Recently, we have been informed officially that the adidas Group has succeeded with the so called “ISOThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state-of-the-art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade. 14001 certification” of its headquarters in Herzogenaurach and Indianapolis.  As these were the last in a row of adidas Group locations which got certified, this is another milestone in the adidas Group’s Environmental Strategy. Read on to learn more about the ISOThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state-of-the-art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade. 14001 certification and its relevance for the adidas Group’s overall Environmental Strategy.

This strategy’s overall target is to reduce our relative environmental impact 15% by 2015 and it adopts a holistic view, taking all areas of the adidas Group’s business into consideration, be it the value chain, the product creation or our own sites. When it comes to the latter, we are talking about a project called Green Company. It is an environmental programme run at our own offices, warehouses, distribution centers and our own production sites – around the globe. It aims at providing the supporting framework, guidance and communication platform to help all Group entities improve their environmental footprint. The Initiative was launched in 2008 by our CEOThe Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a company is the highest-ranking corporate officer and in charge of total management of an organisation. Herbert Hainer and targets amongst other things for very practical achievements. You will find some of the most important Green Company targets and some recommendations how to accomplish them in the picture gallery below. Maybe these recommendations can be an impulse for you, too.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

What is the ISOThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state-of-the-art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade. 14001 certification all about?

That said one of the main targets within the Green Company Initiative was that all our Group and brand headquarters should be certified to the international environmental management system standard ISOThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state-of-the-art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade. 14001. The certification does not dictate environmental requirements but serves as a framework to assist organizations in developing their own environmental management system.

Our individual ISOThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state-of-the-art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade. 14001 system focuses on the operational aspects of the local sites and their buildings and installations; in doing so we train ourselves and our employees in approaches that are leading globally. These are approaches that will support us well in our overall Environmental Strategy work, too.

Within a short period of time, we have succeeded in building and implementing the prerequisites for the ISOThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state-of-the-art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade. 14001 certification which now has been granted for all our Group and brand headquarters. Our headquarters in Herzogenaurach was by purpose the last location to get certified as we wanted the newly constructed building “Laces” to be included in the certification process, too (read more about the building here and here).

All in all, the following locations are now certified within the same system for ISOThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state-of-the-art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade. 14001:

•  adidas Group headquarters, Herzogenaurach, Germany
•  Reebok North America and Rockport headquarters, Canton, MA, US
•  adidas North America, Portland, US
• TaylorMade-adidas GolfTaylorMade-adidas Golf (TMaGTaylorMade-adidas Golf (TMaG) has led the golf industry's technological revolution since the company was founded in 1979. TaylorMade metalwoods, irons and putters have been used to win hundreds of professional golf tournaments around the world. In 1998, TaylorMade became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the adidas Group, which was the birth of the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company. In 2008, golf-inspired lifestyle sportswear manufacturer Ashworth became part of the TMaG family.) has led the golf industry's technological revolution since the company was founded in 1979. TaylorMade metalwoods, irons and putters have been used to win hundreds of professional golf tournaments around the world. In 1998, TaylorMade became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the adidas Group, which was the birth of the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company. In 2008, golf-inspired lifestyle sportswear manufacturer Ashworth became part of the TMaGTaylorMade-adidas Golf (TMaG) has led the golf industry's technological revolution since the company was founded in 1979. TaylorMade metalwoods, irons and putters have been used to win hundreds of professional golf tournaments around the world. In 1998, TaylorMade became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the adidas Group, which was the birth of the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company. In 2008, golf-inspired lifestyle sportswear manufacturer Ashworth became part of the TMaG family. family., Carlsbad, US
• adidas Montreal, Canada
• Distribution Centers in Spartanburg and Indianapolis, both US

All brands of the adidas Group, working together in one unified system

What we are especially proud of is the fact that we have all our brands working together in one, unified system. This is exceptional in the industry. The internal collaboration has been at its best and the global one-system approach has proven highly successful.

The environmental area is an area where a global, multinational corporation like the adidas Group, with a comprehensive product portfolio and a complex supply chain, needs a clear approach in order to tackle the most important issues.

A systematic approach to assessing and approaching environmental impacts, risks and opportunities is crucial if a company wants to do the right thing and do it well.

The adidas Group has got it right and we are proud to welcome the newly certified locations Herzogenaurach and Indianapolis into the system.

However, all these achievements wouldn’t be possible without the commitment and dedication of the entire workforce. Whilst I’d like to thank each and every employee, I’d like to highlight representatively a couple of key-players and ISOThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state-of-the-art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade. specialists with the picture below.

From left to right:

On the sofa: Anna Hieble, Detlev Reckert, Sonja Peter. Standing: Andreas Dietrich, Manfred Gumbert, Peter Huber, Susanne Gast, Robert Pospischil