Table of contents

1. INTRODUCTION Over the past 20 years, business sustainability and earth friendly practices have been essential subjects in the development of society and economic growth alongside the preservation of the environment. The biggest challenges for companies are to diminish their carbon footprint, toxic release and to have an appropriate waste management, it has been all about “improving efficiency-reducing financial risks” (Cohen, 2011). This can be reached with innovation and new techniques, “Vision provides the goal; principles frame the path” (Doppelt, 2010).
In this essay, environmental awareness will be addressed, and a case study of Nike Incorporated presented to see the different facts that show its awareness, and how it is publicised, describing the methods and campaigns used to make society aware that the company is responsible.
2. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Commitment to the environment has led to a whole new kind of business development and management. This can be noticed with new and innovative campaigns that aim to improve sustainability creating effective methods of manufacturing, product distribution and waste management. An environmentally aware company makes an effort to address all the negative effects that its products could produce, researching and engineering new techniques that happen to be advantageous for a sustainable approach to the economy as well as nature.
For sports clothing companies, the primary aim is “reducing the use and impact of harmful substances in apparel of footwear” (Sponsler and Grim, 2013), referring to major sports brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma that are working to be the less toxic supply chains.

2. NIKE REPONSIBILITY Nike Inc. produces footwear, clothing, equipment and accessories for the sports and athletic market. As one of the major brands worldwide, Nike must employ sustainable methods to be established as a benchmark in appropriate business practices. In fact, this company is a pioneer in terms of successful development, tackling much of their impacts with exhaustive research of new components and features in their clothing, recognizing themselves as part of the climate change.
Corporate responsibility has been introduced to have a positive influence in all the processes performed by Nike, researching not just what to do with the product when it is disposed, but starting with its components and materials, as Hannah Jones, vice-president of Nike's sustainability and business innovation unit, has been coordinating and controlling. "We'll see a very significant movement in industries that are working on logistics and waste management but it will start with materials science" (as cited by Carus, 2013).
However, strict policies with clear aims are required. The belief that waste results in loss of natural resources and loss of profit has driven the company to a top role and example in administration. The primary aims established are: cut energy, reject toxics, reduce waste, slash water use, empower workers and last but not least support communities.
3.1 STRIVING FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE

Work with a sustainable strategy to drive business growth has been made, as well as the selection of materials implemented in the design of products, furthermore, through the processes involved in the making of merchandise and the reuse after the usage.

3.1.1 VALUE CHAIN

To offer as much clarity into this ecosystem as possible, Nike has distilled it down to seven fundamental stages – Plan, Design, Make, Move, Sell, Use, Reuse. Nike’s belief is that “these stages provide the best way to track, measure and report where we have influence, compared to where we have control, and how the decisions we make have impacts in terms of energy and climate labor, labor, chemistry, water, waste, and community (Nike, 2012).
Each one of the stages that the company takes into account has clear figures and