EARNED MEDIA
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Thought Leadership Piece
Lauren R. Hobart is President and Chief Executive Officer of DICK’S Sporting Goods. She currently oversees the company’s operations, technology, and long-term growth strategy. Hobart also serves as President of The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation, helping guide the company’s efforts to support communities and advance responsible business practices across the sporting goods industry.
Protecting Our Home Court: Why Sport Needs Sustainability
Sport has always been inseparably linked to the world around us. The fields where teams gather, the parks where young athletes first learn to play, the mountains and trails that challenge us to push further — these places form the foundation of the sporting experience.
At DICK’S Sporting Goods, we believe sports have the power to change lives. But we must also acknowledge an underlying truth that cannot be ignored when we cheer from the sidelines: there is no sport without a healthy planet to play it on.
As a leading company in the sporting goods industry, we know the important role we must play in taking care of our planet and its people. To do that, we first need to confront an uncomfortable reality: the very industry that equips our athletes is also contributing to the climate crisis.
According to a 2023 sustainability report by Deloitte, the retail supply chain currently contributes to roughly 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The production, packaging, and shipping of the gear we love leaves a heavy footprint. If we want to protect the future of play, the retail industry must change its playbook.
That responsibility starts with our own operations. As early as 2020, we set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our operations by 30 percent by 2030.
And we have achieved a 28% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, 93% toward our target.
Progress like this requires sustained focus, from energy efficiency improvements in our facilities to smarter operational practices across our business.
We believe sustainability also lives in everyday decisions.
By the end of 2025, DICK’S are eliminating single-use, point-of-sale plastic bags across all of our stores nationwide.
At the same time, we are expanding circular solutions that keep sports gear in play longer. Through partnerships like our work with SidelineSwap, athletes can buy, sell and extend the life of equipment, keeping used gear on the field and out of landfills.
We know, however, that no single company can solve the climate challenge alone. Addressing climate change is the ultimate team sport. It requires collaboration across supply chains, manufacturers, retailers and communities. The real sustainability only begins when an entire industry decides that the health of the planet is non-negotiable.
The sporting goods industry exists to celebrate human potential and the natural environments where sport thrives. Our responsibility is to ensure that our business practices reflect that same respect.
When we commit to protecting our global home court, we ensure that the games we love will continue to be played for generations to come.
Because before the first whistle even blows, it all starts with the ground beneath our feet.
Strategy Note
This thought-leadership piece positions DICK’S Sporting Goods as a responsible leader addressing sustainability challenges within the sporting goods industry. It begins by emphasizing the relationship between sports and the natural environments, establishing why matters to the future of sport. Then introduces the broader industry challenge so to highlight DICK’S Sporting Goods’ own commitments and measurable actions. The conclusion expands the conversation beyond a single company, framing sustainability as a collective effort across the entire sporting goods industry.
This approach strengthens DICK’S reputation as a forward-thinking brand committed to protecting the environments where sports happen and ensuring that future generations can continue to play.