
In 2012, we will launch a project to understand which elements of the sac v1 Index can be applied within the adidas Group and its brands with the aim of developing a Group-level Index Guideline.
2012 MilesTones
• Develop a manual for the entire governance framework that strengthens the uptake of the strategy by the global organisation.
• Develop a general set of templates for guidelines, toolboxes and tools based on existing templates and tools, and introduce them Group-wide.
• Develop specific guidelines and tools for specific brands, business functions or targets.
• mature and develop quantitative and/or qualitative KPIs for all business functions engaged with the environmental strategy 2015; ensure that KPIs are meaningful and practical.
• Develop a Group-level Index Guideline.
iNNOvATiON
TArgeT 2015: All fuTure innovATion ProjeCTs To ConTAin soMe environMenTAl eleMenTs
2011 mIlestone Develop partnerships with research institutions and suppliers.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
several research institutions and supplier partnerships have been established by the adidas Innovation team with the specific goal to increase capacity for sustainable product creation. Process is now a fundamental and required part of all new innovation projects.
TArgeT AChieved
AdditionAl comments
this milestone was developed in order to begin building a deeper technical understanding about the environmental impacts of conventional manufacturing processes and emerging product creation technologies. the adidas Innovation team also maintains long-term research and leading edge supplier relationships to jointly bring new, environmentally-preferred technologies to the market.
2012 MilesTones
• most of the adidas branded products for the london 2012 olympic Games are to contain sustainable innovations from on-field competition wear through to clothes and equipment for volunteers and the public.
• new product innovations will be quantitatively assessed for environmental performance.
• Integration of sustainability into 2014 fIfa World cup™
projects.
DESigN
TArgeT 2015: 50% reduCTion in Colours used wiThin The AdidAs sPorTs PerforMAnCe division (exCluding Colours reQuired by Clubs or oTherwise ouTside The ConTrol of design)
2011 mIlestone
consolidate colours by 20% in apparel and 40% in footwear.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
the milestone has not been achieved due to a switch in systems that has impacted the project by:
• eliminating governance functionality
• removing reporting capability
noT AChieved
AdditionAl comments
the use of colours and dyes has an environmental impact which we can reduce by choosing certain dyes and colours that are less environmentally harmful and also by reducing the number of colours and dyes.
Having larger batches of materials to dye significantly reduces the environmental impact because fewer changes from one colour to another reduce lost lead-time and wastage. In addition, larger machines can be used which are usually more efficient than smaller ones.
our plans in this area have been informed by a thesis with the title ‘the environmental Benefits and Process Impact of consolidation of fabrics in apparel’, which identified the potential benefits in terms of chemicals, water and energy savings. this thesis also helped us in identifying improvement processes in the development area.
Creating guidelines for designers
the best way to encourage behaviour change is to address people in ways that make sense to them in their daily life. one project managed by our Design department in 2011 was the Design for environment Guidelines project, which aimed to develop environmental guidelines that designers would find engaging and inspiring to use.
the project team extracted relevant parts of the v1 apparel Index of the sustainable apparel coalition and combined these with environmental aspects, the product life cycle and design considerations to create visually-led guidelines that resonate with designers.
2012 MilesTones
• revive the roadmap towards 2015 colour reduction targets - consolidate colours by 20% in apparel and 40% in footwear - maintain the pace of reporting
- start check-and-reduce processes for emphasising compliance to targets, and addressing issues as they arise - Initiate It-based governance processes.
• start sustainability round-tables and workshops in design - run at least 12 round-table meetings
- conduct sustainable design workshop for ss14 designer days.
• Design a sustainable shoe or one additional range of sustainable products.
MArkETiNg
TArgeT 2015: 100% of fooTweAr And An inCreAsing AMounT of APPArel To hAve ‘More susTAinAble ConTenT’ (by 2012), i.e. To be inCluded inTo The beTTer PlACe ProduCT rAnge (in 2010 defined As APPliCAble To The AdidAs sPorTs PerforMAnCe division, buT in The MeAnTiMe exPAnded To Cover All AdidAs sub-brAnds)
2011 mIlestone
revise Better Place Guidelines to ensure alignment with the eco Index and the Index developed by the apparel coalition.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
the Better Place Guidelines are regularly updated to reflect improvements in industry best practice.
changes to the guidelines are made once new processes and improvements are available to the product creation teams to integrate into the business.
aligning the Guidelines with the apparel Index v1 is still ongoing.
PArTiAlly AChieved
AdditionAl comments
the objective will ensure that the adidas Group and its brands stay well tuned with the development of the sustainable apparel coalition Index, which is currently being developed for the apparel Index, version 1 (v1).
the Better Place Guidelines are regularly checked and maintained. the experiences from the innovation teams, designers as well as from manufacturers are constantly being integrated into the Guidelines. complete integration of the sac v1 Index will emerge over time as new processes and improvements are available to the product creation teams to integrate into the business.
the target for footwear is on track to be met in 2012. the trend for apparel (Performance division) is currently negative, with growth shifted into the style division.
2012 MilesTones
• continue the integration of sac Index principles into the adidas Better Place Guidelines system where feasible.
• continue to develop and expand targets for greater growth of Better Place sustainable product programme.
TArgeT 2015: reduCe nuMber of rAnges As A whole by 20%
(AdidAs sPorTs PerforMAnCe division)
AdditionAl comments
the target of reducing the number of ranges was developed based on a few general principles:
• Product excellence and complexity reduction.
• larger scale design, development and production lead to a lower environmental impact.
the sports Performance division of brand adidas has been successful in driving towards smaller ranges and therefore reducing samples, resource and wastage as well as emissions.
to measure our progress we use a comparison between the same seasons, year to year. so we have compared ss11 (spring-summer 2011) and fW11 (fall-Winter 2011) with the corresponding season’s production in 2012.
Para-
meter seasonal
ProDuctIon ‘11 seasonal
ProDuctIon ‘12 cHanGe
season ss11 fW11 ss12 fW12 change
ss11->
ss12 1
change fW11->
fW12 number
of articles/
change 36,600 37,000 37,400 32,800 +2.1% -12.8%
adidas sports Performance shows a 2.1% increase in the ss season article count from the 2011 to the 2012 seasons and a 12.8% decrease in the fW seasons for the same time period2.
these figures show us that we are on track for the 2015 target to reduce the number of ranges as a whole by 20% within the adidas sports Performance division.
1 the comparison must be done by looking at the same season that is spring-summer one year to the next, since there might be a slight carry- over of articles between ss and fW, e.g. products that are produced in the next season as well.
2 these figures do not include local article production.
2012 MilesTone
• continue reducing the number of ranges according to targets.
AdditionAl comments
In 2011, the material toolboxes for both footwear and apparel were overhauled and significant reductions of colour-material combinations were made. these efforts were informed by a study with the title ‘the environmental Benefits and Process Impact of consolidation of fabrics in apparel’ which identified the potential benefits from consolidation in terms of chemicals, water and energy savings.
this target is linked with a strategic business initiative to reduce complexity, and during the year we developed a footwear sourcing matrix as a benchmarking tool. When this is live, we will be able to measure and report progress on complexity reduction more accurately.
2012 MilesTones
• Go live with footwear sourcing matrix.
• create a model to quantify the environmental impact from the complexity reduction initiative in apparel.
2011 mIlestone Increase number of more sustainable materials in toolboxes for apparel and footwear.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
several projects have been initiated successfully for footwear as well as apparel, e.g. regarding the use of Better cotton, recycled polyester, or sourcing practices.
TArgeT AChieved
AdditionAl comments
By increasing the number of more sustainable materials in the toolboxes for apparel and footwear, product teams are automatically guided towards selecting materials with a lower environmental and/or social impact.
With regard to apparel, the engagement with the Better cotton fast track fund and the successful inclusion of the first volumes of ‘Better cotton’ into our supply chain were important milestones.
for footwear, in 2011, a total of 97% of non-european leather finishing achieved a leather Working Group rating of silver or above with 64% scoring gold and 33% silver.
TArgeT 2015: virTuAlisATion ProjeCT To drive reduCTion in sAMPles
AdditionAl comments
It was back in 2004 that a team of experts at the adidas Group came up with a new and innovative way of showcasing products using virtual technology. the first trials were conducted in 2005.
the benefits of virtualisation are speed, efficiency, innovation and savings and it has revolutionised the way we do sampling and selling-in of new products. ultimately, we want to move towards a seamless process from design to sell-in that starts with the creation of a 3D model by design and concludes in a virtual sell-in process which features not only the product but also an experience for our retailers and consumers.
Progress made:
• We have now launched the first market where the sampling and selling-in process was 100% supported through virtualisation.
2012 MilesTones
• Go fully virtual from design to sell-in across all of Western europe in spring-summer 2013.
• continue expanding the range of products covered.
DEvElOpMENT
TArgeT 2015: 20% reduCTion in Colour-MATeriAl CoMbinATions 2011 mIlestone
establish baseline measurements and KPIs.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
some baseline measurements have been established for the related targets.
PArTiAlly AChieved
2012 MilesTones
• achieve sourcing target of 5% ‘Better cotton’.
• 99% of non-europe leather finishing with a silver standard or above (based on the lWG audit protocol).
• 70% of non-europe leather finishing with a Gold standard or above (based on the lWG audit protocol).
• all rockport leather suppliers to become silver standard certified by July 2012 ((based on the lWG audit protocol).
TArgeT 2015: oPTiMise PACkAging soluTions 2011 mIlestone
review packaging status and define 2015 targets.
ProGress/Performance In 2011
the current status has been reviewed. targets for 2015 are under development.
PArTiAlly AChieved
AdditionAl comments
one of the targets of the environment strategy 2015 is to optimise packaging solutions. We made some progress on our 2011 milestone to review the current status of our efforts so we were able to develop our targets.
We reviewed current packaging volumes as well as the sustainable apparel coalition packaging module. the outcome of the review has been used for the development of a sustainable packaging approach.
We used 200 million shoe-boxes across the adidas Group in 2011.
all outer cartons are made of 100% recycled materials, and the shoe-boxes have an overall recycled content of 95% based on weight. Improvements have been made in pattern efficiency and weight reduction, and for adidas sport Performance, originals and neo boxes, we now use standardised materials which do not require any glue. Inks are water or soy-based. fsc certification for our main suppliers is in progress.
taylormade successfully implemented initiatives to reduce packaging including:
• reducing the apparel hangtag size to use 33% less paper.
• removing the packing tissue and cardboard insert on those apparel styles without heat transfers, colour blocks and prints.
2012 MilesTone
• Define 2015 targets and annual milestones for packaging optimisation and reduction.
SOurCiNg
a detailed environmental sourcing strategy has been developed that builds on the following three steps:
• risk mitigation
• Performance improvement
• collaboration
TArgeT 2015: exTend environMenTAl AssessMenTs To seleCTed suPPlier grouPs
2011 mIlestone conduct environmental assessments of high-risk suppliers
ProGress/Performance In 2011
an environmental screening methodology has been applied to all tier 1 suppliers and all major tier 2 suppliers, resulting in a list of high-risk and high-impact suppliers. a total of 208 supplier facilities were covered through a combination of environmental assessments and
environmental KPI processes.
tarGet acHIeveD
AdditionAl comments
our environmental assessment tool and supplementary remediation guideline continue to be the basis from which we conduct assessments of our suppliers. annual reviews have been carried out to reflect on the best practices learned in the past year and to update the remediation guideline so that they can be shared with a wider audience. these two tools have been further supplemented by the rollout of our environmental KPI (eKPI) in mid-2011.
In 2011, we continued to carry out the environmental assessment and KPI analysis of core product suppliers. In addition, we also assessed suppliers based on the results of a risk analysis which looked at the nature and type of the production processes, and whether the general site conditions or location presented potential environmental risks or placed pressure on resources.
a total of 208 supplier facilities were covered through a combination of the environmental assessment and environmental KPI processes.