Swedish fashion retailer H&M has entered a five-year global partnership with conservation organisation Worldwide Fund for nature (WWF) with aim to promoting sustainability in fashion industry.
The new agreement, signed on World Water Day on March 22, expands the successful partnership from 2013, focusing on water stewardship, to also include climate action and a strategic dialogue related to H&M’s and the fashion industry’s broader sustainability challenges. This marks one more step towards a truly sustainable fashion industry, H&M said on its website.
“Together, we are taking a holistic and science-based approach that aims to break new ground within sustainability and fashion. After working closely together with H&M for the past three years, we know they are committed to being good stewards of shared resources, and eager to contribute to shifting the industry towards more sustainable models,” said Mariann Eriksson, Marketing Director at WWF.
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A previous partnership between the fashion retailer and conservation organisation focused on moving H&M towards best practice on water stewardship. This has led to an enhanced water awareness among the fashion retailer’s employees and suppliers, and has brought stakeholders from business, civil society and politics together to contribute to a more sustainable water management in the entire river basins in China and Bangladesh.
A report was published recently in Bangladesh, analysing the economic risk factors for the apparel industry and its crucial link to sustainable water use. In China, the partnership results include an Industrial Park project, where suppliers share resources and improve their water and chemical management. The new partnership, according to H&M’s official website, includes taking the previous commitments in water to the next level while also expanding into new areas of climate and sustainability strategy.
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“This partnership enables H&M to explore future possibilities and address two of our main sustainability challenges, climate and water, in a constructive way. Simultaneously we’re aiming to influence our industry to move in the same direction. The partnership will showcase to other companies that taking on sustainable business practices is fundamental for future business success”, said Pierre Börjesson, Sustainability Business Expert Climate & Water, H&M.
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According to the company’s official statement, it will continue to work with water stewardship, along with WWF, with an increased focus on collective action with other companies, policy makers and the civil society at chosen river basins in China.
On climate, the two will work together to further reduce greenhouse emissions in areas that fall within the purview of H&M’s value chain on a priority basis. Efforts in the new partnership will be aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, H&M’s statement added.
