Today we’ve published our Pentland Brands Positive Business report, which outlines our actions for people and planet in 2020 and the steps we’re taking to achieve our long-term sustainability goals. Here are some of the reports’ highlights;
Brands making a difference
During the global pandemic, our brands put their principles into action – from helping consumers stay active at home to providing kit to key workers. Endura made use of its skills in rapid garment development and created over 13,000 NHS grade gowns, while 17,000 front line workers benefited from discounted Berghaus gear.
Our brands have also continued to innovate to make their products kinder to the planet. Canterbury unveiled the most sustainable British & Irish Lions jersey ever which emits 21% less CO2 during manufacturing, and Speedo launched its Powerflex Eco range with items made from ocean waste.
People
Our people, including those who work in our offices, distribution centres and across our supply chains, are at the heart of our business. We strive to celebrate diversity and inclusivity across our organisation through initiatives such as Inclusion Week, and we have a number of health and wellbeing tools in place to help our people be at their best.
We recognise the unprecedented challenges faced by young people in the UK, so we’ve joined the UK government’s Kickstart Scheme, which provides job placements for 16 to 24 year-olds on Universal Credit. We continue to channel our support through global charity partnerships, by giving 1% of net profit after tax to charitable causes, mentoring over 380 young people and supporting nearly 100 entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
Planet
Our target is to reduce our carbon emissions by 25% by 2025, as part of our long-term ambition to become carbon neutral. All our European offices use 100% renewable energy and we have additional energy-saving initiatives such as solar panels and electric car charging points.
We continue to avoid using single use plastics in our products and packaging. Since switching our plastic shipping bags to fully recyclable boxes made from 80% post-consumer waste, we reduced the amount of plastic we shipped by 27 tonnes per year.
Sara Brennnan, Positive Business Director at Pentland Brands, says: “After a challenging year, we’re now looking to the future and how we can turn our ambitions into tangible steps to take action. Having recently formed our first ever employee Positive Business squads, we’ll continue to work as a collective on causes that matter to our business and I look forward to sharing our progress.”
Find out more about our strategy and how we’re taking action in our Positive Business report.