VAUDE receives UN award for effective climate commitment in the supply chain

  • Ceremonial award ceremony in the Bavarian State Parliament
  • VAUDE honored for its contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Tettnang, 12.12.2024 - The outdoor brand VAUDE has been honored with the SDG Innovation Award 2024. On December 7, Hilke Patzwall, Sustainability Manager at VAUDE, and Jan Lorch, Managing Director Sales & CSR at VAUDE, accepted the prestigious award. The award ceremony took place in the Maximilianeum, the seat of the Bavarian State Parliament. The award was presented by Gerd Müller, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and former German Development Minister. VAUDE is being honored with this award for its commitment to the EOG Carbon Reduction Project: Together with nine other European outdoor brands, VAUDE is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the global supply chain and promote the use of renewable energies. In this way, the company is actively contributing to achieving the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"The SDG Innovation Award is a great recognition of our ambitious global climate commitment. When we join forces, we achieve a leverage effect and can drive major change. Thanks to our joint project, we at VAUDE have managed to halve the emissions from the energy consumption of material manufacturers in 2022 to 2023. We are very pleased to receive this prestigious award for our entire team, which is putting a lot of energy and effort into reducing our emissions worldwide," says Hilke Patzwall, VAUDE Sustainability Manager. The SDG Award recognizes innovative pioneers and committed pioneers who make an exemplary contribution to achieving the SDGs. VAUDE sees itself as part of the global community and has integrated the Sustainable Development Goals into its corporate strategy for many years. "We need these pioneers to make faster progress in implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The nominated projects combine innovation with feasibility! I hope that this will encourage many more to commit to global sustainable development," said Gerd Müller.

Prestigious international award

The international SDG Innovation Award is presented jointly by UNIDO and the Senate of German Business. This year, 270 applications were received from 38 countries and all continents in three categories. VAUDE came out on top in the "Company" category. The award winners were selected by an independent expert jury made up of top-class experts from science, business and international organizations. Nominees from Africa, America, Asia and Europe came together in Munich to honor their joint commitment. The honored pioneers show how the global sustainability goals are anchored in business and society in concrete terms. They had to prove that their commitment promotes several of the 17 sustainability goals at the same time. The SDGs are intended to help ensure that ten billion people can live together in peace, security and prosperity without hunger in the future. "Climate protection is particularly relevant in this context. Climate protection is human protection - this is becoming increasingly clear in view of the floods and the already dramatic effects in many parts of the world. Together, we can find solutions to global challenges and shape a fairer future for all people. We are very pleased that our initiative allows us to highlight solutions to these pressing issues," says Jan Lorch, VAUDE Sales & CSR Director.

Carbon Reduction Project advances energy transition in the supply chain

Together with nine other outdoor brands, VAUDE has been involved in the Carbon Reduction Project of the European Outdoor Group (EOG) since 2021 to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of material suppliers. This is because by far the largest share of company-wide emissions is generated during the manufacture of the materials used in VAUDE products. As part of the project, VAUDE has convinced numerous suppliers to switch from coal to lower-emission energy sources. As a result, coal consumption was reduced from 1,715 tons in 2022 to 687 tons in 2023. In addition, energy efficiency measures were implemented, for example through lower-emission dyeing machines. These measures have enabled VAUDE to achieve significant savings: in 2023, emissions were 30 percent lower than in 2019 - with sales growth of 32 percent in the same period.

VAUDE's climate commitment in the supply chain & the EOG Carbon Reduction Project:

VAUDE CSR Report - Energy in the supply chain

VAUDE CSR Report - Carbon footprint

How VAUDE contributes to sustainable development goals: VAUDE CSR Report - Sustainable Development Goals