When facing the topic of this assignment, I had many options in mind. After careful consideration, I decided to choose Nike. Nike has always been a brand that I frequently heard about from my family since childhood, and it’s a store I have visited since I was young. I have great confidence in the quality of their products. Over the years, Nike has expanded its business from sportswear to casual wear, and they also offer versatile accessories such as backpacks and hats. So besides buying sports shoes, I sometimes purchase cute clothes and pants from them as well.
As a globally influential company, Nike’s practices regarding corporate social responsibility and ethical principles have drawn significant attention. In recent years, Nike has been the subject of controversy, especially in the areas of advertising and labor rights. Therefore, in this assignment, I will elaborate on Nike’s efforts in social responsibility and explore their ethical principles. I will also provide my thoughts and recommendations on some areas that may need improvement.
In the context of increasing global resource and energy consumption and environmental degradation, industries are demonstrating their ability to contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development, integrating sustainable development concepts into their daily operations through innovation and leveraging their advantages. On November 6, 2022, Nike and Ant Group jointly launched the “Nike Reuse a Shoe” mini-program, which has collected more than 25,000 pairs of discarded sneakers from both online and offline channels. These old shoes will be processed using Nike Grind technology and used to build environmentally friendly playgrounds. To date, the Nike Grind project has recycled over 30 million pairs of old shoes and over 120 million pounds of footwear factory materials, transforming them into innovative sports products. As Nike deepens its commitment to sustainability, they are continuously exploring innovative ways to achieve their long-term goals of zero carbon and zero waste. At least 90% of the Nike shoeboxes you receive are made from recycled materials. In order to reduce packaging waste, Nike has launched the “One Box” packaging that doubles as a shoebox and a shipping box. Currently, One Box is being piloted on a small scale and will be expanded on a larger scale in the future. Through innovative green packaging, Nike plans to reduce 414 tons of packaging waste over the next three years. Each shoebox goes through a journey from the warehouse to the store, consuming a large number of cardboard boxes. To address this, Nike is trying to use reusable boxes instead of factory original cardboard boxes, and logistics centers are reusing factory original cardboard boxes as much as possible. According to Nike, the current reuse rate of cardboard boxes has reached 80%. Nike is also actively promoting the construction of a “circle of friends” for green supply chains with supplier factories, promoting the application of renewable energy. At the front end of logistics, as Nike’s largest logistics center in Asia, the Nike China Logistics Center uses 45% of its energy from renewable sources, including solar and geothermal energy. Nike has signed a commitment with the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance to reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2025 and use 100% renewable energy. It is evident that Nike has been making efforts to fulfill its social responsibilities and actively reduce carbon emissions.
However, despite Nike’s excellence, there are still areas where the company could improve. For example, in the past, Nike has faced criticism regarding labor rights issues in its supply chain. Although they have taken measures to improve the situation, there are still reports pointing out issues like overtime work, low wages, and unfair labor conditions in some supplier factories. Additionally, there is a lack of female representation in Nike’s upper management, and female employees are paid lower salaries compared to their male counterparts. Some of Nike’s advertising campaigns have also been controversial, with some people feeling that they are too commercialized or exploit social issues to promote products. Furthermore, although they are committed to promoting sustainable materials and production methods, more efforts are needed to reduce their carbon footprint, water consumption, and waste generation.
In conclusion, while Nike has made significant strides in social responsibility and sustainable development, there are still areas for improvement. To create a more ethical, socially responsible, and sustainable business, I recommend focusing on improving worker wages and protecting human rights. Allocate funds to upgrade production equipment and reduce environmental pollution. Actively improve supply chain management. Pay more attention to social fairness issues. Also, promote the development of sustainable products. By actively addressing these issues, Nike will continue to be a leader in the industry and make a positive contribution to a more sustainable and socially responsible business environment.
https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/nike-pledges-cut-co2-footprint-use-100-renewable-energy-2025
