Nike Reduces Supply Chain Emissions With the Introduction of the First Electric Barge in Vietnam

What’s happening? Nike has partnered with CMA CGM and Gemadept to bring Vietnam’s first fully electric river barge into service.

How does it work? Powered by electric batteries and recharged using certified renewable electricity, the barge will transport Nike product on a 100-plus-mile round trip with zero direct greenhouse gas emissions.

What’s the bigger picture? The project reflects Nike’s broader collaboration with suppliers and strategic partners to expand lower-carbon solutions across its value chain.

How does this work support Nike’s broader emissions reduction goals? This work contributes to Nike’s 2030 Science-Based Targets, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions across its extended supply chain by 35 percent compared with FY20.

Nike is taking another step to reduce emissions from how it moves product across its global supply chain.

Together with CMA CGM and Gemadept, Nike is launching a fully electric inland waterway transportation solution in Vietnam, bringing together an electric barge, dedicated charging infrastructure and renewable electricity. The project is one example of how Nike is working with logistics service providers to expand lower-carbon transportation solutions while continuing to serve athletes* reliably and efficiently. The initiative also underscores Nike’s continued commitment to supporting Vietnam’s transition toward a low-carbon economy.

The barge connects Nike’s inland drop-off location in Ho Chi Minh City with the Gemalink deep-sea terminal in Cai Mep. The 100-plus-mile round trip will produce zero direct greenhouse gas emissions, with batteries recharged using certified renewable electricity supplied through a solar farm at the terminal. The solution is expected to avoid approximately 778 tons of CO₂ emissions annually.

“Reducing emissions across a global supply chain takes more than any one company. It takes new ideas, strong partnerships and a willingness to rethink how we operate,” says Cimarron Nix, Chief Sustainability Officer, NIKE, Inc. “This project is a great example of how we can turn innovation into practical solutions that reduce our impact while strengthening the resilience of our supply chain.”

Transportation is one of four areas where Nike is strategically focusing its work to reduce emissions across its value chain, alongside materials, manufacturing and its own operations. The electric barge is one example of this broader effort, which includes reducing air freight, scaling lower-carbon maritime fuels and expanding the use of electric vehicles. Together, these efforts helped reduce emissions from inbound and outbound transportation by 56 percent in FY25 compared with FY20. The work is aligned with Nike’s 2030 Science-Based Targets , including a 35 percent reduction in emissions across its extended supply chain, from an FY20 baseline.

The electric barge also reflects Nike’s broader approach to sustainability : working with suppliers, industry peers and strategic partners to scale solutions beyond its own operations. Across its value chain, Nike is focused on reducing emissions and waste, conserving water, scaling circular solutions, protecting forests and advancing cleaner chemistry.

For Nike, reducing environmental impact goes hand in hand with driving greater efficiency, resilience and innovation across its value chain — helping strengthen the business and creating new ways to serve athletes in a changing world.

Learn more about Nike’s sustainability work and its approach to reducing value chain emissions .

Originally published by Nike.