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2014 Sustainability Report
published 2015/07/15
About VAUDEOur Sustainability Strategy Our Goals in Detail

Our goals in detail

We want to be a company that is sustainable to the core. We came closer to this goal again in 2014. For 2015, we have additional sustainability measures planned.

Seven business goals - key events and goal achievement

Once again, great things happened at VAUDE in the area of sustainability in 2014. By and large, we have achieved our goals. We reached our goal of becoming Europe’s most sustainable outdoor company by 2015 – see Our Sustainability Strategy.


2014 - a good year for sustainability at VAUDE

Awards for being the most sustainable company such as that from Panorama (DAV) and our 1st place in the brand ranking of sustainable companies show us that we’re on the right track– see Our Awards.


There are, however, critical voices from our customers too. We are happy to grapple with constructive criticism about our strategies, and take input about improvement, about our CSR performance, as well as about how to improve our communication.


Always making new sustainability goals – based on our convictions

Our conviction is strong – we need to increase our sustainability even more. And in the areas where we are not completely satisfied, we are always setting new goals: 


We publish our corporate objectives that are directly related to sustainability in our report. For competitive reasons, we do not publish targets for market share, profit margins and distribution channels. 


GRI:   G4-1
Provide a statement from the most senior decision-maker of the organization (such as CEO, chair, or equivalent senior position) about the relevance of sustainability to the organization and the organization’s strategy for addressing sustainability.
Related Stories
About this report
With the 2014 Sustainability Report, VAUDE is publishing its second GRI report Read more
VAUDE - 100 percent family-owned business
Tettnang-Obereisenbach is the location of the headquarters of the family-owned business VAUDE Read more
Business philosophy
Responsible business practices as a guiding principle Read more
Contact
Contact us

We are economically self-sufficient and positioned for a promising future

GRI aspect: Economic performance
Strategic measures Performance figure Current value 2013 Target value 2014 Current value 2014 Difference Target value 2015

Increasing/stabilizing our equity ratio

Equity Ratio

36.4%

35.50%

39.20%

+3.7%

52%

Increasing sales volume

Sales volume

7.30%

8.40%

1.70%

-6.70

+6.1%

We have taken the following steps to achieve this goal:

  • We have increased our equity ratio from 36.4 percent to 39.2 percent.
  • We have increased our sales by 1.7 percent despite a stagnating market.
  • We were nominated for the Boldness Business Award 2015 in the category “Corporate Responsibility/ Environment” by the Financial Times.

  More at – “Sustainable business is worthwhile”


We are transparent and authentic.

GRI aspects: advertising, identification of products and services, compliance (product identification), policy
Strategic measures Performance figure Current value 2013 Target value 2014 Current value 2014 Difference Target value 2015

GRI Reporting

Publication

 

Report is available

Report is available

 

Report is available

Transparency in the supply chain: we publish the producer locations of our production facilities and material manufacturers

Publication

Countries of production facilities are published

Production facility locations are published

Production facility countries of the material manufacturers and production facilities are published

 

Publication of the location of the material manufacturers and producers at the corresponding product in the webshop

We have taken the following steps to achieve this goal:

  • We have created an Economy for Common Good balance sheet.

  More at – “Economy for the Common Good” 


  • We have published our first GRI report

  More at – “About this report”

 

  • We have created Eco Labeling guidelines that make it easier for our customers to recognize environmentally friendly products.

  More at – “Transparent information for reflective consumers” and “Sustainable communication”


  • Rank a Brand, an association that ranks brands on the basis of fairness, climate-friendliness and environmental-friendliness put VAUDE at 1st place for outdoor companies

  More at – “Our awards” 


  • We have published the production countries of our material manufacturers and producers

  More at – “Our supply chain” 


Our products are sustainable and technical

GRI aspects: materials, products and services, health and safety of customers
Strategic measures Performance figure Current value 2013 Target value 2014 Current value 2014 Difference Target value 2015

Increase total percentage environmentally-friendly products

(by 2015)

Total percentage of environmentally-friendly products in the entire collection (Green Shape)

Summer 2014:

42%

Winter 2014:

52%

Summer 2015: 48%

Winter 2015:

39% 

Summer 2015:

48%
Winter 2015:

57% 

Summer 2015:

0%
Winter 2015: +18% 

No defined target value to date,

because increasing our Green Shape

percentage is extremely dependent

on PFC-free DWR waterproof production.

This is related to the Collection S16 & W16

for the new Green Shape criteria.

More at Green Shape  


Total percentage environmentally-friendly products in the Apparel Collection

(Green Shape)

Summer 2014:

78%
Winter 2014:

74% 

Summer 2015: 80%
Winter 2015:

77% 

Summer 2015:

87%
Winter 2015:

76% 

Summer 2015: +7%
Winter 2015:

-1% 

No defined target value to date,
because increasing our Green Shape
percentage is extremely dependent
on PFC-free DWR waterproof production.
This is related to the Collection S16 & W16
for the new Green Shape criteria.
More at Green Shape  


Total percentage environmentally-friendly products in the Hardware Collection (Green Shape)

Summer 2014:

15%
Winter 2014:

14%

Summer 2015: 17%
Winter 2015:

15% 

Summer 2015: 18%
Winter 2015: 26% 

Summer 2015: +1%
Winter 2015: +11% 

No defined target value to date,
because increasing our Green Shape
percentage is extremely dependent
on PFC-free DWR waterproof production.
This is related to the Collection S16 & W16
for the new Green Shape criteria.
More at Green Shape  


bluesign® percentage of the entire collection

Summer 2014:

40%
Winter 2014:

52 % 

Increase percentage 

Summer 2015:

45% 

Summer 2015: +5% 

Starting with the Winter Collection, we will no longer use the bluesign® approved fabric label

but rather our own VAUDE Green Shape label. bluesign® approved fabrics are integrated in our Green Shape concept.

More at - bluesign® materials 


bluesign® percentage in the Apparel Collection

Summer 2014:

75%
Winter 2014:

73%

Increase percentage 

Summer 2015:

80% 

Summer 2015: +5% 

Starting with the Winter Collection, we will no longer use the bluesign® approved fabric label

but rather our own VAUDE Green Shape label. bluesign® approved fabrics are integrated in our Green Shape concept.

More at - bluesign® materials 


bluesign® percentage in the Hardware Collection

Summer 2014:

14%
Winter 2014:

14%

Increase percentage 

Summer 2015:

18% 

Summer 2015: +4% 

Starting with the Winter Collection, we will no longer use the bluesign® approved fabric label

but rather our own VAUDE Green Shape label. bluesign® approved fabrics are integrated in our Green Shape concept.

More at - bluesign® materials 


Percentage organic cotton

100%

100%

100%

0%
 

Maintain

Increase the percentage of recycled materials used

Percentage of products in the apparel collection with recycled materials

Summer 2014: 0%
Winter 2014: 3%

Increase the percentage of products

Summer 2015: 0%
Winter 2015: 4%


Increase the percentage of products


Percentage of products in the Packs 'n Pags collection with recycled materials

Summer 2014: 14%
Winter 2014: 32%

Increase the percentage of products

Summer 2015: 30%
Winter 2015: 36 %


Increase the percentage of products

Manufacture products with PFC-free finish (by 2020)

Percentage PFC-free products in the apparel collection

Winter 2014: 100% PFOA-free.
62% with C6 finish
37% PFC free

Summer 2015: 100 % PFOA / C8-free, all water repellent products PFC-free,
all waterproof products with C6 finish

Winter 2015:

100 % PFOA /C8-free,
water repellent products PFC-free,
some waterproof products with C0 finish

Summer 2015:

100 % PFOA / C8-free, all water repellent products PFC-free, all waterproof products with C6 finish


Winter 2015:

100 % PFOA /C8-free, all water repellent products PFC-free,

one waterproof product with C0 finish

Summer 2015: goal reached
Winter 2015: goals reached except for finish of waterproof products with CO

Summer 2016 and Winter 2016: 100 % PFOA / C8-free, all water repellent products PFC-free.
some waterproof products with C0 finish dependent on the availability of chemicals, more at – "Water repellent materials"

Products Packs 'n Bags PVC-free (by 2017)

Percentage PFC-free products in the entire collection

Summer 2014: 65%
Winter 2014: 73%

By 2017: 100%

Summer 2015: 77%

Winter 2015: 94%


By 2018: 100%

We have taken the following steps to achieve this goal:

  • We have increased our percentage of Green Shape products to 48 percent for the Summer Collection and 57 percent for the Winter Collection.
  • We have revised our Green Shape concept; the criteria are now even stricter than before. The criteria will come into effect in the Winter Collection 15/16.

  More at – “Respect for People and Nature and VAUDE Green Shape”


  • We continue to exclusively use organic cotton for our cotton products

  More at – “Organic cotton”


  • We could increase the number of products made from recycled materials in the Winter Collection 2015 compared to the previous year

  More at – “Recycled materials” 



We could not fully achieve our goals in the following issues:


  • PVC: Despite strong commitment from our product managers, we have not been able to completely eliminate the use of PVC – there are still no alternatives that are comparable in price and functionally.

  More at – “Challenges of PVC-free”

 

  • PFC: Despite the great efforts of our materials team, we have only managed to bring one waterproof product with a C0 finish to the market. Further products are dependent on the market availability of C0 chemicals.

  More at – “Strategies against too many chemicals”



See also:


Our company is holistically focused on environmental friendliness.

GRI aspects: energy, water, emissions, waste, transportation, biodiversity, wastewater, compliance (ecological), overall (environmental issues)
Strategic measures Performance figure Current value 2013 Target value 2014 Current value 2014 Difference Target value 2015

Creating of an energy, water and waste management system

Renewable gas (deadline: 2015)

100% since October 2013)

100%

100%

0%

maintain

 

Electricity procurement Vaude Str.2 (deadline: 2015)

-14%

20% reduction (basis year 2011)

-1%

-19%

20% reduction (basis year 2011)

 

Waste per employee in kg* (deadline: 2015)

-14%

10% reduction (basis year 2010)

+15%

 

will be documented after the rennovation i.e. 10% by 2015

Implement Mobility Concept

Emissions from business travel OEB (deadline: 2015)

0%

20% bis 2015 (basis year 2011)

-1%

-19%

20% by 2015 (basis year 2011)

 

Bike commuting kilometers (deadline: 2014)

44.335

45.000

53.672

+8.672

55.000

 

Emissions from commuting per employee** (deadline: 2014)

-24% (basis year 2011)

10% reduction (basis year 2013)

+9% (basis year 2013)

-19%

10% reduction (basis year 2013)

Revise Company Fleet Concept

Average fuel consumption company fleet (deadline: 2014)

7.2 l per 100km

Reduce by 5% (basis year 2012)

7.1 l per 100km, this corresponds to a reduction of 4 % (basis year 2012)

-1%

7% reduction (basis year 2012)

 

Average fuel consumption according to manufacture

5.8 l per 100km

Reduce by 5% (basis year 2012)

5.9 l per 100 km, this corresponds to a reduction of 2% (basis year 2012)

-3%

no longer working toward this goal

Green Logistics (analyze flow of good and resulting emissions reduce/optimize)

Concept in place

 

 

 

 

Concept in place

* We changed Performance figure of Waste to Waste per employee

** We changed Performance figure of Emissions to Emissions per employee


We have taken the following steps to achieve this goal:

  • We were able to reduce our emissions at our Tettnang-Obereisenbach location from 3,704 tons CO2e in 2011 to 2,981 tons of CO2e in 2014. 

  More at – “Reduced emissions from business travel”


  • We decreased our emissions from energy by 83 percent and from the material diverse consumption such as cardboard and films for sales packaging by 23 percent compared to 2013.

  More at – “Greenhouse gas emissions in detail”

 

  • The new bus line from Tettnang to Obereisenbach has been operating for one year. Our employees have another option for leaving their cars at home.

  More at – “Climate neutral mobility at VAUDE“


  • We were honored with the Axia Award 2014: “Nachhaltig denken, erfolgreich lenken“ and nominated for the “Environmental Award for Companies 2014“

  More at – “Our sustainability strategy” 


  • As the first outdoor outfitter in Europe to do so, VAUDE is supporting the private resale of used products at a Second Use Shop on eBay and thus contributing to an extended lifecycle for its products.

  More at – “Second use – as good as new, but better for the environment”



We could not fully achieve our goals in the following issues:

  • Reducing emissions from business travel: Despite our ecological travel policy, we have not been able to reduce our emissions from business travel by 20 percent compared to 2011 figures.

  More at – “Less emissions from business travel” 


  • Reducing emissions from commuting: Despite our mobility concept we could not reduce our emissions compared to 2013.

  More at – “Greenhouse gas emissions in detail”


  • Residual waste: We were not able to reduce our residual waste compared to 2010. Due to a major remodeling project at our company headquarters in Obereisenbach, the total amount of residual waste was higher than the year before. Not all waste could be classified properly, so we will continue to measure this again and determine a target value after the completion of the renovation project.

  More at – “Waste and waste water” 


  • Energy: Due to the renovation at our company headquarters in Obereisenbach, we used more energy than planned. We could reduce our energy consumption compared to 2011 only by one percent.

  More at – “Energy” 



See also:


We have high environmental standards in the supply chain.

GRI aspects: evaluation of suppliers in terms of ecological aspects, grievance procedures in relation to environmental aspects, grievance procedures regarding working practices
Strategic measures Performance figure Current value 2013 Target value 2014 Current value 2014 Difference Target value 2015

Ensure traceability of materials

Leather - certified (proof of origin)

0

100%

"Winter 2015 and Summer 2015: 100% in apparel

62% of leather shoes

Apparel: 0%

Shoes: -38%

100% 

 

Wool - certified (without mulesing)

100%

100%

100%

0%

maintain

 

Down (proof of origin up to parent farm)

0%

100%

Starting Winter 2015 in apparel 100% with the Responsible Down Standard

0%

maintain

 

Down (proof of origin up to slaughterhouse)

100%

100%

100%

 

This goal is obsolete because of the use of down certified by the Responsible Down Standard. More at Down

Ensure environmental standards in the supply chain

Signed RSL (producers)

48%

100%

84%

-16%

100%

 

Signed RSL (suppliers apparel fabrics)

71%

100%

70%

-30%

100%

 

Signed RSL (suppliers apparel trims)

45%

100%

70%

-30%

100%

We have taken the following steps to achieve this goal:

  • For apparel we are exclusively using down certified by the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) for the Winter Collection 2015 and for sleeping bags starting in the Summer Collection 2016. Thus we ensure the traceability of the geese and ducks from the parent farm.

  More at – “Featherweight thermal insulation – a miracle of nature” 


  • We have taken the first steps toward traceability of our leather 
  • We are a founding member of the “Partnership of Sustainable Textiles”. In this association, the federal government, textile industry, apparel industry, retail, unions and social civilities combine their knowledge and power with the goal of better implementing internationally recognized environmental and social standards in the entire production chain of textile production.

  More at – “Founding member in the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles “ 



We could not fully achieve our goals in the following issues:

  • Restricted Substance List (RSL): Our goal is that all of our producers have signed the current RSL. So far we have been able to achieve 84 percent. Some producers refuse to sign because they currently do not yet have sufficient information available.

  More at – “Suppliers as partners” 



See also:


Our employees are satisfied and we are an attractive employer.

GRI aspects: employment, employee-employer relationship, education and training, diversity and equal opportunities, equal pay for women and men, equal treatment, compliance (socially), indirect economic performance
Strategic measures Performance figure Current value 2013 Target value 2014 Current value 2014 Difference Target value 2015

Promoting the balance of career and family

Return rate after parental leave

Can first be recorded for 2014

No target value defined

94%

 

maintain

Promoting job satisfaction

Introduction of a VAUDE compensation system

 

System exists and has been introduced

Implementation of the new compensation system  

 

 

 

Improved results in survey on employee satisfaction

2.2 (2011: 2.2)

Not performed annually

 

 

Didn't take place in 2015

 

Employee fluctuation rate

Employee fluctuation rate excluding all apprentices, interns, and temporary employees: 10.66%
Improved calculation basis: fluctuation rate (personnel levels compared to departures): 3.84%

No target value

4.50% (due to improved basis for calculation)  

 

Maintain

 

Absence rate

5.35%

Reduce compared to previous year

5.57%

-0.22%

5%

 

Average hours of training and professional development    (Academy program)

Men's average: 7.85 hours, Women's average: 4.52 hours

No target value

Men's average: 10.6 h.Women's average: 6.1 h
Overall 7.5 h


Maintain

 

Increase percentage of women in management positions (per category)

Overall 35%
First management

level: 14.3%
Second management

level: 23%
Third management

level: 53%

No target value

Overall: 37%
First management level: 14.3%
Second management level: 33.3%
Third management level: 45.8%


Mid to long term deadline:
First management level: 43%
Second management level: maintain
Third management level: maintain

Enable inclusion  

Percentage employees with disabilities

0.85%

No target value

0.62%


1.25%

We have taken the following steps to achieve this objective:

  • We have a return rate from parental leave of 94 percent.
  • We had 16 births and 37 instances of parental leave in 2014.

  More at – “Family company in the best sense”


  • We have created and implemented a new wage system

  More at – “Equal wages for men and women”


  • We have a low turnover rate of 4.5 percent

  More at– “Satisfied employees are motivated”


  • On average, each employee participated in 7.5 hours of VAUDE training per year.

  More at – “Training and professional development for employees”



We could not fully achieve our goals in the following issues:

  • We have taken steps toward our goal of increasing the number of women in management positions. We are encouraged that we have a very low turnover rate and we would like to keep this. This is the reason that we can only change the rate of female managers over the longterm.

  More at – “37 percent women in management positions” 



See also:


We have implemented high social standards in the supply chain.

GRI aspects: market presence, procurement, employment, employee-employer relationship, health and safety, diversity and equal opportunities, equal pay for women and men, evaluation of suppliers in terms of work practices, equal treatment, freedom of association and right to collective bargaining, child labor, forced labor or compulsory labor, evaluation of suppliers with respect to human rights, grievance procedures regarding human rights violations
Strategic measures Performance figure Current value 2013 Target value 2014 Current value 2014 Difference Target value 2015

Results of Brand Performance Check FWF: Auditing the production facilities and monitoring the CAP

Overall results of the Brand Performance Check

Good

Leader

Leader

 

maintain

 

Benchmarking score in % from the FWF's Brand Performance Check (deadline: 2015)

78%

> 75%

83%

8%

maintain

 

Percentage of audited production facilities (deadline: 2015)

72%

90%

96%

6%

maintain

We have taken the following steps to achieve this goal:

  • In 2014 we performed very well in the Brand Performance Check of the Fair Wear Foundation and achieved Leader Status.

  More at – “Audits of extern producers”


  • We are a founding member of the Partnership of Sustainable Textiles. In this association, the federal government, textile industry, apparel industry, retail, unions and social civilities combine their knowledge and power with the goal of better implementing internationally recognized environmental and social standards in the entire production chain of textile production. 

  More at – “Founding member in the Association for Sustainable Textiles“ 


 

See also:

Partner DAV FAIR WEAR
Brand alliance VAUDE EDELRID