In close cooperation with the European Outdoor Group (EOG), the members of the Outdoor Group (FGO) in the Federal Association of the German Sport Article Industry (BSI) have started up the CSR project for social compliance.
According to the BSI press release, the observance of social standards in low-wage production countries and production with due regard to the conservation of resources are consistently increasing in importance as a factor for credibility and therefore also success in the sport article and outdoor equipment market.
Partner in the project is the internationally operating non-profit organization “Made-By”, which works with the fashion industry to improve social and ecologic production conditions. The initiative concentrates on shoes, clothing and products containing textile components such as rucksacks, tents, sleeping bags or accessories. At present ten outdoor brands are taking part in the project: Deuter, Haglöfs, Lowa, Maier Sports, Mammut, Marmot, Nordisk, The North Face, Tatonka and Vaude.
For these brands Made-By has examined and evaluated the production figures for 2010, the countries of origin of the products, social certificates and audit reports. The basis was the social standards of Made-By, which incorporate the most important international CSR standards and monitoring systems. The results were summarized in a Score Card in order to allow transparency in the complexity of the problems and enable comparison. The CSR status measured in this way serves as the basis for decision for further stages of development in the company and in the production chain. The Made-By assessment is not to remain a one-off examination but from now on should be carried out at regular intervals in order to be able to evaluate developments objectively, according to the BSI.
Andreas Schechinger, Chairman of the FGO, is pleased that before the beginning of the OutDoor Fair 2011, so many outdoor brands have joined the Made-By project. After the successful start, BSI CEO Adalbert von der Osten would like to win further member companies for this initiative.
From: Spomo, the journal for the sport branch, 12.7.2011