Charlotte Rudacille

CSR
Nikes sustainability
program
•Understanding that if there “is no planet, there is no sport” Nike continues to
make considerable inroads in promoting their environmental sustainability
initiatives.
•Through the Supplier Climate Action Program, Nike ensures their suppliers and
manufacturers are committed to their goal of carbon neutrality by 2025. So far,
the company announced that all of their North American facilities, as well as
48% of their global operations, are operating on 100% renewable energy, and
99.9% of manufacturing waste from their tier 1 suppliers have been diverted
from landfills. Under this new program, there was also a 30% reduction of fresh
water used in manufacturing textiles and materials in 2020.
•To further reduce waste, Nike is introducing more sustainable materials into
their product lines and taking advantage of reusable and recyclable products. In
2020, sustainable material integration increased from 41% to 59% in their
clothing lines.  Although the use of sustainable materials in their footwear was
unchanged in 2020, the company is focusing on sustainable materials such as Fly
leather, a material made with at least 50% recycled leather scraps. So far, over 4
billion plastic bottles have been reprocessed into polyester and other textiles
that are used in their products. Nike is also piloting alternative packaging
solutions that replace corrugated cardboard with reusable shipping totes.
Nikes diversity and inclusion program
•Nike’s CSR and corporate governance programs center on
providing a healthy and tolerant work environment for all
employees. To that end, the company invests in promoting a
work environment that celebrates diversity and inclusion. In
2020, Nike introduced two new CSR programs, their
Juneteenth learning initiative, and their Unconscious Bias
Awareness training program to promote a greater
understanding of racial equality and social change.
Throughout 2020-21, Nike laid out a five-year plan for creating
more diversity in their workforce, which included a target goal
of 50% representation of women and 35% representation of
racial and ethnic minorities in their corporate workforce by
2025. In conjunction with this initiative, Nike announced an
investment of $125 million over the next five years to support
businesses committed to “leveling the playing field.”
•In 2020, Nike allocated $4 million to support diversity and
inclusion in communities throughout North America through
its Until We All Win program. Additionally, eight of Nike’s
Employee Networks donated $25,000 a year to nonprofit
organizations focusing on promoting social equality, regardless
of race, gender, and sexual orientation.
Nikes community support
program
• As part of their community outreach program, Nike spent more than
$89 million in 2020 to help over 17 million kids around the world get
active in sports and exercise. Nike also committed to training nearly
100,000 coaches to help communities most in need.  
• To encourage more gender inclusivity and equality, Nike invested over
$100 million into their Girl Effect program between 2015-2020 to
improve the lives of tens of millions of girls in 20 countries throughout
Africa and Asia. The company also expanded its digital training tools to
include the Coaching Girls program which aims to make sports more fun
and inclusive for girls through coach education and leadership training.
• Lastly, in collaboration with Converse, Jordan Brand, and Michael
Jordan, Nike announced a 10-year $140 million CSR commitment to
support social equality for Black Americans, $40 million of which is
intended to support organizations and nonprofits addressing systemic
inequality. 

Happy valentines day!

Nikes corporate social responsibility issues

• Despite adopting a range of new environmental protocols to reduce environmental

waste, Nike’s carbon footprint remains unchanged from its 2015 baseline. This is
largely attributed to a steady stream of new footwear lines that require new
materials. In addition, while the brand has set a science-based target to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, there is little evidence they are on track to meet their
target of operating entirely on renewable energy by 2025. There is also no clear
indication that the company - which relies heavily on trees and plants for their
textiles - has a policy in place to address deforestation.
• In addition to concerns surrounding their environmental impact, Nike’s labor
practices continue to be scrutinized for human rights violations. In 2020, The
Washington Post reported that members of the Uighur Muslim minority in China
working for Nike were subjected to coerced working conditions and ethno-religious
discrimination. In response to this criticism, Nike issued a statement saying that while
they are “concerned about reports of forced labor, Nike does not source products
from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
• Nike has also been under fire recently for financially penalizing female athletes who
become pregnant while under contract. To address the controversy, Nike has since
amended its policy, stated that it will no longer pause or stop payment to pregnant
athletes. Despite these efforts, the company continues to be criticized for not
acknowledging its past treatment of female athletes.