Did you know...
At Bründl Sports, sustainability is a principle that is close to the heart. It has been a growing, living part of the Bründl culture. As some of you may already know, we have a task force, which is a team of motivated volunteers from all areas of the company.
The taskforce is made up of sustainability-scouts who have made it their mission to work together to create and advance sustainability initiatives in the company. They also work to inspire the people around them to anchor sustainability principles in their everyday business.
Someone who is very familiar with the Bründl Sustainability Commitment is our valued Sustainability and Reporting Coordinator, Quinten Grimm. Today, he’s explaining a few details about Bründl´s ESG-goals – our overarching guide to creating lasting sustainability at Bründl Sports.
Quinten, please briefly explain what ESG goals are.
Quinten: Many companies that take sustainability seriously have clear ESG goals. These goals should consider all three pillars of sustainability (Environmental, Social, Economic) and be accompanied by a complete roadmap to achieve them. At Bründl, we have 5 overarching ESG goals that require us to take many actions:
- Reduce the CO₂-footprint by 20 %
- Reduce the waste accumulating in the company by 15 %
- Reduce energy consumption by 10 %
- Organize one take-part activity for staff and/or customers each quarter
- Push the pedal on impactful social commitment (e.g.donations, staff benefits, sponsoring)
Briefly explain what Bründl has achieved in the last year. Is there project regarding sustainability that you are particularly proud of?
Quinten: Outfitted with the ÖGNI certification for sustainable interior design, our new flagship store in Kaprun is the centerpiece of our efforts regarding sustainability. We often do tours of the so-called `sustainability path´ in the store to highlight all the subtle details regarding sustainability that are sometimes overlooked during the shopping experience
Today we are talking about the first 3 goals of our sustainability promise, which address reducing CO₂, waste and energy consumption in the company. Let's start with the plan to minimize CO₂ emissions by a hefty 20%.
Quinten: According to our first calculation of our carbon footprint, we were responsible for emitting for approximately 1540 Tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2-eq). Our carbon footprint partner Fokus Zukunft assures us that this is low in comparison to the industry average. We are in the process of completing our second carbon footprint which will also help us create better goals. We are on a good path.
There are countless starting points in such a large company. In which areas have you been able to make a particularly big difference?
Quinten: At Bründl we believe that every department and all employees have the potential to improve our company footprint. Of course, some areas such as energy or purchased goods have a bigger proportional impact, but every effort counts!
Employees are the most important asset at Bründl Sports, and everyone can do their part for more sustainability - how does it work?
Quinten: Sustainability strategies must be sensible and be understandable. With 550 Employees in the main seasons, our demographic reflects that of the general population quite well. This means that we have employees who are fully on board with our strategy, and others who need some more convincing. We do our best to educate our people about our main activities regarding sustainability, so that they can pass our sustainability promise on to customers when the time comes.
With regular team challenges you want to make a difference together. Tell us about these challenges and how the team´s feedback has been.
Quinten: Surprisingly good! In March, we had a Team Challenge aimed at CO2 reduction and even managed to exceed our targets. Our goal was surpassed by motivated employees who commuted via carpooling, public transit, bike, or on foot. Home office days also counted towards the goal. All in all, 3 tons of CO₂ (12,100 car/km) were spared. Of course, this was just the beginning - we'll keep at it.
Let´s talk about reducing the company`s waste consumption. What steps and processes have been established within the company to achieve this target by 2024 - are there any results yet?
Quinten: The biggest investment has been in defining an employee who is responsible for waste management within the company. This employee is helping the company with the difficult task of tracking and reducing waste. A few statistics include reduction of our plastic waste in our logistics center by one tonne and our entire company’s reduction of general waste by four and a half Tonnes since 2019.
One of the most important aspects of waste reduction is the supplier and manufacturer side of the goods - are there sustainable solutions here and how do they look like in practice?
Quinten: We work very closely with our suppliers/partners with regards to impact reduction solutions. With our Supplier Code of Conduct, we cover many general sustainability topics like equitable working conditions, discrimination, raw materials, animal welfare, etc.. In cases such as packaging waste, for example, we work directly with our suppliers to find sensible solutions. We also organise round-tables and conferences where suppliers and retailers can work together to find overlap and discuss new solutions.
Every Bründl Sports customer can do their part: choose durable and high-quality products whenever possible, repair equipment in our in-house repair workshop instead of throwing it away, bring your own shopping bags and push for digital receipts.
To the topic of energy - Bründl Sports has set itself the goal of reducing 10% of the company's total energy consumption. Where is the focus, where can the greatest reductions be achieved?
Quinten: The biggest potential energy savers are the buildings in which we operate. Where possible, we have implemented measures like LED lighting, solar panels, and have created an energy saving directive for our managers to use. In stores where we do not own the buildings and where major investments are out of our hands, we are working with landlords to create awareness around energy efficiency.
Small efforts can make a big difference. What tips do you give the Bründl team for paying attention to their energy consumption in everyday office and store life?
Quinten: Specifically, our energy saving directive speaks to heating/cooling, lighting, charging (e-bikes, etc.), service machines, ventilation, and much more. We are relying on managers and employees to be conscious about their energy use. Often, small changes can make a big difference.
Job bike: A smart program fit for carbon footprint reduction
Finally, we want to take up an exciting topic that, in addition to saving CO₂, is also highly attractive for all bike fans: the job bike
Bründl Sports is part of the "Job Bike Leasing" initiative, an attractive opportunity for our employees and customers to purchase a bike at discounted rates through their employer.
How has the initiative been received by our employees and customers so far?
Quinten: We have 46 employees who are part of the Job-Rad program, a number we are very happy with. This program allows us to reduce our carbon footprint as well as keep our employees active.
The job bike is a win-win situation: You reduce your CO₂ footprint and get to enjoy a brand-new bike that makes commuting fun and healthy.
Want to know more about the job bike?
If you would like more information about the job bike, please visit our bike stores. For any questions and advice, our bike experts are of course available and will help you with the perfect choice of your leasing bike.
