Support our suppliers with the decarbonisation of production

Encouraging suppliers to adopt practices having less impact on the environment.

In 2024, 60.7% of DECATHLON’s total CO2 emissions were derived from the extraction of raw materials and the production stages required to manufacture sports goods. To contribute to the global effort for carbon neutrality by 2050, it is essential that DECATHLON work with its suppliers to reduce its footprint along its entire value chain. Since the energy used in production worldwide is still generated primarily using fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil), DECATHLON decided in 2017 to assist its suppliers in their transition.

DECATHLON’s production decarbonisation
strategy is structured around several pillars:
- Measuring the energy consumed
- Obtaining supplier commitment to reduce their footprint
- Deploying energy efficiency programmes
- Constructing coal elimination trajectories
- Deploying renewable energy (in order of priority):
_ by installing new production capacities
_ by participating in existing off-site projects
_ by purchasing Energy Attribute Certificates (EAC) (in addition)
_ Identifying collaborative opportunities and economic incentives for supplier decarbonisation.

These pillars are assessed during environmental audits for the relevant sites, and given that this strategy is a priority for the company, they are promoted more broadly with all suppliers.

2024 highlights

The supplier management tool and the CO2 emissions tracking tool were aligned, to facilitate data collection for the last production sites not yet measuring their energy consumption
- Science-aligned reduction trajectories for 16 new production sites were validated
- The Sustainable Textile Processing project was continued with 18 production sites, aiming to implement process optimisation actions and reduce water consumption and energy losses by suppliers’ machines
- 14 production sites were supported in effectively stopping coal use (switching to biomass) in accordance with their trajectory
- The development of real renewable energy was accelerated with suppliers through the signature of financial contracts for the purchase of electricity and the on-site deployment of photovoltaic panels (63 projects), to reach a total capacity of one terawatt-hour of renewable electricity in 2024.

Implementing energy efficiency programmes

In order to reduce the impact of its suppliers emitting the most CO2, DECATHLON is helping them analyse their energy management maturity and then implement suitable efficiency programmes. This year, twelve energy efficiency referents assisted suppliers in their approach.

The example of Tran Hiep Thanh

Apparel component manufacturer Tran Hiep Thanh, an important industrial partner for DECATHLON in Vietnam, has drastically reduced its carbon emissions by replacing coal with biomass.
Biomass is a fuel made of organic waste that can be burnt to generate heat, which can be used for manufacturing or converted into electricity.
Using biomass as a source of fuel is a Low Carbon Process.

As of 31 December 2024, 87% of the production sites in the priority animation list had defined their own CO2 reduction trajectory aligned with scientific data (79% of sites in the priority animation list in 2023).

In 2024, 28 production sites still used coal, compared to 37 in 2023. It should be noted that all production sites in Sri Lanka and Thailand, for which DECATHLON collects energy consumption data, have stopped using coal entirely. The total volume of coal used this year has also decreased thanks to the effective adherence to coal exit trajectories by 14 production sites (55% less than in 2023).

At the same time, the percentage of renewable electricity used at production sites in the priority animation list rose significantly (10.7 point increase compared to 2023). Two solutions in particular have enabled DECATHLON to achieve this performance; these are the purchase of electricity contracts, as well as wind and solar self-generation.

To go further

Decathlon and combating forced labour

We interviewed Krishna KUMAAR DHAMODARAN, a production team leader and expert in combating forced labour.

Decathlon and the Commitment and Well-being Survey

Why did Decathlon sign up to do the Commitment and Well-being Survey project?

What action plan is needed to reduce absolute CO2 eq emissions?

DECATHLON commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 42% by 2030 from a 2021 base year. Decathlon also commits to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions 42% within the same timeframe.

Our manufacturing responsibilities

At DECATHLON, we design our products. To this end, we are also at the origin of their production. In other words, we put in place a large-scale manufacturing system to make these products available all over the world and in larger volumes.

Decarbonising the transportation of goods

In a changing global environmental, economic and geopolitical context, optimising and decarbonising transport circuits for finished products represents significant opportunities for companies.

Decarbonisation: challenges and prospects

Decarbonisation: a major environmental challenge that opens up new economic and social prospects.