Decathlon Ireland is nominated for a Fingal Business Award 2022, for Climate Action
We are delighted to announce we have been nominated for an award at this year's Fingal Business Awards for Climate Action, our Sustainability Team and extended workforce are extremely proud to be recognised locally for our sustainability efforts.
We will attend the prestigious, black-tie Gala Awards Presentation evening on Friday the 18th of November 2022 at the Crowne Plaza, Dublin Airport.
The event, proudly sponsored by Fingal County Council, and hosted by RTÉ’s Marty Whelan is set to be a fantastic night with a total of twenty-five award categories in four sections: The People Awards, The Business Excellence Awards, The Customer Experience Awards, and The Sustainable Business Impact Awards.
Our Award nomination is in the Sustainable Business Impact category for Climate Action, sponsored by Swords Pavillion’s.
The other nominees include:
Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Keelings
TIER Mobility
More information on Decathlon Ireland & Climate Change:
Decathlon Ireland accepts that Climate Change is an ongoing political and social issue that is affecting every part of the world more and more each day. Our goal is to lead Decathlon Ireland towards a more sustainable future and ultimately encourage other businesses to do the same, in the process. We are passionate about this subject as our playgrounds are of utmost importance to us, and feel that if we can take steps to protect those playgrounds, we should.
As a new company in Ireland, we feel as though it is important to set this precedent at the beginning of our evolution, to create an interest amongst our staff and customers of sustainable practices. We hope that these actions, and policies can be replicated in other stores as we evolve, and become a bigger part of the Irish community.
We are fully aware that change won’t happen overnight, and we are still only just beginning in terms of our plans and efforts surrounding sustainability and climate change, but we hope we can continue to make and inspire lasting change in our local communities and beyond.
Decathlon Ireland’s Climate Change Initiatives:
Eco Design:
At Decathlon, we have an International goal of 100% of products sold are designed through an environmentally conscious framework by 2026.
In Ireland, we created a target of 25% of all products sold being Eco Designed.
Circular Economy Business Models:
Creating sustainable business models such as our second hand purchasing scheme "Second Life". Products are thrown in landfill with small scuffs/parts replaced unnecessarily every day. We have created this scheme in our Decathlon Ballymun store to stop products from going into landfill.
CO2 Emissions Reduction:
Reducing our CO2 emissions where possible. Our focus in 2022 was on waste management. With staff training, and a better waste management company, we have a goal of 50% recycling rate for the Decathlon store.
Community Engagement/Awareness:
Where possible, involving the community of not just Dublin, but Ireland, in our sustainability mission, through partnerships with sustainable Irish companies, and involving the community in sustainable events where possible.
Repairability:
Part of our Eco Design initiative is for our products to be repairable, to prolong their lifespan. From increasing the range of products that can be repaired in our workshop in Ballymun, we aimed to have an 85% repair rate, inline with Decathlon Global's sustainability goals.
Our Climate Change impact so far:
Eco Design:
In 2022, we set a target of 25% of Eco Design products sold in Decathlon Ireland, in line with Decathlon Global's goals for this year. We have currently reached 26.32% in September, with it increasing month on month. We have also set up an Eco Design landing page online, where you can find information about the processes involved. Recently, an "Eco Wall" was installed, with information about our Eco Design processes, as well as the other pillars mentioned in the section above, to build awareness, and be more transparent about our claims.
Second Life - A Circular Economy:
So far in 2022, 190 quantities have been sold through Second Life, preventing these from going into landfill. Currently, the main products that are sold second hand are Kayaks, SUP's, Tents, Treadmills, Rowing Machines, Fitness Machines.
Reducing emissions:
To reduce emissions, we also have 100% renewable energy in store, and 20% of our energy comes directly from solar panels on the roof of our Decathlon Ballymun Flagship Store. Through staff training, and better organisation of waste separation in store, our recycling rate currently averages at 51% for 2022 so far.
Community Engagement & Awareness around Climate Change:
We have hosted multiple clean ups throughout the year for various days such as: Earth Day - Clean up around our Ballymun Store, Nature Conservation Day - Clean Up in Poppintree Park, World Clean Up Day - Beach Clean Up in Portmarnock. We launched a partnership with Cloud Forests, a climate action enterprise focused on forest creation, conservation and education, and with their help, have planted 613 trees around Ireland's coast.
Repairability:
Our reparability rate in September 2022, is currently at 87.33%, surpassing our target.
Our Plans & Targets for the Future:
We have many plans for the future to continue our efforts in terms of Climate Action and Sustainability initiatives in Decathlon Ballymun, Decathlon Limerick and any future Decathlon stores and the areas surrounding them.
We genuinely hope that we can inspire other businesses to take similar steps to help battle the ongoing issue that is climate change and we are delighted to see such recognition for a worthy topic at the Fingal Business Awards 2022.
Regardless of the outcome on the night, we are proud of our ongoing efforts and are grateful to be recognised for our efforts and being nominated alongside some fantastic local businesses at this year's awards.
