Alex Giolo, CEO of Decathlon Egypt Emphasizing the Brand’s Efforts towards Sustainability

Decathlon in Partnership with the French Embassy and LYNX Held an Environmental Sustainability Conference on "The Role of French Companies in Supporting Egypt's Sustainability Priorities." Sponsored by Decathlon, this event focused on the pressing topics of sustainable packaging and waste management, bringing together key stakeholders from the Egyptian government, private sector, and development partners to discuss policies, share best practices, and explore future collaborations. 

 

On the sidelines of this remarkable event, we had a talk with Alex Giolo, Chief Executive Officer of Decathlon Egypt, where he delves into the brand’s commitment to achieving sustainability and further elaborates the strategies that Decathlon adopts to ensure they offer the clients with functional, timeless products that are, at the same time, eco-friendly.

Decathlon has been committed to sustainability across its product lifecycle, including the manufacturing process. We’ve adopted several strategies that enabled us to follow a sustainable approach. Decathlon strategically manages product design, production, and distribution to ensure safety, sustainability, and quality. Moreover, our product developers prioritize the use of renewable, recycled, and raw-recyclable materials. In terms of eco-design commitment, Decathlon aims to eco-design 100% of its products by 2026. This commitment involves integrating environmental considerations into the design phase, resulting in more sustainable products

 

It is worth mentioning that Decathlon expanded its code of conduct in 2016 to ensure suppliers meet standards related to chemical management and the use of responsible materials. Additionally, regular audits of partners are conducted to ensure compliance with standards for safe working conditions.

 

In terms of reducing environmental impact, Decathlon globally focuses on two key areas which are renewable energy, where we implement measures to reduce energy consumption, in addition to transport where we Optimize logistics to minimize environmental impact. Additionally, we focus on setting the right goals to further reduce their footprint in the coming years

 

Bringing together modern design, sustainability, and a long lifespan of products can be a difficult equation to achieve. How do you overcome this challenge to maintain all these elements in your products and designs?

Decathlon has indeed taken up the challenge of integrating modern design, sustainability, and product longevity into its offerings. There are several ways through which we achieve this remarkable balance. Decathlon has been diligently working on product design to prolong their lifespan. This approach involves integrating sustainability considerations right from the design phase. There are 3 main focuses in our products. First, durability, to ensure products are robust and reliable. Second, we are committed to creating timeless designs that remain relevant over time. Third, reparability, making it easier to fix products if and when needed.

 

We recognize that manufacturing contributes significantly to CO₂ emissions, accordingly, we adopted an eco-design approach that helps us reduce environmental impact by focusing on improving production methods and developing eco-design principles. Moreover, we focus on maximizing the circular economy by emphasizing durability, reparability, recyclability, and traceability.

 

What sustainability vision does the brand want to achieve by the year 2026?

By the year 2026, Decathlon envisions a sustainable future where its products and practices contribute positively to the environment. Our goal is to reach 20% reduction in absolute CO2 emissions by 2026, across our value chain based on emissions measured in 2021.

The French Embassy has played a significant role recently in bringing companies together and organizing periodic workshops to monitor successful sustainability actions. This enables us to engage more actively with other companies to achieve sustainability goals.

 

Are there any upcoming innovative, sustainable products or campaigns to be launched soon? If yes, we would like to know more about them.

Sure, "We’re excited to announce two major initiatives that align with our commitment to sustainability and accessibility in sports. First, our upcoming Buyback Program will empower our customers to sell their used sports products back to us. These pre-loved items will then be resold at affordable prices to other customers who want to try them out. It’s a win-win for both the environment and sports enthusiasts.

 

Secondly, we’re introducing the Rental Program, which allows our customers to explore new sports without a hefty investment. They can test out high-quality gear and equipment, making sports accessible to everyone. We believe these initiatives will foster a more sustainable and inclusive sporting community.

 

Finally, a piece of advice from you to local brands to foster more sustainable practices.

I would advise all local brands to think in the long term. We all agree on the urgency to act, but sometimes it’s difficult to calculate an immediate ROI. Think long-term before it is too late, for us, for the next generations, and for our country.