How Asics Integrate Sustainability into Sourcing Strategy
For a sportswear company the size of Asics, 70% of their carbon emissions come from the procurement of materials, manufacturing and managing end of life for equipment. The company looks to integrate sustainability into all aspects of their procurement and supply chain, and are working with their procurement partners to deliver improvements.
The company works with approximately 150 tier 1 suppliers, who the company holds direct contractual sourcing relationships with. They measure their performance using the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Facility Environmental Module (SAC’s Higg FEM) score in supplier ratings. The company has adopted a strategy of 90% of those suppliers to have improved their rating over the 2023 period.
Sustainable sourcing strategy at Asics
The supply chain sustainability strategy involves the careful sourcing of materials for their products. The company has made various improvements such as increasing the use of recycled polyester, lower emission materials, and employing more sources of renewable energy.
Asics introduced a Green Procurement Policy, after being involved in the Japanese Government’s “The Fiscal Year 2021 Model Project '' which advocated for the decarbonisation of the entire supply chain.
The ASICS Green Procurement Policy requires that suppliers:
- Set a 1.5˚C target
- Use no coal
- Have a concrete renewable energy sourcing plan
- Make continuous efforts to save energy
- Understand and manage own environmental impact with Higg FEM
Asics progress in sustainable procurement
The company’s most recent sustainability report reported 36.5% of the cotton was sourced sustainably, which sits against a target of reaching 100% by 2025. Since 2019, ASICS has been a member of Better Cotton (BC). BC works with a diverse range of stakeholders across the cotton supply chain to promote measurable and continuing improvements for the environment, farming communities, and the economies of cotton-producing areas.
“At Asics, we are committed to sustainability, and we recognise the impact we have on people and the environment,” says Yasuhito Hirota President, CEO and COO.
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