Decathlon has signed the European Commission’s Sustainable Consumption Pledge – formerly the Green Consumption Pledge – in a bid to promote circular practices and reduce human reliance on finite resources.
The world’s largest sporting goods retailer has signed two commitments: decarbonising Decathlon’s activity in line with the Paris Agreement and promoting three sustainable, circular initiatives.
For the decarbonisation pledge, Decathlon has set a target to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% in 2026, 42% in 2030 and be net zero by 2050.
Subscribe to Sustainability Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest sustainability news sent straight to your inbox every day
In line to the second commitment, Decathlon plans to promote new circular business models, scaling second-hand products, facilitating buy-back schemes, and offering rental and subscription alongside repair and spare parts to extend the lifespan of products.
Some of these schemes are already underway across various branches. In October 2023, Decathlon launched a buyback scheme to grow its circular offering, allowing customers to return products they no longer use for first credit.
Chief sustainability officerdsaid: “The Sustainable Consumption Pledge represents our renewed commitment to changing the way we do business”.
“By decarbonising our activity and developing a business model that promotes a circular economy, we can reduce the impact we have on the environment and lead the change in the industry to become a beacon of light for a more sustainable future.”