The SALOMON 2023 IMPACT REPORT is the second annual review of the mountain sports lifestyle brand’s sustainability strategy across the business. The report takes stock of the brand’s sustainability efforts almost a decade on from the inception of Salomon’s first sustainability program. Specifically, this second iteration looks at the progress made towards the company’s overarching sustainability and emissions targets and commitments to drive circularity and recyclability in product innovation.
It also examines the decision to make carbon footprint a company-level KPI, a move that led to a reduction of Salomon’s carbon footprint by 7% from 2022, alongside the sporting brand’s wider advocacy efforts through its community-led initiatives and family of ambassadors.
“As with any business, we’re focused on success – but where we stand apart is our razor-sharp intention to ensure our growth doesn’t come at the cost of the planet and its people,” said Scott Mellin, Salomon’s Chief Brand Officer & Sustainability Sponsor. “We have anchored sustainability into our overall business strategy, ensuring it remains at the core of who we are, and continue to be, as a sports lifestyle brand.”
Key efforts and successes
In 2023, the Salomon Executive Board fully endorsed the brand’s sustainable ambitions by approving the business’ holistic, multi-pronged sustainability strategy and its ambitious 2030 goals.
Devised by the Sustainability Leadership Team and the Sustainability Strategic Committee, the strategy called “Change Our Tomorrow” combined Salomon’s analysis across its network of stakeholders, 2021 and 2022 materiality studies and brand priorities against the 17 SDGs, as set out by the UN Sustainable Development Goals committee.
As efforts continue into 2024, sustainability highlights from 2023 have included:
- In 2023, Salomon expanded its performance recycling Index suite with INDEX.02, INDEX.03 running shoes and Salomon’s first recyclable ski helmet, the Brigade INDEX, made of 96% of polyolefins, a flexible and resistant thermoplastic that can be recycled into flowerpots, car bumpers or crates.
- The business also delivered the Metacross 1 & 2, the first Salomon performance trail running shoe produced locally in France at Salomon’s ASF 4.0 factory located in Ardèche.
- The Salomon Foundation decided to create an endowment fund to expand its mission beyond supporting mountain professionals and champion inclusivity in the outdoors, supporting a total of 17 beneficiaries across Europe, the United States and Mexico.
- The Adaptive project led to the creation of Salomon’s first Para-Team, now consisting of seven athletes who have joined the ranks of Salomon ambassadors. The first Sustainable Design Master Class dedicated to inclusion also took place in May 2023 – bringing together Salomon designers and the Para-Team to develop several prototypes.
- 2023 saw Salomon’s continued work with industry partners and NGOs to support sustainable, forward-thinking growth across the outdoor industry. Salomon, supported by its parent company Amer Sports, continued its work with the Global Compact, the Fair Labor Association, the European Outdoor Group (OAG), the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI), the Ellen McArthur Foundation and the Outdoor Sports Valley (OSV).
To boost employee engagement in sustainability, Salomon launched a global sustainability training for all employees. The first session happened during the annual Sustainability Week, which featured internal conferences on inclusivity, biomimicry and global warming, as well as a CLIMATE FRESK workshop. Employees also helped inaugurate a community garden at the Annecy headquarters, reinforcing the collective commitment to sustainability.
Marie-Laure Piednoir, Salomon Global Sustainability & Impact Director, underlined the importance of leading by example in the sportswear and outdoors industry, “We know the path to transformation is not easy, yet with our incredible ecosystem of partners, Salomon employees and athletes, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of sustainable transformation for the betterment of our business, industry, and communities for years to come.”
The brand’s ongoing sustainable priorities for 2024 include:
- Intensifying efforts to further structure and strengthen the climate strategy.
- Developing the circularity approach with new principles, new innovations, new business models and scaling up the circular product offer.
- Deepening the investment of the Salomon Foundation to reach more people through additional NGOs.
- Achieving the Fair Labour Association accreditation for supply chain partners through the Amer Sports Group, embodying the commitment to ensuring effective systems in place to protect workers in the supply chain.
- Measuring and improving social and environmental performance using scientific processes and tools.
- Continuing the mapping work of the materials used, extending from the progress made in materials used in softgoods to all hardgoods.
- Increasing sustainable mobility offering with an increase in the installation of electric charging and bicycle repair stations in the Annecy headquarters.
- Strengthening the company’s internal culture, commitment and shared knowledge by continuing employee development through the massive deployment of sustainability training programs across sustainability basics and also specific sessions to equip Salomon employees with deep-dive expertise across the board.
