Puma is a company I’ve followed since I first saw the King football boots in the early eighties. Diego Maradona wore them back then, so did my best friends at school.
Around 10 years ago, Puma grabbed my attention again when I discovered their interest in doing business more ethically – or at least with a greater focus on the environment.
Specifically, The Guardian reported in 2011 that Puma had reviewed the “impacts caused by greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and water consumption along its entire supply chain”, and consequently committed to a tie-up of its social and economic impacts.
The article also noted that Puma saw issues “at the point where raw materials are derived from natural resources, such as the cultivation and harvesting of cotton and cattle ranching.” It’s in these areas that greenhouses gases and water consumption is most intense, as per the story.
Puma have zeroed in on these trouble spots in the years since and, according to the brand’s website, it continues to push on sustainable targets. Another time we’ll go into its climate action work or human rights goals, but for now, consider Puma’s focus on products, which started a decade ago. For instance, the company reports that 82% of its cotton used in 2019 came from sustainable sources. Furthermore, 98% of its leather used in 2019 originated from properly reviewed and rated leather tanneries that meet environmental standards of the LWG (Leather Working Group, a global collective of brands and companies that set environmental protocols for the industry).
Perhaps of most importance for football fans is that a huge business like Puma doesn’t simply hit a mark and then let things sit, or worse, regress. The company seems compelled to improve and iterate, which is what we all surely seek from top sporting corporations. To this end, one particular target stood out to me as a long-time fan of the Puma King: by 2025, Puma aims to have at least one more sustainable component in 90% of all of its footwear.
The Soccer Pitch Is Green 