Pentland Brands makes strides with sustainability moves

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Dec 14, 2022

Forget talking the talk, Pentland Brands is walking the walk when it comes to sustainability. As part of its ‘100-1-0’ business goals, the UK fashion and sportswear group said it has made “significant progress on its sustainability plans over the past year”.

This includes 16 million consumers impacted by Pentland Brands’ initiatives “to help people live positive, active, sustainable lifestyles” while 165,000 people have benefited from “important support provided across UK communities”. 

Additionally, the company has signed up to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), committing it to publish “a clear carbon reduction roadmap to reach net zero in alignment with the Paris Agreement”. 

A year ago, Pentland Brands unveiled and promised action in delivering an ambitious 100-1-0 positive business goals by its centenary year in 2032. This included helping 100 million consumers “live positive, active, sustainable lifestyles”, to improve the lives of one million people in its communities, and to be a net zero business by 2032.

And the work completed as part of the programme “has already been significant” through its products, campaigns and brand activations. These include Speedo’s ‘Outsiders Club’ campaign, “which shines a light on the joy gained from swimming outside, and, most importantly, the friendships and communities formed from a shared love of the water”.

The brand also celebrated World Ocean Day by sharing ways to change the tide on climate change, educating consumers on how they can reduce their environmental impact when it comes to swimming and swimwear.

It also launched the Berghaus brand free repairs service, Repairhaus, which has repaired nearly 5,000 items to keep its gear in use and out of landfill. Berghaus is also a supporter of non-profit organisation OUTO (Opening Up the Outdoors).

Meanwhile, the Kickers brand launched its first 100% vegan ‘Back to School’ collection and its collaboration with pre-loved platform Reskinned, which helps consumers give their Kickers a new life by trading them in to be refurbished or recycled.

Sports brand Ellesse introduced its tennis court regeneration project, a competition to nominate a local community tennis court for a refresh, while fellow sports brand while Mitre introduced its ‘Different League’ campaign with professional footballer Tyrone Mings, which encourages players of all ages and abilities to watch and participate in the game. It has also invested in the women’s game through its partnership with the Scottish Women’s Premier League. 

Finally, the Canterbury brand launched a ‘Future Fund’ that offers community grants to help more women enter and progress in grassroots rugby. The brand is also encouraging consumers to get active by spotlighting inspiring young athletes and clubs, to show how grassroots sport is making its mark on UK communities. 

Sara Brennan, positive business director for Pentland Brands, said: “While it can sometimes be easy to set ambitious goals, using them as criteria for employee and business success demonstrates we’re taking action in the areas where we can make a genuine impact. While we know there’s always more to do, I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and look forward to sharing how we continue to deliver for people and our planet in 2023.”