Just in time for the Earth Overhoot Day – the day on which our consumption exceeds the naturally regenerable resources of the earth and which was celebrated yesterday worldwide – the German sustainability pioneer Vaude presented its climate balance in 2024. The result of the outdoor provider: Vaude has succeeded in reducing its global greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent compared to the base year 2019-with sales growth of 27 percent in the same period. Vaude thus proves that there is another way. The growth of sales is not necessarily linked to growth in CO2 emissions-which climate protection critics like to say: inside. “Together we managed to reduce our global greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent compared to the base year 2019. I am very happy-and it makes hope. Because it shows: If we go brave and convinced, we can do real change,” says Antje von Dewitz, managing director of Vaude.
Halfing of CO2 emissions almost reaches enough
Vaude has also managed to almost reach his climate goals by 2030. “Our climate goal for 2030, halving our emissions in the supply chain, we almost reached in 2024 with a 48 percent reduction – we would not have thought that ourselves could be possible,” Antje from Dewitz continued. This was made possible primarily by the exit from fossil fuels in the global material suppliers. Vaude relies on cooperation within the outdoor industry as part of the Carbon Reduction Project of the European Outdoor Group (EOG). “The transition to low -emission energy sources in the supply chain is one of our strongest levers on the way to reducing our emissions. We can show that strong cooperation in the industry makes the difference,” adds Hilke Patzwall, Head of Sustainability Management at Vaude.
CO2 reduction in fleet and heating
The short-term climate target for reducing SCOPE-1 emissions by 2026 has already far exceeded in 2024. It is about emissions that are created at the southern German headquarters in Tettnang from heating and company fleet. Here the goal was to reduce it by 45 percent compared to the base year 2019. In 2024, a reduction of 71 percent was achieved. For the heating, Vaude already switched to certified biogas from residues of sugar production in 2013, and the much greater reduction has been carried out since 2019 through the successively electrification of the Vaude fleet. To date, two thirds of all vehicles have been converted and can also be charged at the company’s headquarters with 100 percent green electricity.
Recycling, circulatory strategy and lower material consumption
Vaude also reaches significant further savings through the materials from which the products are manufactured. In the 2025 collection, 90 percent of the products already consist of at least 50 percent of recycled or renewable materials. By 2030, at least 90 percent of the products should have a share of 85 percent recycled or renewable materials. This is intended to increasingly disappear from the products. Instead, recycling and natural materials are used – which contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, Vaude 2024 was able to reduce material consumption by around 30 percent compared to the previous year – a result of various measures to increase efficiency. Although the year 2024 was also characterized by major economic challenges with stagnating sales figures in the outdoor market, the analysis shows that despite less produced quantities, the majority of the emission reduction is not due to structural improvements, not to decrease.
Despite economic challenges throughout the outdoor market, the company advocates holding on the sustainability goals and the path taken towards a sustainable transformation of the industry. “We stand for another form of business – ecologically, fair and generational. To give up this attitude would not be a solution, but part of a problem that is further tightening,” says Antje von Dewitz.
Vaude has been committed to sustainable conversion of the economy for many years and has already been awarded numerous prizes. 2024, for example, with the SDG Innovation Award 2024 of the UN and the Federal Cross of Merit for Antje von Dewitz.
