Boston, September 11, 2026 – Nike shareholders voted Tuesday on a Green Century Capital Management (Green Century) shareholder proposal requesting that the largest global seller of athletic footwear and apparel publish a roadmap detailing how it will achieve its climate goals. The proposal received 11% of voting shares cast.
“Nike needs to ’just do it’ when it comes to cutting its climate impact,” said Leslie Samuelrich, president of Green Century. “Investors expect to see a strategic game plan from the company about how it will hit its emissions reduction targets and mitigate climate risk.”
In 2019, Nike set science-based targets to reduce its supply chain emissions 30% by 2030. That sector accounts for the majority of Nike’s climate-changing contributions. Yet, the company’s most recent emissions data reveals it is only one-third of the way to its goal, as measured against a 2015 baseline.
Athletes put companies in the hot seat
June 2026 was the second-hottest June on record globally. Soaring temperatures led to heat advisories across the U.S. adversely impacting tens of millions of people, from avid runners to World Cup stars and fans. Scientists with the research group World Weather Attribution declared that such high heat would have been “effectively impossible” without climate change.
Nevertheless, the footwear and apparel industry’s total carbon contribution increased 6.3% year-over-year in 2024, marking a second consecutive year of growth. The specific emissions associated with the production of raw materials for the sector also rose by 20% over the five years ending in 2024.
Olympians and professional soccer players are calling for climate action. While some companies have committed to initiatives such as the U.N. Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and set targets with the Science-Based Targets initiative, more must be done to prevent the sector’s emissions from growing 45% above 2019 levels by 2030, as is predicted by the Apparel Impact Institute.
Nike fails to win gold
Nike’s competitors, including Puma, ON, Deckers (which owns Hoka) and Adidas, publish annual sustainability reports in addition to detailed climate transition disclosures. These game plans describe key actions to meet climate commitments. For example, Puma’s shares its goals and progress regarding increasing renewable energy usage across its supply chain. Adidas reports the expected emissions reductions from its coal phase-out program.
Conversely, Nike significantly scaled back its sustainability disclosures in 2025. This was Nike’s first major reduction in reporting since its inaugural responsibility report in 2001. The company’s most recent sustainability data lacks previous information on climate initiatives, investments and outcomes critical to achieving its climate targets. The rollback in reporting also occurs on the heels of the company facing backlash for laying off employees who worked primarily on sustainability initiatives.
“When it comes to credible climate risk mitigation, Nike needs to keep its head in the game and go on offense,” said Green Century Shareholder Advocate Giovanna Eichner. “The company also should share its strategy to reduce emissions and their impacts so investors won’t stay on the sidelines.”
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