The Guardian Sustainable Business Awards (GSBAs) reward best practice in sustainable business, showcasing innovative corporate initiatives that tackle the most pressing environmental and social challenges businesses face and that are part of a comprehensive sustainability strategy.

Both the “Biodiversity sponsored by Friends of the Earth” and the overall awards went to PUMA’s Environmental Profit and Loss Account (E P&L). Last year, the Sportlifestyle company published this worldwide unprecedented Environmental Profit and Loss Account for the first time, analyzing environmental factors such as water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions throughout its core business and supply chain operations. As part of PUMA’s long-term sustainability plan, the analysis was commissioned in recognition that producing and selling PUMA products has a wide impact along the entire supply chain. By identifying the most significant environmental impacts, PUMA will develop solutions to address these issues.

“In keeping with our mission of becoming the most desirable and sustainable Sportlifestyle company, PUMA is happy to take this pioneering step forward for the retail industry.”, said Franz Koch, CEO of PUMA. “Establishing a sustainable PUMA Store underlines our commitment to reduce CO2 emissions, energy, water and waste in PUMA offices, stores, warehouses and direct supplier factories by 2015.”

“The building is a true design marvel and incorporates a host of innovative sustainability features to make our sustainable PUMA Store a one-of-a-kind retail experience”, said Rajiv Mehta, Managing Director PUMA South Asia. “We are pleased to be a pioneer in sustainability again with setting new standards for an environmentally-friendly and resource-saving store concept in one of India’s best shopping locations.”

Features that meet the highest criteria for sustainability include:

• Recycled steel from old DVD players, bicycles and tiffin boxes has been used to construct the building of the PUMA Store.
• The surface layout of the building has been designed in a way that more than 90% of the interior spaces in this store have direct access to natural daylight so that less artificial light is needed.
• The artificial lighting used in this store is energy efficient with fewer watts being consumed for the same lumen output.
• The recessed first and second floor volume generates a stack-effect for natural cooling.
• The highly insulated building shell allows for cooling without an air conditioning. Soil temperature, at a depth of about 12 feet or more stays fairly constant throughout the year and is approximately equal to the average annual ambient air temperature. The ground will be used as a heat sink for cooling in the summer and as a heat source for heating in the winter. A simple method used in this store is to pass air through the underground air tunnel.
• By maintaining the temperature at a comfortable 24 degrees Celsius, PUMA leaves it warmer than in usual retail stores and thus conserves energy.
• The sustainable PUMA Store is 100% solar-powered as solar photovoltaic cells provide 10,384 kwh units of energy a year.
• The porotherm blocks used to construct the shell of the building have been made using silt from the lakes in Kunigal. These lakes are the only source of water for villages in Kunigal and hence are desilted every year to increase the water table. The silt usually ends up as waste, but has now been used as a valuable resource in the sustainable PUMA Store.
• Under Floor Air Distribution helps to save further energy. Floor Air Distribution works on the principle that air in any particular space needs to be cooled only for the first eight feet from the floor because convection currents cause hot air to rise automatically while cool air remains at the bottom.
• The furniture and fixture in this store were made of recycled wood while low volatile organic compound paint has been used to paint the Store’s walls.
• The Store’s roof garden keeps the building insulated from the direct heat of the sun and the plants keep the temperature lower at all times.
• A special insulation foam has been implemented in the roof which cuts down heat gains by reducing conduction.
• Occupancy sensors provide automatic on/ off control so that lights are used when the room is occupied. When the space is unoccupied, the lights are automatically turned off.

The store will retail a range of products made from organic cotton as well as PUMA’s Wilderness Collection – a collection primarily sourced and produced in Africa using sustainable materials. For the first time in India, the sustainable PUMA Store also introduces PUMA’s global ‘Bring Me Back” Program – an in-store recycling program for footwear, apparel and soft accessories.

The launch event was carbon-neutral with all the energy consumed during the party being produced by customers and invitees through pedal power. This is a novel initiative whereby people pedal on a special bicycle generator that feeds into the main power source. In this way, power can be created and stored in a battery bank thereby eliminating reliance on traditional power sources.

To generate awareness and appreciation for sustainability amongst the citizens of Bangalore, PUMA has embarked upon an ambitious initiative to involve the art and design community. The brand has partnered with Trapeze Design Studio as well as young installation artists from the city to create large-format installations using waste material. These will then be put up in key locations around Bangalore city later this month as a strong message to highlight the glaring need to reuse, reduce and recycle – the cornerstone of waste minimization strategies. The aesthetic and utilitarian installations will be donated to the Bangalore Municipality and remain as permanent artworks to beautify the city-scape.

The Joint Roadmap, Version 2, presents the ZDHC Group’s long term vision, interim 2015 milestones and 2020 goals. It builds on the previous Joint Roadmap document and sets out a new plan, incorporating and reflecting comments received from a wide range of stakeholders, including textile industry suppliers and associations, government agencies in Asia, Europe and the United States, non-governmental organisations, international development organisations and the chemical industry.

“To achieve the goal of systemic change and commercialisation of new, preferred alternative chemistries, we will need to transform the industry’s manufacturing inputs and processes. This requires full collaboration amongst thousands of organisations,” said Jessica Wollmuth, ZDHC Programme Manager. “Good progress has been achieved thus far, and the Joint Roadmap, Version 2, lays a firm foundation for creating an apparel and footwear industry that delivers high quality products using safe chemistries.”

ZDHC Group achievements in the past year include having:

• Completed chemical use and management surveys, and wastewater testing for approximately 150 analytes at 20 facilities in Bangladesh, China, India, Taiwan China and Vietnam
• Completed a chemical inventory that is the most complete, publicly available compilation of information on chemicals used in the textile industry
• Developed training materials in English and Chinese
• Developed and delivered training to suppliers
• Engaged with more than 350 potential stakeholders
• Completed system mapping, critical to the understanding of the interconnected issues, leverage points and stakeholders involved.
• Agreed to timelines for the phase out of C8 chemistry by no later than January 1, 2015
• Worked with suppliers to address the most pressing chemicals of concern, starting with APEOS, and will continue to do so in 2013
• Worked to identify safer chemistries and mechanisms to incentivise chemical suppliers to invest in these alternatives

“Building on the knowledge gained during the first full year of implementation, the Joint Roadmap, Version 2 provides an overview of the guiding principles and long-term vision of the ZDHC group, and defines key activities that will catalyse industry change,” said Wollmuth. By implementing tasks in seven workstreams defined in the Roadmap, specifically Chemical Hazard Assessment, Prioritisation and Action, Training, Right to Know, Assessment and Auditing, Management Systems Approach, Structure and Documentation Stakeholder Partnering, and Chemicals Management Best Practices Pilot. The ZDHC Group will develop and promote industry best practices to deliver a safer and cleaner environment. “Our goal is ambitious, and the ZDHC Group and partners are fully committed to working together to achieve it, “ said Wollmuth.

Michael has 25 years of hands-on experience in sourcing, product development and sales, having worked in various senior management functions for companies such as Decathlon, Tesco and COACH Leatherware. He is based in Hong Kong and reports directly to PUMA's Chief Operating Officer Lars Sørensen. 

Dr. Reiner Hengstmann, former Global Director Sustainability and Compliance, led the Safe Department since 1999. He has left PUMA to pursue career opportunities outside the company.

IFC will adopt a financing structure with tiered pricing of short-term working capital, offering lower costs for those suppliers that achieve a high score in PUMA's supplier rating, that is applied after PUMA has monitored a supplier's adherence to the company's social and environmental standards through an auditing process.

“This financing program enables our suppliers to leverage their relationship with us and benefit from PUMA's strong reputation and financial position," said Lars Soerensen, PUMA’s Chief Operating Officer. "This is the first program in our company that rewards a supplier’s rating within PUMA’s environmental and sustainability program through related fees."

"IFC is the perfect partner for us to implement this program”, stated Frank Wächter, Senior Head of Treasury & Insurance at PUMA. "They have a proven track record in designing such programs and implementing them in countries in Asia, where many banks are not as active.”

Sergio Pimenta, IFC Director of Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services said: “This agreement with PUMA advances IFC’s efforts to encourage small and medium companies such as PUMA’s suppliers to improve environmental and social sustainability while achieving strong financial results”. 

Ball Planet, a Chinese supplier of soccer balls with production facilities in China, is the first supplier to join the program. “We are keen to start using this financing facility, since access to affordable financing is always a challenge," Ken Hong, General Manager of Ball Planet Industrial Ltd., said: "This innovative program will not only help us improve our cash flow, but will also provide us with a financial incentive to improve our environmental, health and safety and social standards, which will ultimately reduce our operating costs and enhance our performance.” Ball Planet has been a business partner of PUMA since 2010.  

PUMA and IFC launched this initiative in partnership with GT Nexus, a cloud-based business network and platform for global trade and supply chain management. The platform enables participants to operate against a core, real-time set of information across multiple supply chain functions. This optimizes the flow of goods, funds and trade information.

IFC provides financing to ready-made garment and footwear suppliers through its Global Trade Supplier Finance (GTSF) program, which provides working capital to suppliers backed by receivables from international buyers. Supplier finance is a scalable way for suppliers in emerging markets to access affordable financing for their receivables over a period defined by the terms of credit. Established in 2010, IFC’s GTSF program is a $500 million multicurrency investment and advisory program that provides short-term finance to emerging-market suppliers and small and midsized exporters.

What sounds like future visions are actually research results by Sports company PUMA and the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Design Lab that will be showcased at the Milan Design Week 2018 in April. PUMA and MIT Design Lab have been conducting research in the field of biodesign since June 2017. Biodesign is the practice of using living materials such as algae or bacteria to create products. It makes possible a football jersey made from the silk of a spider or a shoe box grown from mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. PUMA Biodesign explores the new frontiers of biological design and fabrication to bring advances in science and biotechnologies closer to our daily lives through sport products.  

The exhibition in Milan, which is powered by the Biorealize desktop bioprototyping platform, will focus on how the next generation of athletic footwear, apparel and wearables can adapt in real-time by using living organisms to enhance performance.

The exhibition will show four experiments: a Breathing Shoe, a Deep Learning Insole, Carbon Eaters and Adaptive Packaging.

The biologically active Breathing Shoe pushes the boundaries of biofabrication and enables personalized ventilation by growing its own air passageways that keep the foot cool.

The next generation Deep Learning Insoles improve the athlete’s performance through real-time biofeedback. The sole uses organisms to measure long and short-term chemical phenomena that indicate fatigue and well-being.

The microbially-active t-shirt responds to environmental factors by changing its appearance and informing the user about air quality.

The research has also looked beyond current wearables and produced biologically programmable materials that change their shape and structure to become new types of alive, biodegradable and adaptive packaging.

The Milan Design Week runs from 17-22 April 2018.