PUMA CONFERENCE OF THE PEOPLE
CONFERENCE OF THE PEOPLE
Held in 2022 in London, the aim of PUMA COP was for PUMA's industry peers, activists, NGOs, experts, ambassadors and consumers to come together to discuss solutions for some of the fashion industry’s pressing sustainability challenges. All while amplifying the voices of young people across the world.
ANNE-LAURE DESCOURS,
CHIEF SOURCING OFFICER, PUMA
“MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAY – HOW CAN WE BRING THE COLLABORATION AND STORYTELLING WITH GEN Z TO THE NEXT LEVEL?”
REGGIE YATES,
WRITER, DIRECTOR AND BROADCASTER
“THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS THE MOST PRESSING CHALLENGE OF OUR GENERATION. HOW WE ACT WILL DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET.”
COLIN BROWNE,
CEO, UNDER ARMOUR
“HAVING THESE KIND OF SPIRITED DEEP, GRITTY CONVERSATIONS IS ULTIMATELY WHAT PROVIDES THE TRACTION FOR BRANDS TO MOVE FORWARDS.”
BJØRN GULDEN,
FORMER CEO PUMA
“THERE’S NOT ONE DAY AS A CEO THAT HOW WE TREAT THE PLANET IS NOT ON THE TABLE.”
RE:THINK WASTE
WHY MAKE A SNEAKER THAT’S DESIGNED TO FALL APART?
Catch up with second-hand clothing champion Izzy Manuel on how she manages style with sustainability. PUMA partners Ortessa and Carbios give us the dirt on biodegrading our clothes. And PUMA’s Anne-Laure Descours and Romain Girard talk about the brand’s approach to waste innovation – including the backstory of RE:SUEDE, PUMA’s experiment in designing a biodegradable sneaker.
ROMAIN GIRARD,
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION, PUMA
"WE CANNOT WAIT 10 YEARS TO MOVE THE NEEDLE, WE NEED TO DO IT AT A FAST PACE."
ANNE-LAURE DESCOURS,
CHIEF SOURCING OFFICER, PUMA
"ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS WASTE COLLECTION – THIS REQUIRES COLLABORATION FROM BRANDS."
BIANCA FOLEY,
SUSTAINABLE FASHION CONTENT CREATOR, PODCASTER AND CONSULTANT
"ALL WASTE IS A RESOURCE, EVERYTHING CAN BE USED."
BRUNO LANGLOIS,
MANAGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MATERIALS, CARBIOS
"EVERYBODY IS RESPONSIBLE. WE NEED TO HAVE EVERYBODY TAKING CARE OF THEIR WASTE."
IZZY MANUEL,
SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL FASHION ADVOCATE
"CONSUMERS IN GENERAL FEEL LIKE WE’RE CONSTANTLY NOT GETTING THE TRUTH. TRANSPARENCY IS SO KEY."
MARTHIEN VAN EERSEL,
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MATERIALS, ORTESSA
"YOU HAVE AN END-OF-LIFE PRODUCT THAT’S FULL OF RESOURCE BUT WHEN YOU THROW IT AWAY IT THEN BECOMES WASTE."
NICOLE MCLAUGHLIN AND BELLA WEBB Q&A
Watch a Q&A between Bella Webb, Sustainability Editor at Vogue Business with designer, Nicole McLaughlin to discuss her passion for upcycling and reducing textile waste.
MATERIAL WORLD
ARE ALL MATERIALS EQUAL?
We deep dive into the progress we can make with material innovation. Ashley Gill shares which brands are leading the industry. We found out from Mohammed Jabbar what the opportunities are within manufacturing. We looked at what material innovation offers the biggest impact (spoiler alert: PUMA’s Howard Williams knows it’s cotton and polyester). And influencer and sustainable materials consultant Monika Poppy gave us the lowdown on what’s needed to bring consumers on the journey.
MONIKA POPPY,
COMMUNICATIONS EXPERT AND SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE INFLUENCER
“NOW WE ARE EXTREMELY SPOILT FOR CHOICE, INNOVATION HAS ACCELERATED GREATLY OVER THE YEARS.”
HOWARD WILLIAMS,
DIRECTOR GLOBAL INNOVATIONS APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES, PUMA
“ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS THAT WE’RE WORKING TOWARDS IS PLASTIC FREE PRODUCTS.”
ASHLEY GILL,
CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, TEXTILE EXCHANGE
“SYSTEMIC CHANGE ISN’T ACHIEVABLE BY ONE ACTOR ALONE. WE NEED EVERYONE FROM THE VALUE CHAIN TO COME TOGETHER.”
BIANCA FOLEY,
SUSTAINABLE FASHION CONTENT CREATOR, PODCASTER AND CONSULTANT
"TO WEAR SOMETHING AND STILL FEEL STYLISH AND KNOW THAT I’M NOT IMPACTING THE ENVIRONMENT IN A NEGATIVE WAY IS A HUGE BONUS."
MOHAMMED ABDUL JABBAR,
DBL GROUP
“IN OUR FACILITY WE HAVE 15 TONNES OF CUTTING WASTE AND WE RECYCLE IT.”
DANA SCHOU,
DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS & DEVELOPMENT, GLOBAL FASHION AGENDA
“THE FASHION INDUSTRY CAN BE 80% CIRCULAR WITH THE RIGHT INVESTMENT.”
ECO-ANXIETY INTO ACTION
WHEN THE EARTH IS ON FIRE HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR COOL?
Do you feel overwhelmed when you think about the scale of the climate crisis? You’re not alone! Actress Naomie Harris OBE, filmmaker Jack Harries and presenter Ade Adepitan talk about channelling eco-anxiety into action. Get ready to feel calmed and empowered.
NAOMIE HARRIS,
OBE, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED OSCAR, GOLDEN GLOBE AND BAFTA NOMINATED ACTRESS
“IT’S THROUGH MAN’S RECONNECTION WITH NATURE THAT WE’RE GOING TO SOLVE THE CLIMATE CRISIS.”
ADE ADEPITAN,
MBE, TV PRESENTER, PARALYMPIC MEDALIST, JOURNALIST AND FATHER
“POWER COMES FROM THE BOTTOM UP. WE’RE THE ONES IN CONTROL. IT’S WHAT WE SAY. WE HAVE TO USE OUR VOICES.”
JACK HARRIES,
FILMMAKER, BROADCASTER AND CO-FOUNDER OF EARTHRISE STUDIOS
“EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM HAS A PARTICULAR SKILL THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS. LEND THAT TO THE MOVEMENT.”
WOOD FOR THE TREES
WHERE ON EARTH ARE YOU WEARING?
We took a global look at how the industry can reduce its footprint. PUMA’s Stefan Seidel was joined by Canopy, an NGO that is working to protect the world’s forests and climate, start-up Infinited Fiber and long-term textile supply partner Lenzing to talk about the tech that exists right now, and the opportunities we can take advantage of.
NADEEM PERERA,
CO-FOUNDER OF FLOCK TOGETHER
“AS WE ALL KNOW, TIME IS OFF THE ESSENCE. NOW IS THE TIME TO ENGAGE.”
NICOLE RYCROFT,
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CANOPY
“200M TREES DISAPPEAR INTO FABRIC EVERY YEAR. REDESIGNING SUPPLY CHAINS IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO CLIMATE ACTION.”
STEFAN SEIDEL,
SENIOR HEAD OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY, PUMA
“CHANGE IS NOT HAPPENING FAST ENOUGH. THAT’S WHY WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER. WE NEED TO ACCELERATE THE SPEED OF TRANSITION.”
ADE ADEPITAN,
MBE, TV PRESENTER, PARALYMPIC MEDALIST, JOURNALIST AND FATHER
“LANGUAGE IS THAT UNIVERSAL TOOL THAT WILL BRING PEOPLE IN, IT CAN BE LOST IN JARGON.”
KIRSO TERHO,
KEY ACCOUNT DIRECTOR, INFINITED FIBER
“REACHING OUT TO YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT IS THE JOB THAT BRANDS NEED TO DO.”
ANDREAS GUERTLER,
SENIOR MANAGER OF GLOBAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FUNCTIONAL WEAR, LENZING
“THE FACTORY IS SUPPLIED WITH CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER FROM THE LAKE AND THE WATER LEAVES THE COMPANY AS CLEAN AS IT GOES IN.”
FOREVER BETTER
HOW DO WE DO BETTER TOGETHER?
It’s the collaboration story we never share. The one where industry players know that if they act together, they can make more progress, faster. At PUMA, we’re focused on a better forever. This means a decarbonised apparel and footwear industry, decent working conditions with fair wages and a motivated supply chain that sees sustainability as business and planet critical. We can achieve this – and more – if we collaborate. We’ve invited specialists who work across the fashion industry – peers, suppliers, NGOs – to help us identify the opportunities and scale true collaboration could have, not just on our industry, but our planet.
ALICE AEDY,
DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER, FILMMAKER AND CO-FOUNDER OF EARTHRISE STUDIOS
“WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. WE NEED TO HUMANISE THE SUPPLY CHAIN. I WANT TO KNOW THE WONDERFUL HUMANS BEHIND IT.”
BJØRN GULDEN,
FORMER CEO PUMA
“THERE’S ENOUGH AREAS WHERE WE CAN COMPETE, WE DON’T NEED TO DO IT ON SUPPLY CHAIN AND SUSTAINABILITY.”
COLIN BROWNE,
CEO, UNDER ARMOUR
“THERE’S ENOUGH ENERGY, ENOUGH IMPETUS TO MOVE US FROM THE DUNGEON OF DESPAIR INTO ROOM OF RENEWAL.”
REGGIE YATES,
WRITER, DIRECTOR AND BROADCASTER
“AS BRANDS, THE INTENTION NEEDS TO COME FROM AN AUTHENIC PLACE BEFORE WE GET INTO THE MESSAGING.”
LINDITA XHEFERI-SALIHU,
SECTORS ENGAGEMENT LEAD, UN CLIMATE CHANGE AND FASHION INDUSTRY CHARTER FOR CLIMATE ACTION
“THE INDUSTRY IS IDENTIFYING THE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK TOGETHER…WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RADICAL COLLABORATION.”
DR LOUIS CHEN,
CEO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, DIAMOND GROUP
“WE WORKED WITH PUMA AND THE FAIR LABOUR ASSOCIATION TO DEVELOP THE DECENT WAGE TO REPLACE THE MINIMUM WAGE.”
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