Sustainability at woom

Environmentally friendly mobility is in our DNA

Long-lasting products: We produce and sell premium ultra-light children's bikes. Every woom bike is designed to bring joy into the lives of multiple children rather than one single owner.

Climate-friendly lifestyles: Our bikes have to be so good that they give our customers unforgettable experiences. Our hope is that children who experience these magical moments on their bikes will grow up to be adults who regularly ride their bikes and become ambassadors of the transport revolution.

Key sustainability measures at a glance

• We re-calculate our carbon footprint every year.
  We've been collecting extensive data in accordance with the standards of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol since 2020. Based on this calculation, we develop our CO₂ reduction measures. We will slash our emissions by at least 42% at our locations by 2030.
• We are forging partnerships for a sustainable cycling industry.
  Our ultimate goal is a sustainable revolution for an entire industry. We can only accomplish this by working together with other companies, which is why we have signed the Bike Charta and the Climate Commitment.
• We take responsibility for our whole supply chain.
  Our Code of Conduct calls for fair and environmentally friendly production conditions. We require all our partners to commit to the principles of the code.
• We are bringing bike production back to Europe.
  We want to ensure the shortest possible transport routes in the future. 50% of the final production stage for the European market is already carried out in a plant in Świebodzin, Poland. We are also sourcing more and more components from European suppliers and working to increase production capacity in Europe.

Building on the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainability is one of the central company goals at woom. First off, our product is designed to instil a love of cycling in children, encouraging them to embrace a sustainable form of mobility. Secondly, we strive to make every aspect of the company environmentally sound and climate-friendly as well as socially just and fair.

Since October 2021, our ESG team has been devoting itself to the strategic implementation of environmental and social sustainability at woom and across our supply chain. ESG stands for environmental, social and corporate governance.

In the context of our sustainability efforts, we have committed to the  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations. These 17 goals provide a blueprint for addressing the global challenges we currently face, including poverty, climate change, inequality, pollution, conflict and injustice. All 17 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals are interconnected and carry equal weight.

Our focus is on seven SDGs. For us, these seven have the highest relevance for woom, and through them we can have a direct impact.

#3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

#5: GENDER EQUALITY

#8: DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

#11: SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

#12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

#13: CLIMATE ACTION 

#17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

#3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

#11: SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

#12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

We see cycling as a powerful force for making the shift to climate-friendly, healthy, efficient and enjoyable urban and rural mobility. Every woom bike brings the world one step closer to sustainable travel and a more liveable future.

What's more, our woom bikes are ultralight. By building lightweight, we're not only improving riding performance but we're also cutting the CO₂ emissions resulting from transporting our bikes.

Timeless design and high-quality materials extend the lifespan of our bikes. The longer our customers can use and pass on a woom bike, the better. That's why we make sure our products are put through their paces by independent test labs so we can be confident that children are always safe when they are out on their fun cycling adventures.

Our developers and designers always keep good repairability at the forefront of their minds. Should something ever break or wear out, we offer a wide range of spare parts.

On our website we provide our customers with information on correct bike care and offer videos with instructions on how to take care of minor repairs and maintenance work. That means that anyone can install the spare parts.

Last but not least, we have our upCYCLING scheme, based on the principles of the circular economy: We accept used woom bikes back and give them a second life. Our customers get a discount on the next model up in return.

#17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

Together we're strong and can make the bicycle industry sustainable. That's why we focus on industry-wide partnerships and initiatives. We also cooperate with other companies, supply chain partners, communities, NGOs and stakeholders.

For several years, we've had the majority of woom advertising materials produced by printing company Janetschek in accordance with the Austrian Ecolabel.

In March 2022, woom also signed the Bike Charta – a corporate social responsibility action plan aimed at resource conservation, sustainability and climate protection for products and services in the bicycle industry. In doing so, we are setting an example for a sustainable bicycle industry and we call on other companies to implement the measures of the charter as well. 

Two months later, in May 2022, woom also signed the Climate Commitment of the non-profit initiative Shift Cycling Culture. By signing on to the commitment, we are taking responsibility for the impact of our company and the cycling industry on the UN climate goals and committing to achieving them together.

We are aware of the size and complexity of this task. We measure our CO₂ emissions, define actions and targets for reducing them, and report on our progress. But signing the commitment is just the beginning.

#13: CLIMATE ACTION

#17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

 

We want to do our bit to protect and preserve our environment for future generations.

Since 2020, we've been calculating our carbon footprint every year according to the standard laid out in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. On the basis of the results and the insights gained from them, we've set ourselves an ambitious CO₂ reduction target:

By 2030, woom will reduce climate-damaging emissions by at least 42%.

Our reduction target includes all direct emissions as well as energy consumption at our company locations. We will also measure indirect emissions, such as those from production and shipping, and develop reduction measures.

Our reduction goal is recognised by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), considered the world's best known and most high profile climate protection initiative, and published on its website. 

The SBTi, a collaboration between the Carbon Disclosure Project, the UN Global Compact, the World Resources Institute and the WWF, supports companies in setting individual, science-based CO₂ reduction targets.

More than 2,100 companies around the world already participate in the SBTi. The goal is to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C, in line with the Paris Agreement on climate protection. 

#3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

#8: DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

#12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

#13: CLIMATE ACTION 

 

As a leading manufacturer of bikes, clothing and cycling accessories for children, we feel an obligation to run our company in a way that reflects our commitment to ethical, social and environmental responsibility. Our products are everything to us. So it goes without saying that we have a special eye for those who make them.

We want to work exclusively with suppliers that have a sense of responsibility and manufacture sustainably, put in place sustainability standards, and disclose the relevant details.

With a view to ensuring that our values and principles filter through every stage of the supply chain, we have developed the woom Code of Conduct. It is based on the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, the Conventions of the UN International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and applicable law at the respective production sites.

As of July 2022, 93% of our suppliers have signed the Code of Conduct. We are working to increase this figure to 100% and are presently in negotiations to do just that. Furthermore, we are in the process of developing a comprehensive audit programme to verify compliance with our Code of Conduct at the production sites.

Made in Europe: woom bikes for the European market have been coming from our partner factory in Poland since 2021. Final assembly of woom ORIGINAL bikes takes place in a factory run by German company SPRICK CYCLE GmbH in Świebodzin, Poland. But that's just the beginning.

We want to create new assembly and production capacities in the European Union. Our aim is to be manufacturing for Europe in Europe in the near future. This will make it even easier to ensure the best working conditions at our suppliers' facilities while shortening our transport routes and making them more environmentally friendly.

#5: GENDER EQUALITY

#8: DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

#11: SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

#13: CLIMATE ACTION

 

At all our woom sites, we have created an environment where diversity is celebrated and no form of discrimination is tolerated – whether based on gender, ethnic origin, religion or sexual orientation.

woom is a family-friendly company that offers its employees generous social benefits. We are happy about every addition to the woom family and support our young parents wherever we can.

We also encourage our staff members to travel to work by bike. To this end, we provide showers at our locations and regularly organise car-free days to raise awareness of climate-friendly ways to get to work.

At our office in Klosterneuburg as well as at our site in Austin, Texas, we use 100% green electricity. In Klosterneuburg, we're also mindful of short delivery and travel distances, meaning we buy locally and hire service providers based in our region.

Most of our office supplies are certified by the Blauer Engel ecolabel. The toilet paper and hand towel rolls are made from recycled raw materials and the cleaning products we use in the office and warehouses are predominantly produced organically.

Since 1 July 2022, we have expanded our fleet exclusively with electric cars. However, before we acquire new vehicles and equipment, we always consider the option of repairing what we already have. What can no longer be repaired is replaced with energy-efficient products.

Thanks to energy-saving LED lighting and rechargeable batteries, we save electricity and resources every day. In the event that our employees have to use disposable batteries, we collect them after use and dispose of them properly.

#3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

#11: SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

#17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

 

With the UN Sustainable Development Goals, companies are encouraged to minimise the negative consequences of their actions and maximise the positive impacts. To achieve that, woom collaborates with various NGOs in different areas.

NGOs we work with:

• For our 2019 Christmas campaign, we launched the Bells for a Better Life fundraiser in support of World Bicycle Relief. This NGO is committed to helping people in rural developing regions by providing them with bikes as a way out of poverty and a chance at a better future.
• woom has been supporting Caritas social counselling services since summer 2020. Many families already on the verge of poverty found themselves facing even more social and financial challenges when the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Caritas is a trusted partner, helping us to ensure that our help gets to where it is needed most.
• For our charity project with SOS Children's Villages, for which we donated more than 1,500 colourful helmets to SOS Children's Villages throughout Austria at Christmas 2021, we were recognised with a nomination in the SME category of the Wirtschaft Hilft Award. With a donation to SOS Children's Villages International, we are also supporting people in Ukraine.
• Added to this, woom has been working for several years with municipalities, organisations and transportation policy initiatives that advocate for a sustainable mobility transition, including the Austrian Bike Lobby (Radlobby Österreich), the City of Hamburg's Ride a More Beautiful Hamburg (Fahr ein schöneres Hamburg) cycling campaign, the Mobility Award of the Austrian Transport Club (Verkehrsclub Österreich), and the City of Vienna Mobility Agency's bike playgrounds.