Nike Sets Business Targets To Achieve Ambitious Corporate Responsibility Goals

Company more deeply integrates corporate responsibility into long-term growth and innovation business strategies 


BEAVERTON, Ore., May 31  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With the release of its fiscal 2005 and 2006 Corporate Responsibility Report today, NIKE, Inc. announces a series of business targets for 2011 that more deeply integrate corporate responsibility goals into the company's long-term growth and innovation business strategies. The targets set benchmarks to improve labor conditions in contract factories, create a climate neutral company, drive sustainable product design and innovation, and unleash potential by giving youth greater access to the benefits of sport.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO )

"We see corporate responsibility as a catalyst for growth and innovation" said Mark Parker, Nike, Inc.'s President and CEO. "It is an integral part of how we can use the power of our brand, the energy and passion of our people, and the scale of our business to create meaningful change."

  The corporate responsibility business targets set by Nike include:
  -- Improve labor conditions by eliminating excessive overtime in Nike
     brand contract factories by 2011. Excessive overtime is one of the most
     serious ongoing labor compliance issues the company and the industry
     face. Nike's priority continues to be improving conditions for the
     almost 800,000 contract factory workers who make the company's
     products.
  -- Make all Nike brand facilities, retail and business travel climate
     neutral by 2011. Nike has exceeded its reduction targets for CO2
     emissions over the last two years through the World Wildlife Fund's
     Climate Savers program. The company also eliminated fluorinated gases
     (F-gases) across all Nike brand products following 14 years of research
     and development in the company's Nike Air cushioning system.
  -- Design all Nike brand footwear (more than 225 million pairs per year)
     to meet baseline targets by 2011 for waste reduction in product design
     and packaging, elimination of volatile organic compounds and increased
     use of environmentally preferred materials. All Nike brand apparel is
     targeted to meet baseline standards by 2015, and equipment by 2020.
     Nike is designing sustainable innovation solutions into its products
     that the company anticipates will create benefits throughout its supply
     chain and support achievement of its targets.
  -- Invest in community-based initiatives that use the power of sport to
     unleash potential and improve the lives of youth. Over the past two
     years, Nike has invested $100 million in community-based sport
     initiatives. The company is targeting a minimum investment of $315
     million through 2011.



In addition to setting business targets, Nike continues its commitment to supply chain transparency by updating public disclosure of the more than 700 contract factories worldwide producing Nike product. In 2005, Nike was the first company in its industry to disclose its factory base to encourage industry transparency and collaboration. For the first time, Nike also has posted on http://www.nikeresponsibility.com/ the company's contract factory auditing tools. The tools help to provide further transparency and insight into how the company evaluates and monitors its contract factories for compliance with company standards.

Nike's corporate responsibility report, available online at http://www.nikeresponsibility.com/, provides greater detail on these and other business targets. The report also provides a comprehensive review of the company's corporate responsibility efforts for fiscal years 2005 and 2006, as well as forward-looking strategies. This is the company's third public corporate responsibility report. The FY05-06 reporting period covers a critical time during which Nike underwent a significant evolution in how the company frames, defines and approaches corporate responsibility.

For more information, visit http://www.nikeresponsibility.com/.

NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; NIKE Bauer Hockey Inc., a leading designer and distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan, a leading designer and marketer of luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories and Exeter Brands Group LLC, which designs and markets athletic footwear and apparel for the value retail channel. 

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DATASOURCE: NIKE, Inc.



CONTACT:  Nike World Headquarters, Erin Dobson, [phone], or

Jill Zanger, [phone]; Nike EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa),

Astrid Balsink, [phone]



Web site:  http://www.nikebiz.com/ 

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