When I think of the brand Nike, I think of overpriced footwear and apparel made in sweatshops that use child labour. In one of my Sustainability courses, I learned how Nike is working towards becoming one of the sustainability leaders in their category. This surprised me, so I decided to dig deeper and check out their sustainability report (1). I was astonished by my findings while reading their very clear report, and was interested to see that they have a separate website dedicated to their corporate social responsibility. One of the most surprising facts I discovered in the brand’s sustainability report is that their FlyKnit shoe line produces 60% less waste than regular running shoes. Nike has a goal to transition to 100% renewable energy use in globally by 2025, and have already signed a power purchase agreement to convert to 100% renewable energy sources in North America this year. Nike has also spoken up about social issues, including their controversial partnership with NFL player Colin Kaepernick who stood up to social injustices against African Americans (2). The brand has a poor history of child labour, but from 2016-2017, they only had one breach in their supplier code of conduct due to age restrictions (1). I was also surprised to see that they internally and externally audit their suppliers and manufacturers in attempts to get an unbiased understanding of their corporate partners.
Nike’s sustainability report goes into detail about many of their sustainable practices as a brand, but I found that the information required a specific google search to find. I was pleasantly surprised to see a brand that many associate as socially and environmentally unsustainable is actively working to become a leader in the space for these sustainability initiatives. I believe that Nike could benefit from including their sustainability report directly in their yearly financial report on their main website to communicate to their customers and stakeholders about their commitments, instead of requiring an additional google search to discover this information. Michael Porter discusses creating shared value, where sustainable brands are able to see additional revenue growth while also reducing their impact on the planet and its people. After learning about Nike’s sustainable practices, I am much more inclined to consider the brand when purchasing footwear or apparel, and I think Nike should promote their initiatives so the general consumer can find the information more readily available. I am hoping to see more brands like Nike step up and take the initiative to a more sustainable business model that focusses on the triple bottom line!
2: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nike-ads-social-justice-kaepernick-1.4810102
Hi Cobo!
I had the same perception of Nike’s lack of social responsibility after the sweatshop scandal. Even now it’s a common association that bumps into my head when I’m considering buying apparel from the brand. But what is interesting though, is the active effort the brand is taking to change that perception. I believe there’s no brand that is completely immune to mistakes, Nike learned the importance of digging into further investigation of their Supply Chain and looks they are doing a great job to keep it transparent and assessed.