PUMA, the Sportlifestyle Company, "Seals The Deal!"

Nairobi – PUMA, the Sportlifestyle Company, is one of the latest partners to join the "Seal The Deal!" campaign. The company is calling for negotiations in Copenhagen to protect the planet and create a sustainable economy.

In its PUMA World Report, a CEO newsletter sent out to all staff worldwide, it says “failure to reach a comprehensive agreement now would put our planet's future at risk as most scientists agree that the continued unlimited emission of greenhouse gases will lead to irreversible damages to our climate and ecosystems.”

PUMA also says that they have started to track their environmental performance on a per employee basis for the offices, stores and warehouses worldwide.

PUMA has set the target of reducing energy and water consumption as well as waste creation by 25% for their offices by 2010 compared to a 2005 benchmark. Further targets for stores and logistics are in preparation.

PUMA also states it is actively working on reducing its direct and indirect carbon emissions. A first step in this direction was the recent switch to green electricity from renewable resources for all major German operations. Furthermore, with the new Head Office PUMA Plaza just weeks short of the opening, a solar power plant and other state of the art environmental technology realized at the Plaza set a strong example for other PUMA buildings to follow.

Sustainability for PUMA does not end at PUMA owned operations but is also a major topic in the supply chain. A pilot project with the Global Reporting Initiative has lead to the publication of three supplier sustainability reports in South Africa. Further supplier reports in seven countries covering three continents are currently in preparation.

Jochen Zeitz, CEO and Chairman of the Board of PUMA said, "Our 2007/ 2008 PUMAVision Sustainability Report is a testament to the fact that we at PUMA do not simply talk about sustainable development, we take action.”

“We are proud of our successes over the years and of our commitment to sustainability and the highest ethical standards, but realize that when it comes to corporate responsibility, there is and will always be room for improvement” Zeitz added.