Can radical collaboration solve fashion’s renewable energy problem?

Hong-Kong based Fashion Designer Bertha Shum is joined by Sectors Engagement Decarbonation Lead, Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Expect to hear discussions on whether radical collaboration is the answer to tackling climate change and how brands can be doing more to address the issue.

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PUMA has ten target areas, each with a set of goals, that we are striving to reach by 2025. This episode focuses on the target area of Climate Action.

Climate action refers to any actions taken to combat the effects of climate change and its impacts on people and the planet.

What it actually means: PUMA works with others in the fashion industry on climate action through the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and the Fashion Pact to reduce the harmful emissions into the environment from the production of their goods.

Goal 1: Align PUMA’s climate target with 1.5 degrees global warming scenario.

The 1.5 global warming scenario, predicts that if the earth’s temperature warms to above 1.5º it will no longer be able to soak up carbon dioxide, resulting in more climate change. PUMA has applied to Science Based Targets initiative to approve new absolute Greenhouse Gas Emission emission reduction: Scope 1 and 2 by 90%, Scope 3 by 33% in 2030.

You may hear different ‘scopes’ referred to when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. In the case of PUMA this means

1. Scope 1 emissions: These are direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by PUMA, such as emissions from burning fuel in PUMA's owned or leased facilities, such as warehouses, or offices.

2. Scope 2 emissions: These are indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the consumption of purchased electricity, heat, or steam by PUMA to power its retail stores, offices and warehouses.

3. Scope 3 emissions: These are all other indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur in the supply chain of PUMA, but are not owned or controlled by them. Examples include emissions from the production of raw materials or assembly in factories, transportation of raw materials and finished products, disposal of products at the end of their life, and the use of products by consumers (like washing and drying clothes).

Goal 2 : 100% renewable electricity for PUMA entities

This means that all of PUMA’s head offices, warehouses and retail stores are using renewable electricity, with no reliance on energy from fossil fuels. And this was achieved in 2020.

Goal 3: 25% renewable energy for core suppliers

Our main suppliers, like factories for example, will ensure that at least 25% of the energy they use at their premises would be from a renewable energy source, like electricity. They have worked with suppliers on several programs ranging from energy efficiency to installing on-site solar photovoltaic power plants to generate renewable energy. So far PUMA has achieved 11% for Tier 1 suppliers, 10.8% for Tier 2 suppliers. This includes Renewable Energy Certificates

Tier 2 are factories which manufacture components that go into PUMA products, and Tier 1 are the factories which put the components together to make the final product. A tier 1 may need to use a factory for a specific process that they don’t have in their own factory, like embroidery for example; this is called subcontracting.

PUMA publishes all of its progress, challenges and setbacks in its Sustainability Report. You can find the 2022 report online now by going to about.puma.com