Factsheet: Progress on Creating Lasting Change Now

adidas today provided an update against its Creating Lasting Change Now commitments, which are focused on driving greater diversity, equality and inclusion within the company and in communities.

The updates are the first progress reports from the global Committee to Accelerate Inclusion & Equality, which was formed to increase the representation, retention and advancement of minorities globally and develop specific targets to hold adidas accountable to these goals.

CREATING AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE

• Strengthened the global Anti-Discrimination and Non-Retaliation Policy. 
• Initiated a series of trainings for leadership on Creating Accountability for Inclusive, Responsive Leadership, including the Executive Board.
• Conducted a series of listening sessions that included more than 700 employees led by nearly 40 leaders from the Committee to Accelerate Inclusion & Equality, Executive Board and Senior Leadership Team.
• Signed The Juneteenth Pledge, led by adidas partner Pharrell Williams, which means June 19, Juneteenth, will be a paid holiday for all adidas and Reebok employees in the U.S., and identified a relevant day in other offices to reflect on the value of diversity and inclusion. The company’s first Global Day of Inclusion will take place virtually around the world on September 15.

PEOPLE

• adidas is reforming its global hiring and career development processes to ensure fair and equitable hiring across adidas – removing hiring bias, increasing representation and creating more accountability and oversight. The company’s new pilot Champions Hiring program in the U.S. aims to ensure best-in-class hiring practices are in place by January 2021.
• adidas is making progress against new hiring targets in the U.S. for Black and LatinX people within its U.S. workforce, at both adidas and Reebok, and to date has met its target for a minimum of 30% of all open positions to be filled with Black or LatinX talent and at least 50% of new hires to open positions to be filled with diverse talent inclusive of all diverse categories (gender, sexual orientation, disability, veteran). The company is targeting 20% to 23% Black and LatinX employees in corporate roles by 2025, and 12% in leadership positions in the U.S. by that time.

COMMUNITIES

• Globally adidas is committed to increase support for BIPOC communities by increasing investment in diverse businesses and startups, increasing supplier diversity and working with employee groups in local markets to grow community outreach. One of the first initiatives is Close the Gap, a program built in partnership with Impact Hub, the world’s largest network of social ventures and entrepreneurs, which will see adidas employees mentor BIPOC-led social ventures to create change.

adidas is investing $120 million to support and empower Black communities in the U.S. through 2025 in addition to our existing grassroots initiatives. Its first programs include: 

• A scholarship program through which adidas and Reebok will support Black and LatinX students. In the first year of the program, adidas will provide debt relief for 50 Black and LatinX students at HBCUs, each receiving a grant of $10,000, and then fund 50 university scholarships annually for Black and LatinX students over the next 5 years.
• The Cornerstone initiative, which is focused on removing racial disparity in the industry by actively seeking to support and develop Black- and LatinX-owned businesses in the sportswear and fashion industry. As part of this initiative, adidas will increase the diversity of its supplier base, invest time, expertise and funding to boost their digital presence, and partner with them to identify and address needs in their local communities.
• adidas has committed $10 million over the next three years to fund BeyGOOD partner social programs, organizations, and/or initiatives that help bring equity to those disproportionately impacted by social and racial injustice. As an immediate first step, adidas has matched Beyoncé’s recent $1 million contribution to NAACP for BeyGOOD‘s Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund.

Reebok has also made the following commitments: 

• An investment of $15 million over the next five years into Black and LatinX communities and organizations focused on ending racial injustice. 
• To re-launch the Reebok Human Rights Award to support and honor activists who are working to dismantle systemic racism.
• Increasing the focus on its non-profit school exercise program, BOKS, to Black and LatinX communities, including a new $200,000 grant program that will support its efforts to provide equal access to physical activity and play to more children in these communities.

These new initiatives will build from adidas and Reebok’s long-standing expertise in running grassroots initiatives with employees, partner schools and brand partners working to impact change on the ground in collaboration with the community.

adidas community programs are focused on increasing access to sport (through adidas Legacy), increasing access to education (through SEED), and increasing access to creative pursuits (through Sound Labs and Makers Lab), as well as a holistic sports, academic and social mentoring program, Beyond. Reebok’s programs are focused on community building (through the investment in Black and LatinX communities), supporting activists who are working to dismantle systemic racism (through the Human Rights Award), and to providing access to fitness for underserved communities (through BOKS).

ACCOUNTABILITY

The Global Committee to Accelerate Inclusion and Equality, which is comprised of a group of diverse leaders provides regular updates to the Board and creates transparency to all employees via internal communication. 

adidas created the U.S. United Against Racism Accountability Council to provide oversight and acceleration for all UAR targets, policies and commitments in the U.S.