Collaboration
PUMA Engaging ‘Voices of a Re:Generation’ to Help Shape Its Sustainability Strategy

This week, sportswear giant PUMA launched Voices of a Re:Generation — an initiative that looks to evolve how the brand navigates its sustainability journey by including the next generation’s perspectives and recommendations. The project will kick off with PUMA collaborating and giving a seat at the table to four young, environmentalist ‘voices’ from across Europe and the US over a year-long period.

Part of PUMA’s ongoing commitment to a Forever Better, the four influencers will work with PUMA to translate sustainability in a way that makes sense to and engages with the next generation — in addition to feeding into how the brand can drive greater sustainability practices, in line with its 10 for 25 targets. Work will take place in a candid consultancy format, with the voices sharing their perspectives and insights and identifying areas where the brand can improve.

PUMA’s Voices of a Re:Generation are:

• Alice Aedy - UK-based visual storyteller, documentarian and co-founder of Earthrise Studio — an impact-driven media company focused on human stories from climate frontlines.

• Andrew Burgess – US-based upcycler determined to change the way people consume clothing and fashion through his own creations.

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  Luke Jaque-Rodney – Germany-based sustainable and healthy living vlogger who explores better ways to live sustainably.

• Jade Roche – France-based visual artist and creative consultant working with brands to improve how they communicate.

“Sustainability is highly unglamorous, technical but urgent work with impacts for both people and planet,” Aedy says. “It’s undeniably a hugely complex topic. It’s deeper than just materials or emissions; it’s about the people and processes that strive behind the scenes to realize a brand’s efforts to be more sustainable — and it’s also about how the brand, like PUMA, is communicating that with authenticity.”

Voices of a Re:Generation continues the work PUMA started in September 2022 with its Conference of the People event in London — which discussed solutions for some of the fashion industry’s most pressing sustainability challenges with a special focus on Gen Z, and highlighted the need for brands to improve transparency and conduct greater communication regarding sustainability.

The new initiative builds upon the brand’s commitment to ensuring PUMA’s sustainability initiatives are digestible for everyone, particularly for the next generation — after research conducted by PUMA found that 71 percent of young people felt their voices weren’t being heard when it comes to the environment and would like to see brands making more commitments (49 percent), communicating their goals better (40 percent) and being more transparent (34 percent).

Throughout 2023, the four young influencers will meet with PUMA’s Chief Sourcing Officer Anne-Laure Descours and PUMA’s Sustainability team to collaborate and present their honest views. The partnership will explore actionable ways that feedback can be implemented within PUMA’s business and sustainability strategy, whilst also using the voices’ platforms to communicate PUMA’s efforts transparently and authentically to the world. The initiative follows recent research from Unilever that revealed that influencers have the single biggest impact on people’s sustainable lifestyle choices today.

“We’ve always documented our progress in sustainable practices; however, our Conference of the People shed light on the fact that the information we share isn’t always easily understood by the next generation,” Descours said. “We recognize the need for change and we're committed to making sustainability more accessible and transparent to everyone. Voices of a Re:Generation is our first step in improving this.”

“Sustainability can’t be one-sided. You can’t have one brand calling the shots, especially when you have consumers worldwide interacting with your products," Burgess says. "I’m looking forward to delving deep into PUMA's efforts and sharing my take on how they can improve. It’s time our generation had a seat at the table.”

Voices of a Re:Generation is just one step further in years of progress for PUMA. In 2022, the brand topped the Business of Fashion sustainability ranking, the Platform Living Wage Financials ranking, and the FTSE4Good ranking within its sectors. It was included in the Corporate Knights global top 100 most sustainable companies ranking, maintained its triple-A ranking with MSCI and its prime status with ISS; two leading sustainability rating agencies. Reuters also ranked it as number two within its sector and, in S&P sustainability benchmarking, PUMA outperformed all other sports brands for the first time since 2010.