Under Armour Publishes FY2023 Sustainability & Impact Report
Under Armour, Inc. today published its FY2023 Sustainability & Impact Report, providing a progress update on 23 goals the company announced in 2022 as part of its work to reduce the environmental footprint of its products and operations while accelerating its social and community impact.
In its 2021 Sustainability & Impact Report, Under Armour announced a new global sustainability strategy, What’s Under Matters, to operationalize responsible business practices across the brand via three program pillars: Products, Home Field, and Team. The company’s new report captures efforts taken in these strategic focus areas during the fiscal year 2023 (FY2023) reporting period of April 2022 through March 2023.
“Since sharing our sustainability game plan last year, we have been hard at work to advance our goals and ambitions, focusing on actions aimed at positively impacting our athletes, industry, and planet,” said Michael Levine, VP and Chief Sustainability Officer for Under Armour. “Under Armour’s mission to make athletes better is reflected in our perennial pursuit of continuous improvement and to embracing ‘better’ as a brand. We are pleased to update stakeholders on our latest performance and will continue to strive for more as we celebrate our program’s wins along the way.”
As a leading inventor, marketer, and distributor of branded athletic performance apparel, footwear, and accessories, Under Armour aims to align product performance and sustainability through innovation. The brand’s sustainability programs ladder up to three of its core values: ‘Act Sustainably,’ ‘Stand for Equality,’ and ‘Love Athletes.’
A summary of FY2023 report highlights follows:
Products – The company is advancing nine of its 10 goals to embrace material innovations that can help reduce waste and improve durability, including:
- Using approximately 10% recycled polyester in apparel and accessories, launching a standardized process at its Maryland distribution center to prevent damaged and defective products from going to landfill, and implementing take-back pilot programs at select retail stores.
- Launching sustainability and circular design principles to support responsible product design and exploring material alternatives to reduce its reliance on elastane.
- Announcing a new breakthrough method to fight fiber shedding and employing it through an early intervention model to determine the shed rate of materials and textiles sourced for use in its products.
Home Field – Of its seven goals to reduce its overarching environmental footprint, the company has achieved one goal and is advancing four, including:
- Progressing toward its goal to eliminate biocides and fluorine durable water repellent (DWR) by utilizing fluorine-free DWR in nearly 67% of applicable yardage and biocide-free odor management technology in 43% of applicable yardage.
- Enrolling more than 20 Tier 1 suppliers with wet processes in the Apparel Impact Institute’s Clean by Design program to support water-use efficiency.
- Achieving its goals to reduce solvent use in footwear by 30% and trace 100% of cotton purchased for use in its products.
Team – Of its six goals to champion people in its value chain and communities, the company has achieved one goal and is advancing four others, including:
- Achieving 42% female representation in director and above positions and continuing initiatives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion and develop underrepresented talent at all levels.
- Impacting an estimated 152,000 youth through community engagement programs to increase access to sports globally.
- Launching pilot programs to offer additional protection and support to workers in its supply chain, adopting a diversified audit approach, and conducting regular factory assessments at 94% of Tier 1 suppliers.
To access the new report, and for additional information on sustainability at Under Armour, visit this link.
