Nike Outlines Key 'Move to Zero' Climate Change Initiatives
have been strong in making in the past few years, and the company is now looking to take another step forward with the Move to Zero initiative.
With the goal of transitioning toward zero carbon and zero waste, Nike aims to ‘help protect the future of sport’ with Move to Zero, safeguarding it against the effects of climate change.
According to the Swoosh, the number of days above 90°F (32.2°C) has increased by nearly 25 per cent since the 1980s, and athletes in all disciplines are being impacted. In many US states, rules have been adopted to keep players safe in increasingly hot and humid conditions, mandating shorter practices, wearing less equipment, or even cancelling games.
‘Without global action, under current trends climate change could decrease time spent on the field by up to two months in parts of Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi by 2050,’ says Nike.
‘For those in snow sports, there is danger of literal loss of playing field – the average number of quality snowboarding days around the world has decreased by 7 per cent during the past 30 years. By 2050, those days could shrink by 11 to 22 per cent.’
Move to Zero consists of five key initiatives to combat this:
1. Nike will power owned-and-operated facilities with 100 percent renewable energy by 2025.
2. Nike will reduce carbon emissions across its global supply chain by 30 percent by 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement of 2015.
3. Nike diverts 99 percent of all footwear manufacturing waste from landfills.
4. Additionally, Nike diverts more than 1 billion plastic bottles per year from landfills to create yarns for new jerseys and uppers for Flyknit shoes.
5. The Reuse-A-Shoe and Nike Grind programs convert waste into new products, playgrounds, running tracks and courts.