Our stakeholders

On the Environment and Quality committees of the FCD (Federation for Commerce and Distribution), that works to promote Sustainable Development (whose main work is to support donations and apply the Circular Economy Law).

Involvement in the Environment Committee since 2014 (including work on updating the Code of conduct, an event linking CSR and sport, and the functional organisation of Extended Producer Responsibility for Sports and Leisure goods).

Since 2015, follow-up of work monitored by the CSR Commission of the WFSGI (sharing intelligence information, CSR practice benchmarking, participation in webinars, etc.).

Member of the EuroCommerce committees for monitoring and anticipating future strategic and legislative developments of the European Union regarding the environment and trade.

Decathlon is a member of the Observatoire sur la Responsabilité Sociétale des Entreprises (Observatory on Corporate Social Responsibility), a multi-stakeholder organisation that carries out permanent monitoring in France, Europe and internationally and supports companies in their CSR strategy. Decathlon joined its board of directors in June 2019.

Decathlon responded to ADEME’s XTEX call for projects to propose an environmental methodology and labelling system for the textile industry, in collaboration with the consortia Enseignes and YUKAN. The company participated in the cross-disciplinary group for the creation of a sustainability index on electronic products required by the anti-waste law for a circular economy. It also drafted a framework contract with ADEME for the implementation of a textile and footwear sustainability and repairability index.

Member of the board of directors of Refashion (formerly ECO-TLC), which is the eco-organization for the EPR sector of clothing, household linen and footwear.

Participation in the European pilot project to establish a common  multicriteria calculation method for products' (t-shirts) carbon footprint. Member of the technical secretariat with different stakeholders, in particular ADEME, the French Ministry of the Environment, OFEV (Swiss Federal Office for the Environment), brands (Promod, Pimkie, Okaïdi,...) and manufacturers (Les Tissages de Charlieu, TAD).

Since September 2021, Decathlon has joined the Rehubs Council, an initiative that brings together 20 companies from the textile sector which co-financed a technical and economic study on the textile circular economy in Europe, co-ordinated by Euratex (The European Apparel and Textile Confederation). The objective of this study, carried out by McKinsey, is to determine the opportunities, barriers, economic/environmental and social values and investments needed to establish recycling hubs throughout Europe.

Product Environmental Footprint (PEF): Involvement in a European experiment to define a common multi-criteria method for calculating and labeling the environmental footprint of textile products (T-shirts). Member of the Technical Secretariat along with a number of stakeholders, including the ADEME, the French Ministry of Ecological Transition, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), brands such as Promod, Pimkie, Okaïdi, etc., and producers such as Les Tissages de Charlieu and TAD.

Decathlon joined the BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) in January 2012. This non-profit-making association seeks to promote the development of better cotton throughout the world, to create a sustainable commodity that is better for those producing it, better for the environment it is grown in, and better for the future of the sector as a whole.

Decathlon sits on the board of directors of “Pôle Eco-conception”, the French national centre for eco-design and life cycle performance. Founded in 2008, it aims to support the development of sustainable consumption habits and production methods.
“Pôle Eco-conception” assists Decathlon in the eco-design of its products and in the implementation of its strategies.

The Plastic Leak Project (PLP) launched by the sustainability consultancy company "Quantis" and the environmental management & CSR centre "Environmental Action EA", aims to contribute to global efforts to tackle plastic pollution. The multi-stakeholder initiative focuses on developing methodological guidelines and metrics for locating, measuring and mapping plastic and micro plastic pollution in the value chain and identifying effective actions to address the problem of plastic pollution in the environment.

The Microfiber Consortium (TMC) is a non-profit association that enables a multi-stakeholder approach. This consortium facilitates the development of practical solutions for the textile industry to minimise fibre fragmentation and release into the environment from textile manufacturing and the life cycle of the product.

RE100 is a global initiative created by The Climate Group and launched at the UN Climate Summit in New York in 2014. This initiative aims to engage, support and promote companies that have committed to using 100% renewable energy (including biomass, geothermal, solar, wind and tidal energy).

The Science Based Target initiative brings businesses together to help them scientifically reinforce their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the UN Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the We Mean Coalition are all involved in this initiative. The SBT initiative identifies and highlights good practices for setting out steps to reduce CO2, provides the means to achieve this goal, and scientifically and independently approves trajectories put forward by companies.

The Assessing low Carbon Transition® (ACT) initiative was developed by the ADEME and the CDP to assess companies' climate strategies. The initiative is part of the UNFCCC's solutions agenda and provides methods for assessing whether a company's strategy is consistent with a decarbonisation trajectory for its business and sector. Based on verifiable company data, some 20 indicators provide a holistic assessment of the company's strategy. These assessments are conducted in full transparency by independent third parties, ensuring complete neutrality.

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is an organisation that has set up a public reporting system for monitoring the environmental impacts of investors, companies, cities and regions. An assessment questionnaire is sent out each year on the following issues: climate change, water and forests. Decathlon has been asked to participate on the issues of "climate change" and "forests" since 2019.

The Net Zero Initiative project, launched in June 2018 and led by the consultancy firm Carbone 4, in collaboration with a dozen pioneering companies and supported by a scientific council, has published its reference standards for contributions by organisations to carbon neutrality. This document proposes a common language for all companies wishing to steer their climate action in a sincere, ambitious and transparent direction towards achieving global net zero emissions, and in coherence with existing instruments and methodologies. Decathlon has been a partner of the initiative since 2020, with the aim of adopting a method that will enable it to define and achieve Net Zero in view of the climate emergency.

Initiated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2018, the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action brings together a growing number of the biggest players in the fashion and textile industry. There are currently 110 signatories who are committed to setting a target for reducing their CO2 emissions and working together to move the entire industry towards the goals set by the Paris Agreement.

The Fashion Pact is a global coalition of companies in the fashion and textile industry (ready-to-wear, sport, lifestyle and luxury) as well as suppliers and distributors, committed to a common set of environmental goals focused on three themes: ending global warming, restoring biodiversity and protecting the oceans. The Fashion Pact was created as part of a mission entrusted to François-Henri Pinault, the CEO of Kering, by the French President Emmanuel Macron and was presented to heads of state at the G7 summit in Biarritz on 26 August 2019.

“Companies committed to nature - act4nature France" is an initiative led by the Office Français de la Biodiversité [French Office for Biodiversity (OFB)] that aims to encourage companies to take action on biodiversity using a continuous improvement approach.
Decathlon signed its commitment in February 2020 and has joined

Technical support for Decathlon’s Human Responsibility in Production and Supplier Environmental Management assessments (conducting of audits, wastewater samples and analyses).

Technical support to assess the human responsibility in production and the environmental management of Decathlon's suppliers: carrying out assessments, tests and wastewater sampling.

Member of an advisory committee (with representatives from national contact points, businesses, the European Commission, multi-stake- holder initiatives, NGOs and trade unions) to draft a guide on Duty of Care in the textile and footwear industries.

The Mekong Club is an NGO catalyst for change, inspiring and engaging the private sector to lead in the fight against modern slavery.

Apprise is a tool for detecting vulnerable populations and is able to identify situations of forced labour. It has been tested by Decathlon in five Asian countries during HRP audits, to identify potential signs of forced or bonded labour among migrant workers.

Impactt is an NGO specialising in improving working conditions and increasing productivity in global supply chains. Its approach benefits brands, production sites and employees alike.

Decathlon began collaborating with the private organisation AII (Apparel Impact Institute) in 2020, to launch the “Clean by Design” project. This international initiative encourages clothing retailers and fashion chains to take responsibility for the environmental impact of their overseas factories by focusing on the dyeing and finishing processes.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organisation with over 1,000 experts who turn innovative ideas into action at the interface between the environment, the economy and human well-being. Decathlon and WRI share the same goal and vision for both people and the planet. With Decathlon's strong position in the sports industry and the WRI's expertise, this partnership will not only benefit Decathlon, but will also support the transformation of the sports equipment industry.

Labour Solutions, a social enterprise founded in 2013, uses technology to facilitate the involvement of low-income workers by providing tools to contribute to their well-being.

Kno Global, a social enterprise, provides a seamless, real-time data platform. The KNO approach starts by building a community of factory employees in the field. The approach relies on technology and mobile data to measure employee involvement and well-being. The KNO app enables anonymous two-way communication between management and the people working on the production floor. KNO then co-creates solutions with factories to address the issues raised by employees.

Sustainable Textile Solutions, a member of BluWin, provides tailor-made consultancy, auditing and training programmes on the chemical safety of textiles. The aim is to help brands, retailers and industry partners understand, communicate, monitor and improve the effectiveness of their strategies in order to produce textiles that are more environmentally friendly and better for health and safety.

The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) is a foundation that aims to support the textile and footwear industry in using safer chemicals for a cleaner planet and a better future. In 2022, Decathlon became a contributor to ZDHC and underwent its first “Brand to Zero” audit by KPMG (a ZDHC-mandated organisation) to assess the progress made on its roadmap towards zero chemical discharge.

In order to promote the use of more sustainable products in the chemical industry, GoBlu International Ltd (accelerator for sustainable development solutions) has developed “BHive®", an innovative tool to digitalise the chemical management process and create greater transparency in the supply chain. The BHive app is one of the tools approved by ZDHC to create an inventory of chemical products in factories.

Verisk MapleCroft is a UK-based consultancy firm that specialises in analysing international political, economic, social and environmental risks. By providing data and analysis on these topics, it enables companies to better anticipate, identify and manage the risks they face in their business.

The Entreprises pour les Droits de l'Homme (Business for Human Rights) association aims to promote the understanding and integration of human rights within companies by implementing awareness-raising strategies. This voluntary and multi-sector initiative serves as a forum for exchanging and sharing best practices and for collaborative thinking. The association also designs operational tools for its members, including training and awareness-raising tools to assist them in implementing their procedures, in accordance with French law and international CSR standards. By joining EDH, Decathlon wishes to continue structuring and improving its human rights awareness programme while exchanging and working with other companies to address the challenges surrounding this issue.

The AFIRM group is an international working group composed of leading brands in the textile, footwear and sports goods industry that works to harmonize the chemical requirements of products. Decathlon is participating in the development of a common list of prohibited substances; this list is available for use by all the brands.

The course of the “Groupe d’Etude et de Recherche en Dermato-Allergo” (GERDA) is the annual meeting of dermato-allergology in France. Decathlon participates in order to share scientific knowledge on the chemicals used in production processes and to reduce the risk of allergy among users of Decathlon products

The European LIFE AskREACH project is focused on improving the substitution of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) in products as well as raising consumer awareness on their right to be informed about these substances. One of the project's main priorities is to facilitate communication on SVHCs between the different supply chain operators and the final consumer. Decathlon is in regular contact with those involved in this project as a supplier of products, in order to make this information available and to contribute to the European database of the Scan4Chem mobile application. This application enables the user to scan products and find out if they contain SVHCs (substances of very high concern). The aim is to provide better information to the public and to provide companies with tools to fulfil their obligations in terms of communication on SVHCs.

Chemsec is an independent, non-profit organisation seeking safer alternatives to toxic chemicals. Founded in 2022, Chemsec bases its work on that of chemists, political scientists, business experts, etc. Decathlon joined Chemsec in urging the European Union to adopt stricter requirements for chemicals and it is one of the co-signatories of the open letter to Ursula Von Der Leyen requesting the rapid and ambitious revision of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.

Decathlon joined the INR (Responsible Digital Institute) when it was founded in 2019. The INR is a think tank created to carry on from Club Green IT. The INR is a place to reflect on the issues surrounding the digital world: footprint calculation (economic, social and environmental), impact reduction and the creation of social value to successfully manage everyone’s e-inclusion. In 2019, the Responsible Digital leader at Decathlon obtained the eco-design certification for digital services, which indicates a certain level of expertise regarding methodology, and good practices in this discipline.

Decathlon took part in the #FrenchTransfo project to initiate a responsible digital transformation among large groups. For more than a year now, the FrenchTransfo mission, chaired by Cédric O (Secretary of State for Digital Transition and Electronic Communications), has brought together major French groups in order to accelerate and combine their skills. All major groups have a duty to be responsible regarding the impact of digital technology on the environment (CO2, water, etc.). Decathlon has been involved in creating tools to measure the environmental impact of digital technology.