Figure: Columbia Sportswear Company has partnered with the Planet Water Foundation, a non-profit organization that builds community-based water filtration systems and hygiene education programs.
Columbia Sportswear’s 2022 Impact Report demonstrates its dedication to empowering people, sustaining places, and practicing responsible business. Through their initiatives and partnerships, they strive to make a positive impact on society and the environment. By prioritizing employee well-being, sustainable practices, and ethical business conduct, Columbia Sportswear sets an example for other companies in the industry. They believe in continuous improvement and are committed to creating a better future for all.
Tim Boyle, Chairman, President, and CEO of Columbia Sportswear Company, emphasized efforts to reduce environmental impact. Highlights include providing clean water to 46,800 people, empowering 21,000 workers, and expanding the greenhouse gas inventory. The Climate Progress Report Tool enhances data verification.
Over 84% of partners achieved high Social Responsibility ratings. The company also released a Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Index for transparency.
“In 2022, we maintained our commitment to reducing our impact on the planet and having a positive impact on people by continuing to evolve our use of technologies, practices, and policies,”
Tim Boyle, Chairman, President, and CEO.
While optimistic about emissions reductions, potential risks were acknowledged. Founded in 1938, Columbia Sportswear owns brands like Mountain Hardwear, SOREL, and prAna, serving active individuals in 90 countries.
Figure: Columbia Sportswear Company offers a range of benefits and programs to support
Empowering People: Columbia takes a holistic approach to employee well-being, covering physical, social/emotional, financial, career, and community aspects. This includes benefits like healthcare, paid parental leave, opportunities for career growth, and support for mental health resilience.
Columbia partners with the Planet Water Foundation to provide clean water access, combating the global water crisis. They’ve already provided clean water to approximately 46,000 people across their supply chain, to extend this access to 100,000 people by 2028.
Columbia Sportswear Company (CSC) is committed to nurturing its communities and positively impacting the world. They partner with organizations focused on outdoor participation, access, and stewardship, as well as community support.
Figure: Columbia Sportswear Company is committed to nurturing its communities and positively impacting the world through its partnerships with various organizations.
They have a Community Impact Program that includes a charitable donation matching program for employees, allowing them to support non-profit organizations. In 2022, CSC employees donated over $179,600 to over 450 non-profit causes, and with CSC’s match, a total of over $335,100 was generated to support non-profits. Additionally, CSC organized volunteer days in local communities, with employees donating over 4,570 volunteer hours to various causes in 2022.
Sustaining Places
Sustaining places is another key focus area for Columbia Sportswear. They understand the significance of protecting the environment and actively work towards sustainable practices. The company is committed to climate management and sustainable manufacturing.
They strive to reduce their carbon footprint and implement responsible chemical management practices. Columbia Sportswear also emphasizes using preferred attributes and materials in their products, ensuring that they are environmentally friendly. By sustaining places, Columbia Sportswear aims to preserve natural resources for future generations.
Responsible Practices
Columbia Sportswear places great emphasis on Responsible Practices, embodying a commitment to ethics, compliance, and sustainability. They invest in traceability programs to gain insights into their product manufacturing processes and integrate responsible practices into their business operations. This encompasses social responsibility within their supply chain, involving audits, assessments, remediation, and empowerment of workers.
Additionally, CSC aligns its efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) to foster a more sustainable future. Their sustainability initiatives encompass areas like sustainable manufacturing, chemical management, climate management, and the use of preferred materials. To gauge and enhance their performance in social responsibility and product compliance, CSC employs scorecard systems.
Sustainable manufacturing
Sustainable manufacturing is a key focus for CSC. They track their manufacturing partners’ environmental performance using the Higg Facilities Environmental Module (FEM), which assesses areas such as energy, water, waste, wastewater, air, and chemical management.
CSC’s manufacturing partners have shown steady improvement in these areas since 2013. They also launched the Climate Progress Report Tool (CRPT) 2022 to enhance data verification and reporting capabilities, allowing manufacturing partners to establish carbon emissions baselines, set targets, and track reduction performance.
