NIKE, Inc. engages in public policy advocacy on a range of issues affecting our business, the industry and other areas of concern. We use our voice to advocate, promote and protect our business objectives with stakeholders around the world.

While our government relations team around the world is small by design, we maximize our impact by drawing from resources around the company. We have focused the power of our brand to drive legislative and public policy initiatives that reflect our commitment to both our business and corporate responsibility goals. Because of the nature of our business model, we currently have six key public policy issues that we focus on around the world: trade, tax and intellectual property, employment, supply chain, sustainability and sport.

We believe the key to public policy for a global company likes ours - operating in complex, interrelated markets, with numerous stakeholders - is to be consistent. Policies set need to be consistent around the world and across the company. That sounds easier than it is. We see intersections between different policy areas. The intersections, for example, between trade and labor, or environmental standards, trade and poverty alleviation, are complex. It takes a rigorous process of education, debate and discussion to develop policies that find the balance between different interests, and that take into account local, regional, global interests, and cultural and political dynamics. At the end of the day, consistency is simplicity; and simplicity is good for business.

Sometimes, we take policy stances that seem to be at odds with our industry, with business or with civil society. Our process for taking a strong stance on something is based on extensive internal and external consultation. We see public policy as an integral part of business strategy, success of which also relies on consistency.