Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Yes. Thule Group has a CFO, an ESG Manager and an ESG Controller that directly manage corporate sustainability. The CEO, CFO, SVP of Communications and Investor Relations, and the Board of Directors also provide dialogue and guidance regarding sustainability.
Furthermore, we have skilled auditors, site managers, and site-based sustainability ambassadors. This range of board-level, management-level, and operational-level team members ensures that Thule Group has skilled sustainability professionals in all parts of the company.

The CFO, ESG Manager and the ESG Controller coordinate the sustainability efforts at the executive and management level. These positions, along with the ultimate responsibility of the CEO and Board of Directors, guide the overall sustainability strategy and long-term targets.
The Board of Directors and CEO ensure the sustainability goals and strategies link with our business goals, and also integrate responsibility with executive duties. Functional managers at our sites are skilled in compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and standards which apply to occupational health and safety, environmental responsibility, discrimination and harassment, social responsibility, product quality, and other sustainability factors.

We recommend reading our Code of Conduct which outlines the main principles and guidelines our business follows, regarding sustainability. When we say “sustainability” we are referring to fair business practices, human rights, health and safety, labour, ethics, product responsibility, and environmental responsibility. We also have corporate policies regarding anti-corruption, anti-discrimination and harassment, and a Prohibited and Restricted Substances List. 

Furthermore, we have an internal corporate governance manual, which provides detailed policies and procedures for how these sustainability requirements are to be implemented at our sites. We also conduct external risk assessments, self-assessments, and internal and external compliance audits that ensure our production sites and suppliers comply with our sustainability policies.

Thule Group management and the Board of Directors determines these guidelines and policies.

Yes, this is communicated to the public and throughout Thule Group via the Code of Conduct.

Through quarterly and annual reporting, external risk assessments, self-assessments, internal audits, and ongoing dialogues and strategic planning.
Our public whistleblowing tool and supplier audits also ensure that our policies and guidelines are followed and any non-compliances are handled appropriately by our external legal team and our third party auditor Intertek (with the option to report anonymously).

The Code of Conduct and corporate governance manual policies and guidelines apply to our Board of Directors, Group Management, employees, partners, suppliers, contractors, and customers.

We conduct stakeholder dialogues with the Board of Directors, Group Management, employees, partners, investors, and consumers to get a broad overview of our sustainability risks. We also hold annual strategic planning meetings, external and internal audits, and self-assessments, which identify risks. We also conduct ‘gate model’ evaluations for all new products, which is a multi-step process used to highlight any potential risks prior to final design and production. Lastly, we report our risks annually to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), and receive regular Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) assessments which highlight potential risks.

Raw materials costs and supplies, energy costs, water supply (costs, quantity, and quality), consumer trends and awareness, natural disasters and weather, transport and vehicle trends.
These are mostly applicable to our direct operations, but also throughout our supply chain.

We manage these risks by integrating daily, shorter-term, and longer-term solutions into our operations and supply chain. We continuously invest in energy-efficient technology, for example the gradual transition to more energy-efficient machinery, LED lighting with motion sensors, and the installation of solar thermal collectors to heat water. We set, monitor, and update our sustainability targets associated with our risks.
For example, to combat risks of fluctuating energy costs and water supply, we implemented measures to reduce energy consumption, increase renewable sourced energy, reduce water consumption, and re-use onsite rainwater.
Annual strategic planning sessions are also held to identify and manage risks. These sessions evaluate risks from functional management and operating entities, which are then communicated to the group-level management. Ultimately, the strategic plans to manage risks are approved by the Board of Directors.

We are currently focusing on:

• increasing our energy efficiency and increasing proportion of renewable energy
• reducing carbon emissions of our production sites, products, logistics and suppliers
• reaching 100% renewable electricity in our operations
• maintaining high recycling rate and reducing waste
• reducing accidents at the workplace and improving health&safety training
• following up on our supplier audits and improving supplier performance
• ensuring compliance of our products with our prohibited and restricted list of substances (P&R list)
• ensuring equal opportunity, wages, and representation of genders

These risks and opportunities are mainly tied to our direct operations, through our electricity, heating, and water consumption for the manufacturing and assembly processes. Some factors are also linked to our supply chain, such as natural disasters and weather incidents that may pose a risk in certain regions where some of our suppliers are located. We also have to consider the consumer demands for safe and healthy products, which is where substances restrictions and testing becomes important.

Our entire value chain is characterized by sustainability thinking and good ethics.

In April 2021, Thule Group presented new long-term sustainability goals and new targets for 2030. The sustainability targets are, in terms of environmental aspects, closely connected to the company’s decision made in autumn 2020 to commit the company to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which has a clear focus on meeting the ambitions of the Paris Agreement to keep the earth’s average temperature from rising more than 1.5°C. In addition to our own internal sustainability agenda, we are committed to the UN’s Global Compact and we work with partners and international organizations that work in various ways to support sustainability in the sports and outdoor industry and society at large, which builds a solid foundation for our total sustainability agenda.

Read more about our targets and achievements in our latest annual report on pages 24-29. 
 

Thule Group uses The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard for scope 1 and 2 emissions. Scope 3 emissions are additionally calculated using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Value Chain Accounting and Reporting Scope 3 Standard, Chapter 4 and CLECAT - Calculation GHG emissions for freight forwarding and logistics services in accordance with EN 16258. Scope 3 emission categories which are in-scope and reported annually include business travel, upstream logistics, and downstream logistics.

greenhouse gas emissions data is collected quarterly and annually, via the Worldfavor platform. Emission conversion factors are updated annually or otherwise as frequently as possible, based on various public sources such as DEFRA. Lastly, all annual GHG emission data is subject to external assurance from South Pole who is a well-established consulting company specializing in emissions assessments and assurance. 

Thule Group communicates directly with site managers and site environmental ambassadors throughout our operational sites on a regular basis. This allows communication of the sustainability targets and strategy, regular follow-up on progress, and identification of problems so they can be solved. We also continuously work with our inbound and outbound logistics partners to reduce negative impacts via reduced transportation distances, maximising capacity, and optimising packaging. Air freight and road freight transportation are also replaced with rail and sea transportation when possible. Lastly, Thule Group also engages certain strategic and at-risk suppliers in order to address sustainability issues within the supply chain. 

Yes. The United Nations Agenda 2030 and sustainable development goals (SDG) are the basis for our stakeholder surveys, which in turn guide the overall strategy and prioritization of sustainability issues within the company. Both short-term and long-term strategies and targets are strongly tied to many of the SDGs.

Yes. Thule Group can contribute positively and significantly to several of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs).
These include goals 5-8, 10, 12-13, and 16.

• Number 5
  Gender Equality: We strive to secure a gender-equal company with gender-equal leadership by 2030, with no gender having less than 40% representation. We also conduct continuous assessment of our employees' remuneration to ensure equitable pay structure. Our employee gender diversity was 44% women and 56% men in 2020; and our Board of Directors consists of 50% men and 50% women that range in backgrounds, skills, and experience.
• Number 6
  Clean Water and Sanitation: We aim to continuously reduce water consumption at all of our facilities, and have done so significantly since 2012. We also aim to increase our reuse of rain water, thus reducing stress on water treatment facilities and natural bodies of water. Our use of closed-loop water systems in manufacturing also allows us to minimise the discharge of hazardous chemicals and substances.
• Number 7
  Affordable and Clean Energy: We are increasing our sourcing of renewable energy and electricity, reducing our energy consumption, and supporting both onsite and offsite use of renewable energy sources. Our target is for 100% of the electricity used at our plants to originate from renewable sources by 2030, and we reached 99.1% in 2020. We now aim to have more than 75% of all the energy used at our plants to originate from renewable sources by 2025, and 100% of all the energy used at our plants to originate from renewable sources by 2030.
• Number 8
  Decent Work and Economic Growth: We protect workers' rights and to counteract modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour by conducting audits at our plants and our suppliers, providing human rights courses for employees, and continuously evaluating the equity of pay structures. We meet or exceed all minimum wages in the countries where we operate or partner with suppliers. The internal and external on-site audits we conduct ensure that all workplaces meet our standards which are based on UN Global Compact, ILO, and OECD guidelines.
• Number 10
  Reduced Inequalities: We strive for gender-equality and aim to provide equal opportunities for development, actual participation, and leadership to all employees at all decision-making levels. We also conduct continuous assessment of our employees' remuneration to ensure equitable pay structure. 
• Number 12
  Responsible Production and Consumption: We strive to reduce our waste and ensure increased recycling in our manufacturing processes. Our goal is to achieve and maintain a recycling rate of more than 98% and to ensure that 0% of our waste goes to landfill by 2030. We also strive to continuously monitor and expand the list of materials and chemicals that may not be used in our products, increase the use of recycled materials in our products, and use more eco-friendly packaging. Rigorous product testing and product lifecycle assessments (LCAs) also allow us to improve durability and lifespan of products, while also identifying new areas for improvements.
• Number 13
  Climate Action: Many of our actions relate to this goal; such as reducing our CO₂ emissions, increasing our sourcing of renewable energy and renewable electricity, reducing our energy consumption, reducing water consumption, increasing usage of rail transport, and increasing our recycling rate. Our 2030 science-based targets for Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emission reductions have been verified by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). We aim to reduce Scope 1 GHG emissions at our plants 46% by 2030, compared to 2019. We aim to reduce Scope 2 GHG emissions via sourcing 100% renewable electricity at our sites and offices with more than 12 employees. We aim to reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions related to our purchased goods, upstream logistics, and downstream logistics 28% by 2030, compared to 2019. 

The bluesign® system reduces the environmental impact concerning the entire textile supply chain. From chemical suppliers via manufacturers to retailers and brands, the bluesign® system enables the participants of the textile supply chain to meet contemporary ecological requirements.
The bluesign® approved suppliers have to go through rigorous tests in order to verify compliance with the bluesign® criteria. As a bluesign® system partner, Thule Group utilises the database of bluesign® approved suppliers, bluesign® approved fabrics, and aspire to achieve bluesign® approved products.
The Template bluesign® Restricted Substances List, with their stringent requirements, is incorporated into the Thule Group P&R list. bluesign® also provides rigorous testing and compliance verification throughout the supply chain.  Additionally, they contribute to Thule Group’s adherence to continuously updated requirements which are often more stringent than international and national requirements.

RISE Chemical Group (previously Swerea) is a Swedish research group for industrial renewal and sustainable development, focusing mainly on material science, manufacturing engineering, and product engineering. As a member company of the RISE chemical group for textiles, Thule Group receives a range of benefits, opportunities, industry contacts and current knowledge. The chemical group is available to spread the latest in chemical and environmental issues to textile-related companies. The network is run by RISE together with university and government experts. The purpose of the group is to convey legal requirements and other information in the chemical field in an easy-to-understand manner, so that the information is used in companies' daily chemical work.

No.

No.

No, nanotechnology is not used on products or within the production process.