84 per cent of leading apparel brand H&M’s materials are either recycled or sourced in a more sustainable way. This figure includes 23 per cent of recycled materials, taking the company closer to its goal of 30 per cent by 2025.
In its recently released Sustainability Report 2022, which marks the 20th anniversary of the company’s sustainability reporting, the brand has highlighted the 7 per cent absolute reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in scope 3 and 8 per cent, absolute reduction in scopes 1 and 2 compared to a 2019 baseline – contributing to the company’s target to reduce absolute scope 11, 22 and 33 emissions by 56 per cent by 2030.
The group launched a new 2030 water strategy and reduced relative water consumption per product by 38 per cent compared to the 2017 baseline through efficiency improvements and increased wastewater recycling.
The report also says that the trade union representation in the company’s tier 1 supplier factories went up from 37 per cent to 42 per cent over the last year and 34 per cent have collective bargaining agreements in place (compared to 27 per cent in 2021).
63 per cent of workers’ representatives in Tier-1 supplier factories were women and the share of women holding supervising positions was 27 per cent.
“I am convinced that brands placing sustainability at their core will be better prepared to meet the increasing interest from customers and demands from legislators, while making vital contributions to a better future for the people and the planet. We welcome an open dialogue and collaboration to meet the many shared challenges of our industry and our world,” says Leyla Ertur, Head of Sustainability H&M Group.
