Asos, the British online fashion retailer, aims to cut its environmental impact, use more sustainable materials and appoint more diverse corporate leaders joining a growing list of apparel companies setting new environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets.
The company also vowed to ensure at least 50 per cent female representation and over 15 per cent ethnic minority representation at every leadership level by 2030.
Focusing more on sustainability, the company said that its ESG goals include becoming carbon neutral in its direct operations by 2025 and achieving net-zero carbon emissions across its value chain by 2030.
The retailer would also ensure all of its own-brand products and packaging are made from more sustainable or recycled materials by 2030. It already uses ‘over 80 per cent recycled material’ across mailing and garment bags.
Nick Beighton, CEO, Asos, said “Asos had set ‘stretching ambitions’. It wanted to act sustainably and responsibly even as it seeks to grow rapidly across the world.”
He added that the sustainability targets would cause some marginal cost increases, but predicted increased scale would make up for it thanks to more people being attracted to the brand.
Asos will also map its supply chains for own-brand clothing from finished item down to raw material level by 2030. It was amongst the retailers that pulled sales of clothes from Boohoo last year, after its fellow fast fashion brand faced allegations of minimum wage violations hidden in factories in its supply chain in Leicester.