Editor’s Note
This article examines how Nike embeds corporate social responsibility into its core business strategy, moving beyond compliance to integrate equity, sustainability, and ethical governance into its innovation and global operations.
Nike considers corporate social responsibility (CSR) a fundamental element of its business, not merely an add-on. The company integrates CSR into its innovation and core purpose, aligning its global strategy with values such as equity, sustainability, and ethical governance. This alignment is crucial in an industry often scrutinized for its labor practices and environmental impact.
At Nike, CSR is anchored in its mission:
This mission extends beyond performance apparel and into responsible action. The company views CSR as a shared responsibility among employees, suppliers, athletes, and communities. It actively links sustainability to product design and community engagement, making impact a driver of business.
Nike’s CSR framework rests on four core pillars:
Environmental Responsibility – Focused on reducing carbon emissions, increasing the use of recycled materials, and promoting sustainable innovation throughout its supply chain.
Labor and Human Rights – Focused on ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and ethical treatment of workers in global factories.
Ethical Business Practices – Encompassing supply chain transparency, anti-corruption policies, and adherence to corporate governance standards.
Philanthropy and Social Impact – Supporting education, equality, and health through community partnerships, youth programs, and donations.
This structured approach demonstrates Nike’s commitment to leading by example in creating lasting change through scalable and sustainable practices. It also sets the stage for deeper exploration in the following sections.
Nike demonstrates a strong commitment to environmental protection through comprehensive initiatives aimed at reducing its ecological footprint. The company’s environmental responsibility strategy emphasizes sustainable sourcing, waste reduction, energy efficiency, and water conservation.
Nike prioritizes ethical and sustainable sourcing practices, particularly for its raw materials. The company aims to increase its use of environmentally preferred materials to 50% of its key materials, such as polyester, cotton, leather, and rubber, by 2025, which is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.5 million tonnes.
Nike has set ambitious goals to minimize waste across all its operations. The company plans to divert 100% of waste from landfills in its extended supply chain.
