Adidas's CSR: An Analysis of Climate Change Initiatives and Impact

This report provides an overview of Adidas's corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, specifically focusing on its approach to climate change mitigation and plastic pollution. The analysis centers on a Forbes article discussing Adidas's goal to eliminate virgin plastic use by 2024 and its actions to address ocean plastic pollution. The report highlights Adidas's strategic CSR approach, which integrates its primary business activities with its CSR responsibilities, such as producing footwear from recycled ocean plastic. The company's initiatives include prohibiting plastic use in its outlets and promoting recycling awareness. The report emphasizes the positive impact of these initiatives on stakeholders, including society and the community, and suggests that other businesses can adopt similar plans. The conclusion reinforces Adidas's commitment to managing ocean plastic pollution and its innovative strategies to combat climate change. The report references relevant sources such as Forbes India and adidas-group.com to support its findings.

RUNNING HEAD: OVERVIEW OF CSR
OVERVIEW OF CSR
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1OVERVIEW OF CSR
Introduction:
Corporate social responsibility of a business organization has the potentiality to
manage the climate change challenges. To make the earth a better place for living, every
business organization has the responsibility to address the challenges of climate change.
Adidas, one of the largest business organizations of the world, has taken initiatives to address
the challenges of the climate challenge. This article is relevant because this article discusses
the actions made by Adidas Company to manage the climate change issue, which can
influence other companies. The stakeholder of this company who will get benefit from this
initiative is society, community. This initiative of Adidas will create an impact on its
stakeholders. In this paper, the article published by Forbes will be analyzed to understand the
CSR initiative of Adidas.
Discussion:
‘Adidas aims to eliminate virgin plastic use by 2024’ is published by Forbes in 2019,
which addresses the negative impact of virgin plastic (Forbes India, 2019). This article has
discussed the role of Adidas Company to manage the issues of ocean plastic pollution issue
as a part of climate change. The report of Ellen McArthur, published in the World Economic
Forum, was referred to in this article, developed by Forbes, which stated that by 2050, there
would be more plastic in the ocean rather than fish (Forbes India, 2019). Dumping plastic in
the sea is creating a complicated situation in the sea, as several incidents of dead whale are
founded due to plastic. To manage climate change issues, eliminating single-use plastic is
necessary. Adidas Company has taken initiatives to manage plastic pollution as a part of the
CSR policy of the company. This organization is interested in eliminating the use of single-
use plastic. To do that, this organization has taken several steps which are prohibiting the use
of plastic in every outlet of the company, producing products through recycling. This article

2OVERVIEW OF CSR
addresses the recycling initiatives of this company. Adidas Company launched UltraBoost
Parley as an initiative to reduce ocean pollution. This program developed footwear from
recycled ocean plastic. This organization enhances the global business by making the sale of
one million sports shoes made from recycled ocean plastic. Matthias Amm, senior product
director of this company, has clarified the approach of the company. This organization is
interested in maximizing its production of footwear, made from recycled ocean plastic, to
create a positive impact on the ecology. This initiative will help the company to reduce
plastic through recycling and promote awareness of recycling. This initiative of Adidas is a
different but positive approach to manage plastic pollution. Other business organizations can
follow this type of plan to manage climate change.
The stage of CSR of Adidas can be identified as strategic CSR. Through the strategic
CSR approach, a business organization relates its primary business activities to manage its
CSR responsibilities (Grayson & Hodges, 2017). Adidas is interested in following sustainable
development through its CSR activities. Through recycled ocean plastic waste, this
organization started producing footwear (adidas-group.com, 2019). This initiative is taken by
the organization to manage ocean pollution issues and climate change issues. This
organization modified its business operation strategically to control the climate change issue.
Adidas Company modified its business operation to fight with climate change issues
and ocean pollution issues. The values of this company are performance, passion, integrity,
and diversity. The management team of this business organization ensures that the strategic
approach of the company aligns with the mission, vision of the company. As a leading
business organization, this company prioritizes the climate change problem and ocean
pollution problem. After addressing the issue, the management team of this company taken
initiatives like the reuse of recycled plastic, eliminate the usage of single-use plastic and take
actions to prevent ocean plastic pollution (Crane, Matten & Spence, 2019).

3OVERVIEW OF CSR
Based on this article and discussion, it can be said that becoming a customer or
employee of this company will help a human being to contribute to the earth. Initiative taken
by this company are prepared to resolve the climate change issue and ocean plastic pollution
(Rahim, 2014). As an employee, a person can contribute to these initiatives. Alternatively, as
a customer, a person can help with the development of the earth by using footwear made
from recycled ocean plastic waste.
Conclusion:
This discussion can be concluded in this way that this article discussed the approach of
Adidas Company towards the climate change issue. Ocean plastic pollution is one of the most
devastating pollutions of this world, which creates an adverse impact on the oceans, and the
lives of the marines. This organization has addressed the ocean plastic pollution issues
adequately, and innovatively, Adidas Company is trying to manage the problem.

4OVERVIEW OF CSR
References:
adidas-group.com. (2019). ADIDAS TO PRODUCE MORE SHOES USING RECYCLED
PLASTIC WASTE IN 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019, from https://www.adidas-
group.com/en/media/news-archive/press-releases/2019/adidas-to-produce-more-shoes-
using-recycled-plastic-waste/
Crane, A., Matten, D., & Spence, L. (Eds.). (2019). Corporate social responsibility:
Readings and cases in a global context. Routledge.
Forbes India. (2019). Adidas aims to eliminate virgin plastic use by 2024 | Forbes India.
Retrieved 14 December 2019, from http://www.forbesindia.com/article/sustainability-
special/adidas-aims-to-eliminate-virgin-plastic-use-by-2024/53969/1
Grayson, D., & Hodges, A. (2017). Corporate social opportunity!: Seven steps to make
corporate social responsibility work for your business. Routledge.
Rahim, M. M. (2014). The impact of corporate social responsibility on corporate governance:
The rise of standardization of CSR principles. In Corporate social responsibility in the
global business world (pp. 93-113). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.