Our strong values have guided us through this past year. As I write this letter, we continue to navigate a global pandemic, a climate crisis, a reckoning of racial inequity and more. This has been a defining moment for our society – and a defining moment for NIKE.

NIKE is a brand of hope and inspiration. We believe in the power of sport to bring out the best in people, and the potential of people to bring out the best in our world. Ultimately, everything we do is grounded in a greater purpose: to redefine human potential – in the game and around the globe.

For our team at NIKE, FY20 proved how much our people and purpose matter. It showed the difference that our voice and our actions can make. In the face of our society’s most pressing challenges, we embrace NIKE’s unique opportunity to lead the way.

Our FY20 NIKE, Inc. Impact Report represents a true inflection point.

First, this past year we used NIKE’s scale and influence to raise the bar for sustainability. We launched our Supplier Climate Action Program to develop pathways for carbon reduction for our material and finished goods manufacturers. And we saw real progress throughout our supply chain:

• We reached 100% renewable energy in U.S. and Canada in our owned or operated facilities.
• Our textile dyeing and finishing suppliers reduced freshwater use by 30%, far exceeding our FY20 target.
• Our Tier 1 finished goods footwear suppliers diverted 99.9% of our manufacturing waste from landfill.

We’re also investing in solutions that create lasting change in our communities around the world. Building on collaborations with partners, such as the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, we created a training module called Coaching Girls, for volunteer youth coaches to help build a culture that makes sport fun and inclusive for girls.

And through Made to Play – our global commitment to get kids moving through play and sport – we engaged our own teammates in the effort: more than 6,700 of our store employees across 29 countries volunteered more than 60,000 hours in FY20 to inspire kids to be active.

At the same time, as our society continues to reckon with systemic racial injustice, we are committed to standing up for one of NIKE’s core values – equality. Our brand would not be what it is today without the powerful contributions of Black athletes and Black culture. And our belief in human potential inspires us to lead in addressing equality’s most persistent barriers. That’s why we’re taking meaningful action to support organizations focused on advancing racial equality in the U.S., including a combined $140 million commitment from NIKE, Converse, Jordan Brand, and Michael Jordan.

We are also focused on building a diverse, inclusive team and culture, one in which all voices are welcomed and heard. This culture of belonging reflects the diversity of the athletes we honor, the people who love our products, and the communities we serve.

Our efforts have increased representation of women globally across the enterprise to 49.5% and representation of racial and ethnic minorities to 29% of our VP Leadership Team in the United States.

We’re proud of the successes we’ve seen, but we know the work is still just beginning. We will continue to strive to lower emissions across our key operations, to shrink our product carbon footprint, to accelerate diversity and inclusion across our teams, to enable kids to have access to play and sport. We will always challenge ourselves to do better. Always.

Our progress to date is measured against five-year targets we set for ourselves. As we’ve closed out these FY20 targets, we undertook a rigorous companywide effort to establish NIKE’s new five-year roadmap for global impact – our Purpose 2025 Targets.

Today, as we close one set of targets, we begin our next journey. Our Purpose 2025 Targets are not just aspirations. They are a call to action – with clear goals, strategies, and accountabilities. We are also redefining what responsible leadership looks like. For the first time, we will tie executive compensation to NIKE’s progress in deepening diversity and inclusion, protecting the planet, and advancing ethical manufacturing.

Our goal is, and always will be, for NIKE’s people and purpose to come together for good. At NIKE, we’ll never stop striving for better. Our purpose will always guide us, and our values will always push us forward – toward that better future we believe in.

John Donahoe
President and CEO, NIKE, Inc.