The company Puma has been ranked No. 1 in the Business of Fashion Index, which evaluates companies' progress towards the 2030 goals in six categories: transparency, emissions, water and chemicals, waste, materials and workers' rights.
PUMA achieved top scores in water and chemicals, workers' rights and transparency, as well as significantly improving its emissions score compared to last year. Overall, PUMA scored 49 out of 100 points, well above the industry average of 28.
As part of its Forever Better sustainability strategy, PUMA announced this year that it had reduced its carbon emissions between 2017 and 2021 from both its own operations (-88%) and its supply chain (-12%), despite strong sales growth over the same period.
To achieve this reduction, PUMA purchased 100 % renewable electricity through renewable electricity tariffs and renewable energy certificates, switched the company's car fleet to electric models, used more sustainable materials and implemented efficiency improvements in factories.
In the interest of transparency about its supply chain, PUMA published its full list of Tier 1 suppliers, as well as the most important Tier 2 suppliers and some Tier 3 suppliers.
Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals
Aligned with the United Nations initiative of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, in 2015 Puma launched the first global sustainability strategy 10FOR2020. Then, in 2020, 10FOR2025 was launched, the second strategy of this project, which establishes a 5-year strategic plan with sustainability objectives focused on Human Rights, the fight against climate change to reduce CO2 emissions from operations, addressing the problem of plastic in the ocean, biodiversity and the move to a more circular business model.
As part of the sustainability strategy, Puma announced this year a reduction in carbon emissions between 2017 and 2021 from both its own operations (-88%) and supply chain (-12%). This was achieved through the use of 100% renewable electricity through renewable electricity tariffs and renewable energy attribute certificates, switching the company's fleet of cars to electric motors, using more sustainable materials, and implementing factory-level efficiency improvements.
In the area of water and chemicals, PUMA published wastewater tests conducted by its suppliers with wet processes and demonstrated improved compliance with current standards in this sector, such as the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals wastewater quality guideline.
Puma also uses a plethora of sustainable materials in its production process. Its products mainly consist of half of polyester, cotton and leather. By 2021, 99% of its leather obtained either a gold, silver or bronze medal rating by the Leather Working Group. It has committed to sourcing 100% BCI cotton by 2025, and in 2021, it achieved 99%.
Its polyester is certified by , eliminating harmful substances from the beginning of the manufacturing process, which has also been approved by Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX®. Since 2020, all feathers used in its products are 100% RDS certified, and Puma’s packaging is FSC certified.