Nike will soon achieve more than half of its global RE100 commitment by sourcing 100% renewable electricity across North America, the company has announced.
Nike has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Avangrid Renewables, a wind contract for 86 megawatts of wind power at the Karankawa Wind Farm in Texas, producing roughly 3,500 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable electricity.
“This is fantastic leadership from Nike,” commented Helen Clarkson, Chief Executive Officer, The Climate Group. “It shows how businesses can shift global electricity markets in favor of renewables as the cost of technology plummets. Never was there a better time to ‘Just Do It’.”
Power to the wind
Nike has now in place two PPAs with Avangrid Renewables, one of the leading providers of clean, renewable wind power in the US, as part of the Iberdrola Group. Nike joined RE100 in 2015, pledging to source all of its electricity from renewable sources of energy by 2025.
“At Nike, we have a responsibility to safeguard our athletes, drive business growth, and protect the planet against the impacts of climate change,” said Cyrus Wadia, Vice President, Sustainable Business & Innovation.
“Our partnership with Avangrid Renewables will help us reach 100% renewable energy across North America - more than half way towards our goal. We remain committed to working with other businesses, industries, and policy makers to join the transition to a low-carbon growth economy.”
Cutting carbon
The company’s purchase commitment of the energy produced through both PPAs will generate over 5,000 GWh of renewable electricity, the equivalent of powering more than 400,000 average American households with carbon free energy – or the equivalent of taking nearly 800,000 vehicles off the road for one year.
Nike already sources renewable energy through on-site generation at some of its largest facilities, including the company’s European Logistics Campus in Belgium and the China Logistics Center in Taicang.
The corporation is also working on the climate impact of its contracted factories, supporting and encouraging them to use clean-energy solutions. At the same time, it also focuses on driving innovation in materials and new manufacturing processes to reduce its environmental impact.