Decathlon Malaysia is in the process of implementing rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure at one of its largest outlets: Decathlon Shah Alam.
Arnaud Sauret, CEO of Decathlon Malaysia asserts Decathlon Malaysia’s commitment wherein “Our conviction in the potency of sports to propel our sustainability ambitions is unwavering. By empowering people to embrace sports on their own terms, we champion the cause of cultivating a robust and joyful present and future for generations to come. This entails not only cherishing our invaluable playground, but also fostering the creation of a sustainable value of humanity.”
This initiative showcases Decathlon’s commitment to enhancing environmental and sustainability endeavors, in harmony with their objectives of achieving 100% renewable energy usage across all their retail outlets and warehouses by 2026 (in accordance with RE100 standards), along with a comprehensive global ambition of attaining net zero emissions by 2050.
According to Atul Gupta, Decathlon Malaysia Expansion Leader: “With this initiative, we will be cutting the carbon emissions of Shah Alam store by 38% per annum. Moving forward all of our new standalone stores will have solar panels on the rooftop.”
Enabling this endeavor is the formalization of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between Decathlon Malaysia and Solarvest Holdings Berhad (Solarvest), a prominent Malaysian player in clean energy solutions. Solarvest’s overarching vision of driving a regenerative global environment drives its involvement in every facet of the clean energy value chain – spanning solar PV asset development, funding, engineering, construction, operation, and maintenance. Furthermore, Solarvest has strategically embarked on a path of exploration into novel sustainable offerings across the clean energy spectrum, including energy storage systems (ESS), renewable energy certificates (REC), green hydrogen, and eco-friendly data centers.
Solarvest will collaborate intimately with Decathlon Malaysia to provide renewable energy solutions for upcoming independent retail outlets. This partnership will encompass the provision of Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs, known as CGPP in Malaysia), as well as Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs or TIGRs). These measures are pivotal in realizing the objective of attaining 100% renewable energy utilization by 2026, thus marking a significant advancement in Decathlon Malaysia’s transitional strategy.
The Corporate Green Power Programme (CGPP) employs Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) to enable corporate consumers to effectively procure renewable energy from clean energy developers. This avenue serves as an excellent choice for businesses aiming to achieve complete reliance on renewable electricity, eliminating the necessity of setting up solar PV systems on their own premises.
Executive Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of Solarvest, Mr. Davis Chong Chun Shiong said, “We are delighted to be entrusted by Decathlon Malaysia as its key sustainability partner in Malaysia, working together to enhance environmental responsibility. Through our solar financing programme, Powervest, we are pleased to facilitate Decathlon Malaysia’s seamless transition to clean energy adoption, without the burden of initial capital outlays.”
In addition to establishing a 311.85kWp rooftop solar PV system at Decathlon Malaysia’s primary flagship store, Solarvest is enthusiastic about its integral contribution to furthering Decathlon Malaysia’s dedication to the RE100 initiative – a global drive towards corporate renewable energy. This exemplifies Decathlon Malaysia’s resolute intent to incorporate clean energy solutions in their forthcoming outlets. Furthermore, this collaboration extends the possibility of engaging in Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) arrangements with Decathlon. These agreements ensure enduring energy pricing stability, simultaneously championing sustainability and environmentally-conscious practices, all in pursuit of realizing their goal of 100% renewable energy.
Mr Gupta continues: “In Decathlon Malaysia, our real estate sustainability strategy is built on the concept of Reduce – Replace – Rebuild, through 5 strategic pillars:
- Energy Management – to reduce wastage and improve energy efficiency by investing in controls technology and behavior change. For our latest store, Decathlon Gurney Paragon, we installed schedulable & dimmable LED lights which yielded 28% savings in lighting consumption.
- Green Building – to reduce our carbon footprint in all new stores, where all our new stores are EDGE Certified, a green building certification offered by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). EDGE certified buildings use 20% less energy, water and building materials to construct and operate.
- Renewable energy – to replace carbon intensive energy to less carbon intensive energy.
- Green Mobility – to assist in rebuilding the transportation sector by providing EV charging points for electric vehicles.
- Biodiversity – to rebuild the natural habitat inside the city.”
As stated in the Decathlon Group’s 2020-2026 Transition Plan, their commitment to environmental sustainability goes beyond renewable energy and sustainability in real estate.
As an entirely integrated enterprise, Decathlon Group possesses the tangible ability to actively engage in every phase of the product life cycle, positioning the Circular Economy as the central tenet of their sustainable business model evolution.
Decathlon Group meticulously crafts its products with a strong emphasis on diminishing raw materials usage, incorporating recycled elements, and innovating manufacturing practices to curtail energy and water consumption. Products bearing the distinctive ECODESIGN label on both the price tag and the item itself signify these efforts.
By the year 2026, their entire range of sports products is slated to bear this eco-design distinction with environmental labeling.Initiating their “Made in Malaysia” Production two decades ago in 2003, Decathlon Malaysia embarked on a journey to bolster the local economy and simultaneously decrease CO2 emissions by producing within Malaysia for the domestic market. Collaborating with conscientious suppliers spanning various processes such as PVC welding, rubber & latex items, foam, plastic injection, cashier bags, and packaging, the company cultivates partnerships that share their values and uphold sustainable initiatives. Notably, over 50% of their energy consumption stems from renewable resources.
“Our Decathlon products are designed for longevity, owing to their durability, reparability and recyclable materials. Our goal is to introduce new services that extend the lifespan of our products by promoting reuse and recycling. Currently, we are focusing our efforts on two key services: Repair and Second Life. Our aim is to successfully repair every product that can be repaired. More than 1,000 items have been refurbished since the beginning of this year. Among them, 750 items have already been resold through our Second Life initiative. Looking ahead, we are excited to forge ahead with the development of Rental and Recycling services, both internally and in collaboration with external partners” – Nadia Kopeikina, Sustainability Leader of Decathlon Malaysia
The emergence of these novel services (Second Life, Repair, Rental, Recycling) signifies significant leaps toward a profoundly sustainable trajectory. They epitomize a shift towards intelligent, responsible, and mindful consumption practices.
Reflecting the ethos of “Be the change you want to see in the world,” Decathlon team members actively participate in daily initiatives that span a diverse range of subjects. This encompasses advocating for eco-friendly mobility in urban contexts, fostering climate awareness through The Climate Fresk, curbing the generation of waste, and participating in sustainable events. In harmony with teammates, partners, suppliers, and clients, the company maintains an unwavering commitment to constructing a resilient and sustainable future.
