Sporting goods retailer Decathlon has signed the European Commission’s (EC) Sustainable Consumption Pledge, joining several other large global businesses in voluntary committing to making production and consumption better for the planet.
In statement this week, the France-headquartered retailer said stronger steps need to taken to reduce human reliance on finite resources and promote circular, closed loop, economies. This was the key reason for signing the Sustainable Consumption Pledge, which was previously known as the Green Consumption Pledge.
Other retailers to have signed the pledge include fashion organisation H&M Group, electricals business Fnac Darty, beauty conglomerate L’Oreal, and toy maker Lego Group.
Decathlon’s pledge is to decarbonise its business in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, which includes a 20% reduction in absolute CO2 emissions by 2026 and a 42% reduction by 2030 as it targets net zero by 2050. These targets are still pending independent validation by the Science Based Targets initiative.
It has also committed to promoting circular initiatives such as repair, buy-back schemes, and rental – for example, increasing the number of ‘buy-back’ products available in its range from zero in 2021 to two million by 2030.
By signing the Sustainable Consumption Pledge, Decathlon – and others that have added their names to the commitment – will have to update on progress towards these goals at least once a year.
Anna Turrell, chief sustainability officer at Decathlon, having joined from Tesco in 2023, said: “The Sustainable Consumption Pledge represents our renewed commitment to changing the way we do business.
“By decarbonising our activity and developing a business model that promotes a circular economy, we can reduce the impact we have on the environment and lead the change in the industry to become a beacon of light for a more sustainable future.”
Check out more information about the Sustainable Consumption pledge by clicking here
[Image credit: Green Retail World]
