Major Progress on Climate Protection and the Circular Economy
- CO2 emissions reduced by 5% – with 13% revenue growth in 2022
- Renewed "Fair Wear Leader Status" for fair working conditions worldwide
- Innovative ideas for circular concepts
Transformation of the energy system, e-mobility, CO2 reductions, PFAS ban, textile recycling, work-life balance – the teasers on the new Sustainability Report's homepage illustrate the diversity of the cutting edge issues that VAUDE is committed to. "Some of these issues may not appear to be directly related to our products, but they're crucial for the development of the planet and our lives. We would like to make an active contribution and offer solutions. The Sustainability Report shows exactly where we stand along our journey, what we've achieved, and where we want to improve. We are proud of our major progress, which is providing us with the motivation we need to do even better," reports Antje von Dewitz, CEO of VAUDE.
Sustainability is deeply ingrained throughout the entire company at VAUDE, which means that every employee actively contributes to the overarching strategic goals in their respective areas of work. VAUDE has made substantial progress in all areas, be it climate targets, mobility, PFAS phase-out or environmentally friendly and fair production. Antje von Dewitz is pleased to note, "This is a fantastic team effort that we have all accomplished together."
Decoupling CO2 Emissions from Economic Growth
For years, VAUDE has been placing a strong priority on pursuing the goal of continuously reducing its ecological footprint along with significantly decreasing CO2 emissions as quickly as possible. To achieve this, the company has committed itself to ambitious science-based climate targets which define in detail the required levels of CO2 reduction within a specific time frame in order for VAUDE to contribute to meeting the 1.5-degree target. The outdoor brand has made significant strides along its way. VAUDE managed to reduce its total CO2 emissions – both at its headquarters and throughout its global supply chain – by 5% from 2021 to 2022, while achieving a 13% increase in revenues. "This is a real turning point! The fact that we have decoupled our resource consumption from our economic success is now measurably evident," explains Antje von Dewitz. The successful CO2 reduction is primarily attributed to higher energy efficiency and the use of lower-emission energy sources in material manufacturing within our global supply chain. Another contributing factor was VAUDE's participation in the Supply Chain Decarbonisation Project along with nine other outdoor brands that worked systematically together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain.
Since 2022, all products made worldwide by VAUDE have been balance-sheet climate neutral*, as has been the case at VAUDE's Tettnang location since 2012. The focus, however, remains clearly on further reducing emissions towards a "net-zero strategy" until they reach zero. (Currently) unavoidable emissions are fully compensated through a Gold Standard climate protection project.
Sustainability is deeply ingrained throughout the entire company at VAUDE, which means that every employee actively contributes to the overarching strategic goals in their respective areas of work. VAUDE has made substantial progress in all areas, be it climate targets, mobility, PFAS phase-out or environmentally friendly and fair production. Antje von Dewitz is pleased to note, "This is a fantastic team effort that we have all accomplished together."
Decoupling CO2 Emissions from Economic Growth
For years, VAUDE has been placing a strong priority on pursuing the goal of continuously reducing its ecological footprint along with significantly decreasing CO2 emissions as quickly as possible. To achieve this, the company has committed itself to ambitious science-based climate targets which define in detail the required levels of CO2 reduction within a specific time frame in order for VAUDE to contribute to meeting the 1.5-degree target. The outdoor brand has made significant strides along its way. VAUDE managed to reduce its total CO2 emissions – both at its headquarters and throughout its global supply chain – by 5% from 2021 to 2022, while achieving a 13% increase in revenues. "This is a real turning point! The fact that we have decoupled our resource consumption from our economic success is now measurably evident," explains Antje von Dewitz. The successful CO2 reduction is primarily attributed to higher energy efficiency and the use of lower-emission energy sources in material manufacturing within our global supply chain. Another contributing factor was VAUDE's participation in the Supply Chain Decarbonisation Project along with nine other outdoor brands that worked systematically together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain.
Since 2022, all products made worldwide by VAUDE have been balance-sheet climate neutral*, as has been the case at VAUDE's Tettnang location since 2012. The focus, however, remains clearly on further reducing emissions towards a "net-zero strategy" until they reach zero. (Currently) unavoidable emissions are fully compensated through a Gold Standard climate protection project. More about our climate footprint here.
Strong Advancements in the Green Shape Standard
VAUDE is particularly proud of the continued development of its own Green Shape Standard for environmentally friendly products, which complies with the strictest requirements of the textile industry. The program's criteria have been revised and the bar has been raised; an independent external Green Shape Advisory Board has been established. The high level of credibility has also been reflected in the new Greenpeace report: In a review of 14 sustainability labels, the Green Shape Standard received the best rating.
9th Time Achieving "Fair Wear Leader Status" for Fair Working Conditions
In the annual assessment by the independent organization, Fair Wear, VAUDE once again achieved the highest category, Leader Status. This recognition is awarded to companies that are committed to upholding social standards in the supply chain and that demonstrate an exemplary system. VAUDE has received its 9th consecutive "Leader Status" rating.
Rethinking – Focusing on Circular Business Models
VAUDE has also made significant strides on its path toward a circular economy. The Collection, made from recyclable PET materials, has been developed and will be launched in 2024. In addition, VAUDE is working on concrete solutions for an infrastructure that facilitates the collection, sorting, and recycling of textiles, aiming to drive textile recycling forward, which currently stands at just 1%. "I see the circular economy as one of the most crucial solutions for preserving our planet. With circular solutions, we can change the world. It's time to change our thinking", appeals Antje von Dewitz. VAUDE is working intensively on circular business models and has already launched innovative services such as VAUDE RENT, an outdoor gear rental service, and an upcycling platform. To prolong product usage, VAUDE offers repair services, online repair guides and much more – a new re-commerce platform with be introduced soon.
VAUDE Welcomes EU Reporting Obligation for All Companies
Since 2013, VAUDE has been publishing its comprehensive Sustainability Report annually, in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative Standard (GRI) guidelines, and including data from other reporting standards such as EMAS, Economy for the Common Good, and Fair Wear. This provides detailed insight into all areas of the company's activities. The information in the new report covers the year 2022. Since the beginning of the year, sixteen employees from all areas have been involved in its creation, processing, and evaluation, editing enormous amounts of data. "We voluntarily undertake this effort, as well as the costs of implementing measures for environmental protection, social standards, etc. – however, this also puts us as a disadvantage compared to companies that don't take their responsibilities seriously. With the new EU legislation, all companies will finally be held accountable – this is a great opportunity to advance global issues such as climate protection and human rights in the supply chain, together," said Antje von Dewitz.
*The emissions arising from mobility, materials, manufacturing, and shipping are analyzed and systematically reduced. Emissions that are currently unavoidable are fully offset through the independent non-profit organization myclimate.
Sixteen employees from all areas were involved in the creation of the VAUDE Sustainability Report, who have processed, evaluated and edited enormous amounts of data since the beginning of the year.