Herzogenaurach, June 4, 2024
PUMA’s Voices of a RE:GENERATION present 2024 sustainability report for young audiences

Sports company PUMA is making its 2024 sustainability report accessible for young audiences with the help of video and social media content created by the Gen-Z environmentalists that are part of the Voices of a RE:GENERATION initiative.

The Voices, who joined PUMA in 2023 to advise the company on its sustainability strategy, will summarize the complex content of the report and focus on the issues that matter most to young audiences, including climate change and circularity. In doing so, they offer fresh takes on PUMA’s environmental priorities, while reflecting the concerns and expectations of Gen-Z.

“As a brand, we know that publishing sustainability data isn’t enough. Today’s consumers want clarity, action and accountability and they want it communicated in ways that resonate,” said Kerstin Neuber, Senior Director Corporate Communications at PUMA. “The Voices will help us share our challenges and achievements in a way that’s accessible, honest and rooted in the issues young people want to know more about.”

In its 2024 sustainability report, PUMA details the tangible process it’s making to lower its carbon footprint across both its own operations and supply chain. This includes setting science-based targets, increasing renewable energy use and working closely with suppliers to drive measurable reductions. The brand is also stepping up its approach to circularity. In 2024, it reduced waste to landfill by 87.8% per footwear pair and diverted 99% of fabric waste from landfill, with the majority reused or recycled.  

To address material choices, PUMA has committed to sourcing deforestation-free bovine leather by 2030 and is partnering with the Textile Exchange and cattle farmers in Brazil to support both animal welfare and protect critical forest ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon. It’s also expanding initiatives like RE:FIBRE, the brand’s textile-to-textile recycling programme, to cut reliance on virgin polyester and lower the environmental footprint of its products and packaging.  

PUMA achieved its goal of making 9 out of 10 products from recycled or certified materials and made further progress with its sustainability targets, such as lowering its greenhouse gas emissions. The full report, containing more than 200 pages, was published in late April.

As a result of its “Conference of the People” event in London in 2022, PUMA made it a priority to be more proactive in communicating its sustainability strategy to younger audiences. New research commissioned by PUMA shows that more than half (55%) of 18–27-year-old consumers globally believe brands aren’t being transparent enough about their environmental impact. Reducing carbon emissions is one of the top priorities for Gen-Z when it comes to responsible production, with one in four (25%) identifying it as a major concern.  

More information about the Voices of a RE:GENERATION initiative can be found on PUMA's FOREVER. BETTER. website, and the individual Instagram channels of the Voices. Watch Aishwarya Sharma’s content here, Andrew Burgess’s content here, and Luke Jaque-Rodney’s content here.  

Aishwarya Sharma
Herzogenaurach, Germany, 26 September 2023
PUMA Welcomes Indian Sustainable Fashion Advocate Aishwarya Sharma To Its Voices Of A RE:GENERATION Initiative

Global sports company PUMA has expanded the regional reach of its Voices of a RE:GENERATION initiative beyond Europe and the US and added Indian sustainable fashion advocate Aishwarya Sharma to the project. 

Aishwarya joins PUMA’s roster of next-gen thinkers as part of its year-long project to advance its sustainability efforts by collaborating with young environmentalists. Based in Delhi, India, Aishwarya is passionate about driving change towards a more sustainable fashion industry and has made a name for herself for her beliefs around women's rights, fashion, social media and climate change at events such as COP27.

Launched in April this year, PUMA’s initiative empowers a cohort of Young Voices to help the brand identify key areas for improvement by giving them a voice alongside leading stakeholders. To date, PUMA’s Young Voices have met with key players at PUMA to discuss the brand’s progress and challenges surrounding its FOREVER.BETTER Sustainability Strategy - and produced PUMA RE:GEN Reports; a podcast series to engage younger generations around sustainability and PUMA’s 10FOR25 target areas. The podcast was created in response to consumer feedback, gathered at PUMA’s Conference of the People event in 2022, which revealed that current sustainability communications were not engaging the next generation.

The latest development of this project will see Aishwarya meet and collaborate with PUMA’s current Young Voices, including:

Alice Aedy is no longer participating in the initiative, a decision reached through mutual understanding. 

Aishwarya Sharma joins PUMA’s Voices of a RE:GENERATION initiative this September and will explore the opportunities and challenges faced by the brand in the area of sustainability, whilst making recommendations for actionable change. She will also work with PUMA to improve the way it communicates sustainability to its India-based audience.

On the announcement, Aishwarya comments: “My passion as a sustainability advocate lies in increasing awareness. I think it’s so important for people in my community and across the world to understand what is really going on in sustainability and this partnership with PUMA will grant me an inside view of how a large corporation tackles such a hugely important and complex challenge. Being able to have a voice in how PUMA communicates sustainability is also a great opportunity to drive change and set a precedent across the industry and I’m very much looking forward to that.”

Voices of a Re:Generation
Herzogenaurach, Germany, April 6, 2023
PUMA's ‘Voices of a RE:GENERATION’ Initiative Offers Young Changemakers a Voice in Shaping the Future of Sustainability

PUMA empowers young voices by giving a ‘seat at the table’ through ‘Voices of a RE:GENERATION’, building on the findings from ‘Conference of the People, powered by PUMA'

The project prioritises sustainability for the next generation, responding to research indicating that young people want brands to make more commitments, communicate goals better and be more transparent in the space

Sports company PUMA has today announced a new initiative that looks to evolve how the brand navigates its sustainability journey by including the next generation’s perspectives and recommendations. The project, coined Voices of a RE:GENERATION, will kick off with PUMA collaborating and giving a ‘seat at the table’ to four, young, environmentalist ‘voices’ from across Europe and the US over a year-long period.

Part of PUMA’s ongoing commitment to a Forever Better, the four Voices of a RE:GENERATION will work with PUMA to translate sustainability in a way that makes sense to and engages with the next generation, in addition to feeding into how the brand can drive greater sustainability practices, in line with its 10 for 25 targets. Work will take on an honest and candid consultancy format, with the voices sharing their perspectives and insights and identifying areas where the brand can improve. 

Making up PUMA’s Voices of a RE:GENERATION, will be:

  • Alice Aedy - UK-based visual storyteller, documentarian and co-founder of Earthrise Studio, an impact-driven media company focused on human stories from climate frontlines.
  • Andrew Burgess – US-based upcycler determined to change the way people consume clothing and fashion through his own creations.
  • Luke Jaque-Rodney – Germany-based sustainable and healthy living vlogger who explores better ways to live sustainably.
  • Jade Roche – France-based visual artist and creative consultant working with brands to improve how they communicate.

PUMA’s Voices of a RE:GENERATION represents a continuation of the work PUMA started in September 2022 with its ‘Conference of the People, powered by PUMA’ event in London. The conference, which discussed solutions for some of the fashion industry’s most pressing sustainability challenges with a special focus on Gen- Z, highlighted the need for brands to improve transparency and conduct greater communication regarding sustainability.

The new initiative builds upon the brand’s commitment to ensuring PUMA’s sustainability initiatives are digestible for everyone, particularly for the next generation, after research conducted by PUMA found that 71% of young people felt their voices weren’t being heard when it comes to the environment and would like to see brands making more commitments (49%), communicating their goals better (40%) and being more transparent (34%).

Throughout 2023, PUMA’s Voices of a RE:GENERATION will meet with Anne-Laure Descours, PUMA’s Chief Sourcing Officer, and PUMA’s Sustainability team to collaborate and present their honest views. Working together, the partnership will explore actionable ways that feedback can be implemented within PUMA’s business and sustainability strategy, whilst also using the voices’ platforms to communicate PUMA’s efforts transparently and authentically to the world.

Speaking on the new initiative Anne-Laure Descours, Chief Sourcing Officer at PUMA, said: “We’ve always documented our progress in sustainable practices. However our participation in Conference of the People has shed light on the fact that the information we share isn’t always easily understood by the next generation. We recognise the need for change, and we're committed to making sustainability more accessible and transparent to everyone. Voices of a RE:GENERATION is our first step in improving this.”

Alice Aedy, UK, comments: “Sustainability is highly unglamorous, technical but urgent work with impacts for both people and planet. It’s undeniably a hugely complex topic. It’s deeper than just materials or emissions; it’s about the people and processes that strive behind the scenes to realise a brand’s efforts to be more sustainable and it’s also about how the brand, like PUMA, is communicating that with authenticity”. 

Andrew Burgess, USA, comments: “Sustainability can’t be one-sided. You can’t have one brand calling the shots, especially when you have consumers worldwide interacting with your products. I’m looking forward to delving deep into PUMA’s efforts and sharing my take on how they can improve. It’s time our generation had a seat at the table”.

Luke Jaque-Rodney, Germany, comments: “We can all try our best to live and dress sustainably, but ultimately, we’re at the mercy of the brands we buy our clothing from. We know that one person can’t make a difference alone, but our voices are still powerful when combined and communicated with the right people and the right brands, like PUMA. This is very exciting”.

Jade Roche, France, comments: “It’s great to see a global brand like PUMA holding itself more accountable for their sustainability and being willing and open to having these tough conversations when it comes to how they’re doing and how they're planning. It’s also time that we, in general, started discussing what sustainability really means; what does it take for a brand to achieve greater sustainability on all aspects of it while being transparent, and what does it look like for the next generation?”

Voices of a RE:GENERATION is just one step further in years of progress for PUMA. In 2022, the brand topped the Business of Fashion sustainability ranking, the platform on living wage financials ranking, and the FTSE4Good ranking within its sectors. It was included in the Corporate Knights global top 100 most sustainable companies ranking, maintained its triple-A ranking with MSCI and its prime status with ISS; two leading sustainability rating agencies. Reuters also ranked it as number two within its sector and, in S&P sustainability benchmarking, PUMA outperformed all other sports brands for the first time since 2010.

PUMA’s Voices of a RE:GENERATION launches today and marks the beginning of a year-long initiative that gathers insights and feedback on how to improve its efforts in communicating on sustainability. Follow PUMA and its voices on social media to see their conversations with PUMA come to life and encourage change. More information can be found at https://about.puma.com/en/sustainability/voicesofregeneration

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