Adidas Sustainability

A Brief History of Sustainability at Adidas

2001 - First Adidas Sustainability Report

2005 - Fair Labour Association Accreditation

2006 - Fair Factories CleaningHouse Member

2007 - "Year of Transparency"

2010 - World Cup Supplier Factories

2012 - Olympic Sustainable Sourcing Code

2014 - Four Pillars

2015 - #3 Sustainable Company

- Global 100 Index

Criticism

Despite Adidas’ proclaimed commitment to sustainability, the group has also been thrust into controversy over the years due to involvement with ties to companies or practices that do not demonstrate sustainability.

Four Pillars of Sustainability

Adidas DryDye

Low Waste

SMS Worker Hotline

Humanitarian Aid

Adidas provides financial aid and donates products to aid organizations around the world to support victims affected by natural disasters and children in need. The two main charities the group supports are the Save the Children and the Wings of Help foundations.

Sustainability

Innovation

In 2012, Adidas launched a mobile phone communication project at one of the company’s main footwear suppliers in Indonesia.

Advantages:

• Majority of factory workers in the country have mobile phones
• Allows workers send an anonymous text message if they think their rights are being compromised.
• By monitoring the messages received, the adidas Group can listen directly to factory workers’ concerns and make changes if necessary.

Adidas plans to roll out the SMS hotline service to 20 supplier factories in Cambodia with four more supplier factories in Indonesia and a further eight in Vietnam.

Adidas has been criticized for operating sweatshops in Indonesia, and although Adidas policy specifically outlines freedom and fair treatment of workers, it is not always the case.

Uses available air transport capacity to bring aid resources to places all around the world.

Extends their hand to promote children’s rights and assist children who have been affected by political turmoil and wars around the world.

Materials

Packaging & Paper

Sustainable or

Better Cotton

Recycled

Polyester

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

-World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). Our common future

For many years, Adidas had purchased paper for its packaging from Asia Pulp & Paper, which had a terrible reputation for destroying Indonesia’s rainforest. In 2011, when Adidas cancelled its contract with Asia Pulp & Paper, Greenpeace Executive Director Phil Radford commended Adidas for efforts made towards forest protection, for "taking rainforest conservation seriously.” (Phil Radford)

Sustainability Corporate Structure

- Around 60 people over three continents, works with other groups within Adidas such as sourcing, legal, facility Management, HR, and sales, as well as the marketing and product development teams.

Responsible for:

- Compliance with the workplace standards within the adidas Group’s supply chain

- Facilitating, promoting and managing the development and implementation of environmental initiatives across the Group’s own facilities

Sustainability Review of the Adidas Group

"A look beyond the logo"

by: Aaron, Hwasoo, James and Yohann