Sportswear brand Asics has announced that it has cut CO₂ emissions from its direct operations by 43.1% compared to 2015 levels, while increasing its use of renewable electricity.
In its 2024 Sustainability Report, the Japanese firm said that it was making progress against its VISION2030 and Mid-Term Plan 2026 targets, with a sustainability framework built around two pillars, ‘People’ and ‘Planet’.
Nimbus Mirai
One of the group’s headline sustainability achievements during the year was the introduction of the Nimbus Mirai running shoe, which is designed for easy disassembly and recycling. It has also launched a global ‘take-back’ programme for the product.
Asics has also increased the use of recycled polyester in its products to more than 50%, while all of its strategic Tier 1 footwear suppliers now have concrete plans for renewable energy sourcing.
More than 95,000 people participated in its Run for Reforestation Challenge, contributing directly to global tree-planting efforts – each 5km run or walk contributed to planting one tree.
In 2024, Asics earned a spot on CDP’s Climate ‘A List’ for the first time.
Social sustainability
On the ‘People’ front, Asics launched the ‘Move Her Mind Hub’, a platform encouraging women to share stories and experiences related to sports and exercise, and undertook the ‘Desk Break Experiment’, a global study exploring the relationship between desk-based work and mental health.
It also announced that all regions in which it operates now have action plans in place to support female career advancement, with women now holding 39.5% of management positions globally.
“Our Mid-Term Plan 2026 identifies sustainability as one of the five key focus areas that will help guide our strategy to transform into a globally integrated enterprise,” commented Yashuhito Hirota, Asics chairman and CEO. “In 2024, the first year of implementing the Plan, we shifted to Global Integrated Enterprise through global growth, enhancement of brand experience, operational excellence, and the reinforcement of our business foundations.” Read more here.
