Vision, challenges and action plans

The history of Petzl and our commitment to applying a structured, environmental approach (that is authentic, pragmatic and at the core of our business) guides us in determining our priorities and projects. 

Brief summary

• Petzl's vision: a sustainable business model
• The challenges for Petzl
• Strategies and action plans
• Guidance

Petzl's vision: a sustainable business model

Our environmental and social philosophy takes into account the direct and indirect impact of our business, from design to distribution, as well as our actions outside the office and interactions with key players.

The creation of the Petzl Foundation in 2006 was an important step in this process. It supports and sets up projects in the public interest, for the benefit of the communities we serve, with three core missions:

• Education and the reduction of risks related to the participation in vertical activities
• Preservation of the environment
• Support of fundamental research

In 2008, Petzl created a Manager of Sustainable Development position to coordinate all of the actions surrounding three areas: business, social and environmental.

Petzl's Sustainability initiative is deployed in a concrete and cross-disciplinary manner. It is:
1) structured - involving all aspects of the business
2) ambitious - aiming for an operational integration of the practices and attitudes of everyone, so that a measurable element of progress is achieved
3) pragmatic - the idea being that each step, however small, helps achieve the success of the project

Petzl's approach to sustainable development is part of our commitment to excellence. It is what guarantees strong business for a sustainable company. At Petzl, we call it a "sustainable business model".

The challenges for Petzl

1) Our business colleagues

One of the fundamental principles of a commitment to social and environmental responsibility is taking into account the expectations of our business colleagues.

From this perspective, Petzl met with business associates in 2008 to identify challenges and establish priorities.

>> Download the document "Expectations of business colleagues 2009" [format pdf - 217 ko] 

In addition, Petzl continues work in awareness of, and in collaboration with, the expectations and demands of stakeholders: monitoring of government policies, customer expectations, and active involvement in cross-referenced working groups in order to progress together.

Work groups

Collaboration with Mountain Riders (Europe)

Environmental Watch Group (France): Building upon the environmental policy formulated at the Grenelle conference on the environment, Petzl is involved in developing the set of guidelines and standards for displaying the environmental impact of sports products. www.affichage-environnemental.afnor.org Work groups in the Outdoor market: - Outdoor Sports Valley (France) sustainable development committee www.outdoorsportsvalley.org - Sustainability Working Group de l’European Outdoor Group (Europe) www.europeanoutdoorsustainability.org www.europeanoutdoorgroup.com - Eco Index work group of the Outdoor Industry Association (USA) www.ecoindexbeta.org

For the last two years, Petzl has been involved in the publication of The Eco Guide to Mountain Equipment: an evaluation of actions for the sustainable development of brands. www.mountain-riders.org

2) Carbon footprint

Since 2007, the decision to take a more practical approach has driven us to achieve a targeted carbon footprint for our entire business on a global level (this includes direct and indirect emissions - scopes 1, 2 and 3 in accordance with GHG Protocol). This inventory of our emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) was carried out by an independent consulting firm.

Materials, transportation of goods and employee travel were identified as the three main sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
The materials used within our products, combined with the transport of goods, accounted for nearly 70 % of total emissions.

Strategies and action plans

Resulting from discussion with concerned parties and from directions chosen by Management, the action plan unfolds across six axes, with one common goal of reducing CO2 emissions (by 10 % between 2009 and 2012, with a measurement in 2013 to verify if the goal has been reached).

Product: Throughout our product range, clarify our goals and our customers' expectations in terms of sustainable development.

Communication : Eco-design of communication materials and the promotion of sustainable development.

Purchasing and Suppliers: Integrate sustainable development issues in our supplier relationships.

Transportation: Optimize the best choices for modes of transport and flow of goods to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Eco development: Ecological design of products and packaging

Corporate life: Improve environmental management of all Petzl Group sites; educate and involve employees in sustainable development actions.

Governance

To ensure the steady progress of the action plans, a steering committee for sustainable development meets quarterly to make necessary decisions. The Sustainable Development Manager leads this committee, which consists of the Group's management and key department heads.

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