PUMA's ‘Voices of a RE:GENERATION’ Initiative Offers Young Changemakers a Voice in Shaping the Future of Sustainability

PUMA empowers young voices by giving a ‘seat at the table’ through ‘Voices of a RE:GENERATION’, building on the findings from ‘Conference of the People, powered by PUMA'

The project prioritises sustainability for the next generation, responding to research indicating that young people want brands to make more commitments, communicate goals better and be more transparent in the space

Sports company PUMA has today announced a new initiative that looks to evolve how the brand navigates its sustainability journey by including the next generation’s perspectives and recommendations. The project, coined Voices of a RE:GENERATION, 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 Voices of a RE:GENERATION 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 on an honest and candid consultancy format, with the voices sharing their perspectives and insights and identifying areas where the brand can improve.

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.

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.

PUMA’s Voices of a RE:GENERATION represents a continuation of the work PUMA started in September 2022 with its ‘ Conference of the People , powered by PUMA’ event in London. The conference, which discussed solutions for some of the fashion industry’s most pressing sustainability challenges with a special focus on Gen- Z, 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% 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%), communicating their goals better (40%) and being more transparent (34%).

Throughout 2023, PUMA’s Voices of a RE:GENERATION will meet with Anne-Laure Descours, PUMA’s Chief Sourcing Officer, and PUMA’s Sustainability team to collaborate and present their honest views. Working together, 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.

Speaking on the new initiative Anne-Laure Descours, Chief Sourcing Officer at PUMA, said: “We’ve always documented our progress in sustainable practices. However our participation in Conference of the People has shed light on the fact that the information we share isn’t always easily understood by the next generation. We recognise 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.”

Alice Aedy, UK, comments: “Sustainability is highly unglamorous, technical but urgent work with impacts for both people and planet. 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 realise a brand’s efforts to be more sustainable and it’s also about how the brand, like PUMA, is communicating that with authenticity”.

Andrew Burgess, USA, comments: “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. 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”.

Luke Jaque-Rodney, Germany, comments: “We can all try our best to live and dress sustainably, but ultimately, we’re at the mercy of the brands we buy our clothing from. We know that one person can’t make a difference alone, but our voices are still powerful when combined and communicated with the right people and the right brands, like PUMA. This is very exciting”.

Jade Roche, France, comments: “It’s great to see a global brand like PUMA holding itself more accountable for their sustainability and being willing and open to having these tough conversations when it comes to how they’re doing and how they're planning. It’s also time that we, in general, started discussing what sustainability really means; what does it take for a brand to achieve greater sustainability on all aspects of it while being transparent, and what does it look like for the next generation?”

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 on 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.

PUMA’s Voices of a RE:GENERATION launches today and marks the beginning of a year-long initiative that gathers insights and feedback on how to improve its efforts in communicating on sustainability. Follow PUMA and its voices on social media to see their conversations with PUMA come to life and encourage change. More information can be found at https://about.puma.com/en/sustainability/voicesofregeneration

Originally published by Puma.