Sports company PUMA will discuss solutions for some of the fashion industry’s most pressing sustainability challenges such as waste, materials and climate change at a global event in September.
Taking place in London on September 6 and streamed worldwide, Conference of the People will feature PUMA’s industry peers, activists, NGOs, experts, ambassadors and consumers, who will discuss tackling waste, using more sustainable materials, stopping climate change, protecting forests and finding ways for the industry to collaborate to achieve results sooner.
“We will focus on Gen Z during this event, as we want to give this generation a voice when it comes to the decisions that have to be made today to shape a more sustainable future,” said Bjørn Gulden, CEO of PUMA. “At the United Nations they call it Conference of the Parties, we call it Conference of the People.”
Ahead of the event, PUMA launched the platform PUMACOP.com, where users can learn more about the event and register their interest to attend. The event will also be streamed live on this platform.
International actress, model and activist Cara Delevingne will host the event alongside PUMA CEO Bjørn Gulden and PUMA CSO Anne-Laure Descours.
“Together with PUMA, I have worked on sustainability topics for several years and together we have launched more sustainable collections such as Exhale,” said Cara Delevingne. “It is important to continue the debate about this topic so we can find solutions to environmental issues such as climate change, waste management and biodiversity.”
Becoming more sustainable as a company has been an important pillar of PUMA’s strategy for many years. Earlier this year, the company announced that it had reduced its carbon emissions between 2017 and 2021 from both its own operations (-88%) and its supply chain (-12%), in spite of strong sales growth in the same period. By 2025, PUMA aims to make nine out of 10 products with more sustainable materials.
The company was the most sustainable brand in the industry according to the latest ranking by Business of Fashion, which analyzed the 30 largest companies in the fashion business.
Conference of the People will start on September 6 at 12pm BST (1pm CET, 7 am ET) at Protein Studios in Shoreditch, London for 225 invited guests. The livestream of the event is free to access for all.
