The PUMA Lacelet Lounge at THE LIFT made a special appearance at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Between January 22 and 26, celebrities got the opportunity to design and create their own PUMA Lacelets. PUMA Lacelets are collectable shoelaces featuring patterns from world-renowned artist Kehinde Wiley that can be used in the traditional sense or to create a variety of unique designs.  PUMA and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) announced the ‘Play for Life’ partnership earlier this month to support the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity by raising awareness about habitat and species conservation and specific initiatives in Africa for 2010.  The celebrity designed Lacelets will be auctioned off to support biodiversity programs worldwide, through the help of UNEP.   In addition, PUMA will be making a further donation to these programs in the names of those who attended the festival…

Attendees to date include Samuel L. Jackson, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Mark Ruffalo, Diego Luna, Lil Jon, Morgan Spurlock, Dax Shepard, Adrian Grenier, Kerry Washington, Juliette Lewis, Wilmer Valderrama, Embeth Davidtz, Jason Ritter, Paul Scheer, Shawn Ashmore, Michael Chiklis, Tyler Labine, Gregory Michael, Emma Bell, Noureen DeWulf, Shawn Doyle, Constantine Maroulis, Chris Ashworth, Sam Levine, and Johnathan Woodward among others.

Actress Juliette Lewis at the PUMA Lacelet Lounge

Actor Samuel L Jackson at the PUMA Lacelet Lounge

Actor Ryan Gosling at the PUMA Lacelet Lounge

NAIROBI, KENYA / HERZOGENAURACH, GERMANY (6 January 2010) – PUMA and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) were joined today by the Indomitable Lions –Cameroon’s national football team – with team captain Samuel Eto’o, to announce a strategic partnership to support biodiversity worldwide and specific initiatives in Africa.

The ‘Play for Life’ partnership will support the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity by raising awareness about habitat and species conservation among football fans and the general public during worldwide football events, including the Orange Cup of African Nations in Angola later this month and international friendly games leading up to the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa.  With 12 African football team sponsorships to its name and a history of innovation with Africa, PUMA is uniquely positioned to help drive this effort with UNEP.

The International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) is a global initiative launched by the United Nations for 2010 to help raise awareness on the importance of biodiversity and to encourage worldwide action to conserve plants and animals and the environments in which they live. The ‘Play for Life’ campaign focuses on Africa, a continent that hosts exceptional biodiversity including two of the five most important wilderness areas on Earth – the Congo Basin, and Miombo-Mopane Woodlands and Savannas of Southern Africa. Nine of the planet’s 35 Biodiversity hotspots, the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on Earth, are also in Africa.

According to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), biodiversity is under threat around the planet – we are creating the greatest extinction crisis since the natural disaster that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Species have been disappearing at up to 1,000 times the natural rate, and this is predicted to rise dramatically. Based on current trends, an estimated 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal species - including one in eight of the world’s bird species - face extinction.

At their ‘Play for Life’ press conference held today in Nairobi, Kenya, PUMA unveiled their key fundraising lever, the revolutionary new Africa Unity Kit –the world’s first ‘continental football kit’ designed to be worn by the 12 African football national teams that PUMA sponsors. These include the World Cup qualified teams Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Algeria who are headed to the Africa Cup of Nations’ with hosts Angola and the national teams of Egypt, Mozambique, Togo and Tunisia, as well as non-qualified federations of Senegal, Morocco and Namibia. Puma also sponsors some of the continent’s best players — Samuel Eto’o, Emmanuel Eboué and John Mensah. 

Samuel Eto’o, John Mensah and Emmanuel Eboué

The Africa Unity Kit has been approved by FIFA who have officially recognised it as the Official 3^rd kit to be worn by those PUMA-sponsored African teams.

With all eyes on Africa during the 2010 football season– the Africa Unity Kit makes a compelling global statement. By supporting the Africa Unity Kit, African teams are not only uniting as a powerful force in world football, but also raising awareness of the importance of environmental issues.  PUMA’s profits from sales of the replica fanwear for the Unity Kits will help fund biodiversity programs in Africa, and in particular endangered species on the continent such as lions, elephants, gorillas and the desert fox.

The sportlifestyle company has a host of other gear designed to generate additional funds to support biodiversity, including PUMA Unity t-shirts and PUMA Lacelets, collectable shoe laces featuring patterns from world-renowned artist Kehinde Wiley. These products all bear the PUMA Yellow “life” Label, which gives consumers an easy way to identify products that benefit projects supported by PUMAVision, PUMA’s Corporate Social Responsibility Program. A portion of the profits from the Yellow “life” label products will also go to fund the biodiversity programmes.

“In 2010, Africa will be at the centre of the footballing world.  The ‘Play for Life’ campaign and the release of the Africa Unity Kit is a powerful statement for PUMA. PUMA is creating a unique kit embracing the diversity of African Nations teams while valuing the unity of players and supporters towards a common goal,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO, PUMA AG who helped launch the Africa Unity Kit. “Biodiversity and therefore valuing and protecting all life on our planet is a huge issue, not only in Africa, but around the world - and we are proud to partner with UNEP to raise both awareness and funds through the sale of our Unity products.”

Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO, PUMA AG; Samuel Eto and Angela Cropper, DeputyExecutive Director, UNEP

“As the whole planet comes together for the World Cup, 2010 marks the year when people around the world will unite to conserve the planet’s almost priceless natural resource - its biodiversity. UNEP is delighted to partner with PUMA to bring this important message to millions of fans,” said Angela Cropper, UNEP’s Deputy Executive Director, at the press conference today.

“The planet’s living organisms are the building blocks of the multi-trillion dollar services– from freshwater to agricultural nutrients–that underpin all life on Earth including its economic, social and sporting life. Bringing together the public’s global passion for football with its global passion for animals, plants and other life-forms surely makes a match-winning team,” she added.

Cameroon’s captain Samuel Eto’o, flanked by fellow squad members at the unveiling in Nairobi, commented: “The new Africa Unity Kit has inspired me and my teammates. Not only are we very proud to wear a shirt that helps bring the continent of Africa together but to do so for such an important cause is truly an honour. Supporting the Africa Unity Kit sends out a positive message for Africa – we are a uniting as a continent to help life and the planet.”

The UNEP-PUMA ‘Play for Life’ campaign will support the International Year of Biodiversity by:

-          Raising awareness worldwide about biodiversity and the International Year of Biodiversity among football fans and the general public during football events including the African Nations Cup and international friendly games

-          Raising awareness through Public Service Announcements featuring football stars

-          Encouraging the public to take action to conserve biodiversity

-          Raising funds through the Africa Unity Kit and other PUMA Unity football products under the Yellow “life” label to support biodiversity projects in Africa.

Please Visit:  http://www.pumafootball.com/, http://www.unep.org/, http://vision.puma.com

PUMA will reduce its carbon footprint by converting to green energy such as solar power and other renewable sources, optimizing travel and logistics to reduce transport-related emissions and leasing more fuel-efficient cars for its company fleet, among other measures. The plan covers the breadth of PUMA’s worldwide operations, from direct emissions from PUMA’s offices, stores and warehouses to staff business travel and the shipping of goods.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, said: “By becoming the first global sport brand to join the Climate Neutral Network, PUMA is showing how sport can play a powerful green role in a low-carbon world. Sport has the unique ability to catalyze action among millions of people around the world - we look forward to working with PUMA to green mass sporting events and to engage sports men and women and fans around the world on the environmental challenges facing this generation.”

Jochen Zeitz, CEO of PUMA, said: “We at PUMA constantly strive to make our contribution to environmental protection and mitigate PUMA’s negative impact on our planet.  Most scientists agree that the continued unlimited emission of greenhouse gases will lead to irreversible damages to our climate and ecosystem. PUMA’s strategy to reduce its carbon footprint is a significant milestone within our sustainability concept PUMAVision that looks ahead to a world that is safer, more peaceful and more creative for the generations to come.”

The company’s Head Office in Germany already uses renewable energy including concrete core temperature control and solar power for electricity and water heating. Similarly, its Boston office has a large-scale solar power station.

PUMA also helps its suppliers to work actively to reduce their own emissions - its South African supplier, Impahla Clothing, became the first Carbon Neutral apparel supplier on the African continent. In addition, the company says it will work with industry peers to develop a common industry framework and share best practice.

“As a supporter of the UN Global Compact, PUMA endorses the Seal the Deal! Campaign supporting the signing of a binding international agreement on Climate Change following the Kyoto Protocol,” the company says in its carbon neutral strategy.  For more information visit Climate Neutral Network.

Photo credit: Lou Rouse

 PUMAVision has been a long-time supporter of a wide variety of causes in Africa, as part of our commitment to make the world a healthier, more peaceful and more creative world.

 
To support the preservation of biodiversity within the Maasai tribal lands of East Africa, puma.safe has been endorsing the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (MWCT), a non-profit organization based in Kenya that promotes conservation, education and health services within the Maasai community.

 
As part of this partnership, PUMA was one of the official sponsors of the Maasai Marathon, a group of thirty runners lead by the three Maasai warriors, Parashi Ntanin, Samson Parashina and Martin Sunte, as well as American actor and conservationist Edward Norton. The group - fitted out in PUMA running gear - ran in the ING New York City Marathon in November 2009 to raise money and awareness for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.

 
The PUMA Maasai Marathon Commemorative T-shirt is available in PUMA Stores in New York City, online at shop.puma.com and at retail locations including Jack Rabbit, New York Running Company, Paragon and Foot Locker with 50% of the proceeds going to the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.

Watch this video showcasing the Maasai story and PUMA’s relationship.

For more information and to donate visit www.maasaimarathon.com

We at PUMA aspire to a community defined by the shared principles of being Fair, Honest, Positive and Creative, fueled by the momentum of our individual and collective passions, and dedicated to making positive and lasting contributions to the world via our programs and products. We do not want our legacy to rely solely on the material goods we manufacture. Instead, we at PUMA want ours to be an imprint of sustainability and fairness, ensuring every step of the way that the products we are known for are produced using environmentally friendly processes and in environments which reflect our passion for human rights and fair employment.

When we compare the working conditions that we witnessed in factories ten years ago with the standards that we employ today, we are happy to say that our efforts have not been in vain. Through our continued diligence and commitment to fair labor compliance year after year through factory trainings and audits, along with our puma.safe environmental and social education initiatives, PUMA has played a significant role in enhancing the livelihoods of many people in regions across the globe.

The path that PUMA has paved over the past ten years is testament to the fact that we do not simply talk about sustainable development, we take action. We have met challenges head on, innovating solutions and continuously evolving our practices. Nevertheless, we have not yet reached our final destination and our journey continues.

We are confident, though, that through our PUMAVision programs, such as puma.safe, we will continue to achieve the goals we set for ourselves.

Sustainability for PUMA does not end at PUMA owned operations but is also a major topic in the supply chain. A pilot project with the Global Reporting Initiative has lead to the publication of three supplier sustainability reports in South Africa. Further supplier reports in seven countries covering three continents are currently in preparation.
Jochen Zeitz, CEO and Chairman of the Board of PUMA said, “Our 2007/ 2008 PUMAVision Sustainability Report is a testament to the fact that we at PUMA do not simply talk about sustainable development, we take action.” “We are proud of our successes over the years and of our commitment to sustainability and the highest ethical standards, but realize that when it comes to corporate responsibility, there is and will always be room for improvement” Zeitz added.

To learn more about how PUMA is making a difference, as well as our roadmap to sustainability, see our latest Sustainability Reports:

Insights Environmental and Social Report 2001

Perspective  Sustainability Report 2003

Momemtum  Sustainability Report 2004

Sustainability Report 2005/2006

PUMAVision Sustainability Report 2007/2008

Download PDF (43.3 MB) | View Online

“We at PUMA have already done a lot to mitigate PUMA’s negative impact on our planet,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA. “Through our PUMAVision category puma.safe, we started to more accurately measure the carbon footprint of our offices worldwide, which will help us to identify areas where we can further reduce our carbon footprint. As methane released by cows is responsible for 18% of gas emissions, PUMA is supporting the “Meat Free Monday” campaign and encourages its employees to do the same by avoiding meat consumption at least once a week on Mondays.”

Sir Paul McCartney said: “I think many of us feel helpless in the face of environmental challenges, and it can be hard to know how to sort through the advice about what we can do to make a meaningful contribution to a cleaner, more sustainable, healthier world. Having one designated meat free day a week is actually a meaningful change that everyone can make, that goes to the heart of several important political, environmental and ethical issues all at once. For instance it not only addresses pollution, but better health, the ethical treatment of animals, global hunger and community and political activism.”

“Meat Free Monday” is an initiative by Sir Paul McCartney and his daughters Stella and Mary to encourage meat-eaters to forgo carnivorous meals for one day each week. The campaign website www.supportMFM.org provides additional information on tasty and healthy alternatives, while the website www.carbonneutralbeef.com can provide additional information on what the meat industry has been doing to reduce its impact.

Under puma.safe, PUMA is bringing together all of it’s longstanding work on environmental issues and decent work in decent workplaces, and combining it with new initiatives that will drive us to cleaner, greener, safer and more sustainable systems and practices. Earlier this year PUMA supported the environmental movie “HOME” by bringing this powerful commentary on the major environmental and social issues challenging our world to as many viewers as possible. At PUMA we know that creating awareness of our environment’s emergency state is crucial and acting on that awareness through positive action is our contribution to a more responsible corporate ethic.

PUMAVision unites all PUMA initiatives that come under the heading ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’, giving them a coherent direction and framework. It comes from a vision of a world that is better than the one we know now-a world that is safer, more peaceful and more creative. The PUMAVision programs puma.safe (focusing on environmental and social issues), puma.peace (supporting global peace), and puma.creative (supporting artists and creative organizations), reflect PUMA’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility and define the partnerships and initiatives PUMA will support and pursue.

In 2007, PUMA.Safe launched a new modified Rating System that introduced the B+ and B- grades, and more frequent monitoring, and removed the original grade of B. Splitting the B grade to a low and high B was a tool to indicate suppliers that were only interested in short-term corrective actions vs. those that were implementing substantial and sustainable corrective actions to issues found. Suppliers rated with a B- were re-audited within a shorter period of time, which resulted in more frequent re-audits within the calendar year and the quicker identification of critical issues.

In addition, PUMA made a long-term commitment in 2008 to map out the lower tiers of its supply chain and strengthen monitoring at these levels. Until 2010, PUMA has committed to undertake direct auditing of a percentage of facilities in lower tiers of the supply chain.

*including reaudits

Tier 2 factories refer to process subcontractors (i.e. printing, stitching, embroidery, etc.) and sole component suppliers.

Tier 3 factories refer to suppliers of trims and accessories with logos and packaging.

In 2008, PUMA.Safe piloted a penalty system for suppliers which did not show significant improvement by cherry picking of “easy” issues for resolution to obtain passing results. Suppliers that obtained a second B- grade would be tentatively dropped to a C grade and must achieve a B+ grade within a prescribed set of time else the C grade remains final. Reminder and warning letters were issued to these suppliers and below is the total figures for all factories that received reminder and warning letters, including those that received C or D ratings from the onset.