19 – Textiles, Apparel, Footwear and Luxury Goods - Global

46 Pages·2013·0.84 MB·English

by  Anne Spira

This table shows a list of topics identified as relevant by different stakeholder groups. They can be considered as stakeholders’ suggestions or requests
for topics to be monitored or disclosed by organizations.
Additional information about the project can be found at https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-guidance/Topics-
Research/Pages/default.aspx

19 – Textiles, Apparel, Footwear and Luxury Goods
59 Topics

Manufacturers of apparel, accessories & luxury goods. Includes companies primarily producing designer handbags, wallets, luggage, jewelry and
watches. Manufacturers of footwear. Includes sport and leather shoes. Manufacturers of textile and related products.

Topic
Sustainability
Topic Specification Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency
Category
(if available)
Environmental Materials Cotton sourcing - criteria for cotton sourcing / certification of used 48, 410 Financial
sourcing cotton, where appropriate Markets &
'- support of initiatives which aim to make conventional Information
cultivation more sustainable, such as Cotton Made in Users
Africa and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)
'- transparency on the use of synthetic fibres such as
polyester
'- Scope of the use of recycled materials

Cotton is the most commonly used natural fibre. The
high levels of water required for cotton cultivation,
combined with soil erosion and the use of pesticides and
defoliants, mean that it results in significant
environmental impacts. In addition, over 60 per cent of

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? May 2013
TEXTILES, APPAREL, FOOTWEAR AND LUXURY GOODS Page 1 of 46
Topic
Sustainability
Topic Specification Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency
Category
(if available)
global cotton production now comes from genetically
modified plants. Synthetic fibres such as polyester are
also problematical from the environmental point of view.
Polyester is extracted from crude oil, and its production
uses large quantities of energy and releases air
pollutants. Recycled materials often have a significantly
lower environmental footprint.
Wood-based The following sections of the GRI reporting guidelines 185, 569 Civil Society
products from may be used by a reporter to mention FSC related Organization
responsibly activities, those are:
managed forests - Profile - Commitments to External Initiatives: 4.12
externally developed economic, environmental, and
social charters, principles, or other initiatives to which
the organization subscribes or endorses.
- Environmental Impact: EN 26: Initiatives to mitigate
environmental impacts of products and services, and
extent of impact mitigation.
- Product: PR3: Type of product and service information
required by procedures and percentage of significant
products and services subject to such information
requirements.
The above indicators are mostly not quantitative and a
reporter may find difficult to integrate FSC related
information.
Ideally there would be a quantitative indicator related to
certification scheme or initiative regarding the supply
and the final product within the GRI guideline.

In order to ease the reporting of FSC related activities,
we propose to include two indicators related to supply

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? May 2013
TEXTILES, APPAREL, FOOTWEAR AND LUXURY GOODS Page 2 of 46
Topic
Sustainability
Topic Specification Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency
Category
(if available)
and final product content. The wording could follow the
Food Processing Supplement and worded as follows:
“Percentage of purchased material by volume and
weight which is verified as being in accordance with
credible, internationally recognized responsible
production standards, broken down by standard”.

This topic reflects significant impacts, risks and
opportunities for an organization itself and its
stakeholders as well as requires active management or
engagement by the organization.
By buying FSC certified products, companies provide
incentives for responsible forestry and can enjoy their
purchases knowing it has not contributed to the
destruction of the world’s forest or even come from
companies involved in human rights abuses. Almost
everything made from wood and other forest products
are available with the FSC label. Finding FSC products
becomes easier everyday. Literally every day, more FSC
products become available.

This topic is relevant for all 52 business/industry activity
groups.

These simple steps can be followed by companies to find
and buy FSC products:
1. Check the FSC marketplace at marketplace.fsc.org (in
January 2013, the marketplace is still a beta version)
Please note this database will currently only search for
manufacturers and distributors, not retailers. There are

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? May 2013
TEXTILES, APPAREL, FOOTWEAR AND LUXURY GOODS Page 3 of 46
Topic
Sustainability
Topic Specification Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency
Category
(if available)
only a few exceptions where retailers are also certified.
To find products carried by your local retailer, please
contact them directly. We are working on including other
search options to this database in the future.
2. Ask your retailer
Chances are, they will carry FSC certified products. If not,
let them know you would be interested in certified
products. Not all certification systems are equal and only
FSC guarantees that the product has been made from
environmentally and responsibly managed forests.
By asking for FSC certified products, you show that there
is a demand. This is an important and simple way how
you can help FSC to make a difference.
Materials Recycled - criteria for cotton sourcing / certification of used 48, 410 Financial
sourcing and materials and cotton, where appropriate Markets &
use synthetic fibers '- support of initiatives which aim to make conventional Information
cultivation more sustainable, such as Cotton Made in Users
Africa and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)
'- transparency on the use of synthetic fibres such as
polyester
'- Scope of the use of recycled materials
Cotton is the most commonly used natural fibre. The
high levels of water required for cotton cultivation,
combined with soil erosion and the use of pesticides and
defoliants, mean that it results in significant
environmental impacts. In addition, over 60 per cent of
global cotton production now comes from genetically
modified plants. Synthetic fibres such as polyester are
also problematical from the environmental point of view.
Polyester is extracted from crude oil, and its production

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? May 2013
TEXTILES, APPAREL, FOOTWEAR AND LUXURY GOODS Page 4 of 46
Topic
Sustainability
Topic Specification Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency
Category
(if available)
uses large quantities of energy and releases air
pollutants. Recycled materials often have a significantly
lower environmental footprint.
Materials use Pumice, sand RG & AFSS (EN22): 202* Civil Society
and stones, and Report on pumice, stones and sand. Organization
disposal method
Energy Garment life Research the CO2 impact of textiles based on different 393 Business
consumption cycle raw materials (cotton, synthetic fiber, wool, linen, hemp,
corn), leveraging existing studies or partnering with
academia. Research the CO2 impact of different material
cultivation practices, such as organic versus non- organic
cotton, isolating best practices. Join an industry
collaboration on reducing sourcing of cattle from
endangered Amazon regions. Research the CO2 impact
of different garment care options to be in a position to
better communicate with consumers. Adopt “cold water
wash” and/or “line dry” instructions on garment hang tag
and care label, noting the environmental benefits of
these practices. (Note: the recommendation also has
water benefits). Implement an industry-wide consumer
awareness campaign around low-energy garment care.

While the energy efficiency of processing, production,
transportation, and retail also affect a garment’s
footprint, a garment’s carbon impacts are most
significant during consumer use. The daily acts of
washing, drying, and ironing garments over their lifespan
are responsible for a notable portion of household
emissions and can contribute more than a third of the
total CO2 emissions associated with a garment.

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? May 2013
TEXTILES, APPAREL, FOOTWEAR AND LUXURY GOODS Page 5 of 46
Topic
Sustainability
Topic Specification Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency
Category
(if available)

We recognize that efforts to influence consumer
practices, energy efficiency of operations in the value
chain, and material selection are critical to curbing
climate change. We strive to move away from a reliance
on carbon- intensive textile products or carbon-intensive
sourcing regions. We will work together with industry
partners to be energy efficient and minimize the
embedded carbon in garments. We will try to change
consumer behavior to adopt low-carbon practices in
garment care.
RG & AFSS (AF21): Amount of energy consumed and 202* Civil Society
percentage of the energy that is from renewable sources. Organization
Report on performance (by indicators) 345 Business
- Report on strategic Plan

- Directly impacts to sustainable development of
company and its prioritized stakeholders.
'- Helps company improve its operations, business and
management.
'- Relates to local legislations and international standards
requirements

1) Impacts from environmental trends; required by
customers
2) Risks of losing competitive advantages;
3) Opportunities in improving internal management,
increasing competitive advantages, being responsible to
community.

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? May 2013
TEXTILES, APPAREL, FOOTWEAR AND LUXURY GOODS Page 6 of 46
Topic
Sustainability
Topic Specification Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency
Category
(if available)
Water Textile and Water management systems and monitoring. 410 Financial
management apparel industry Management of waste water (e.g. treatment systems). Markets &
systems Measures to reduce water consumption and reduction Information
targets Users

Given the huge levels of water consumption and the
scale of the pollution, efforts to manage water in the
most environmentally-friendly possible way are a
material topic for the textile and apparel industry.
Water use Textiles life – Influence agricultural practices and sustainable 393 Business
efficiency cycle cultivation of raw materials by partnering with an on-the-
ground organization, such as WWF or Conservation
International.
– Engage with local government agencies around a few
strategic mills to influence wastewater treatment
requirements.
– Expand pilot efforts to train mills on new dye processes
and best practices in water efficiency.
– Implement an industry-wide marketing campaign to
invite consumer pledges to reduce water use in wash,
and measure impact of consumer education efforts.
– Report on long-term progress on improvements to
water quality management in material processing, and
consumer pledges to reduce water use.

The sheer volume of water consumed in the cultivation
of some crop-based materials has reduced the
availability of water in the face of increasing demand in
numerous regions around the world. Use of pesticides
during crop-cultivation and poor water quality

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? May 2013
TEXTILES, APPAREL, FOOTWEAR AND LUXURY GOODS Page 7 of 46
Topic
Sustainability
Topic Specification Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency
Category
(if available)
management during material processing has left
communities vulnerable to serious health risks and
business vulnerable to reputational risk. Water use
consumption is highest during consumer use due to
garment care and washing.

We strive to ensure communities have priority access to
safe, clean drinking water. Materials are cultivated in
new, more sustainable ways that don’t deplete local
water suppliers. Any water used for processing is treated
to safe levels and returned to local water bodies.
Water use Mills and dye – Influence agricultural practices and sustainable 393 Business
efficiency and processes cultivation of raw materials by partnering with an on-the-
quality ground organization, such as WWF or Conservation
International.
– Engage with local government agencies around a few
strategic mills to influence wastewater treatment
requirements.
– Expand pilot efforts to train mills on new dye processes
and best practices in water efficiency.
– Implement an industry-wide marketing campaign to
invite consumer pledges to reduce water use in wash,
and measure impact of consumer education efforts.
– Report on long-term progress on improvements to
water quality management in material processing, and
consumer pledges to reduce water use.

The sheer volume of water consumed in the cultivation
of some crop-based materials has reduced the
availability of water in the face of increasing demand in

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? May 2013
TEXTILES, APPAREL, FOOTWEAR AND LUXURY GOODS Page 8 of 46
Topic
Sustainability
Topic Specification Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency
Category
(if available)
numerous regions around the world. Use of pesticides
during crop-cultivation and poor water quality
management during material processing has left
communities vulnerable to serious health risks and
business vulnerable to reputational risk. Water use
consumption is highest during consumer use due to
garment care and washing.

We strive to ensure communities have priority access to
safe, clean drinking water. Materials are cultivated in
new, more sustainable ways that don’t deplete local
water suppliers. Any water used for processing is treated
to safe levels and returned to local water bodies.
Water Consumption 153 Financial
Water (in m3) used per amount (e.g. in tonnes) of Markets &
product manufactured Information
Groundwater consumption in m3 Users
Wastewater Textile Small-scale low-cost textile processing waste water 135 Business
treatment processing treatment units, Fault-free manufacturing systems for
reduced production waste,

Innovative processing concepts and production
technology with greatly enhanced resource efficiency,
combined with novel waste treatment, recycling or
disposal concepts, can greatly boost European industry’s
competitiveness.
Emissions to air Report on performance (by indicators) 345 Business
- Report on strategic Plan

- Directly impacts to sustainable development of

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? May 2013
TEXTILES, APPAREL, FOOTWEAR AND LUXURY GOODS Page 9 of 46
Topic
Sustainability
Topic Specification Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency
Category
(if available)
company and its prioritized stakeholders.
'- Helps company improve its operations, business and
management.
'- Relates to local legislations and international standards
requirements

1) Impacts from environmental trends; required by
customers
2) Risks of losing competitive advantages;
3) Opportunities in improving internal management,
increasing competitive advantages, being responsible to
community.
Emissions to air Garment life Research the CO2 impact of textiles based on different 393 Business
- GHG emissions cycle raw materials (cotton, synthetic fiber, wool, linen, hemp,
corn), leveraging existing studies or partnering with
academia. Research the CO2 impact of different material
cultivation practices, such as organic versus non- organic
cotton, isolating best practices. Join an industry
collaboration on reducing sourcing of cattle from
endangered Amazon regions. Research the CO2 impact
of different garment care options to be in a position to
better communicate with consumers. Adopt “cold water
wash” and/or “line dry” instructions on garment hang tag
and care label, noting the environmental benefits of
these practices. (Note: the recommendation also has
water benefits). Implement an industry-wide consumer
awareness campaign around low-energy garment care.

While the energy efficiency of processing, production,
transportation, and retail also affect a garment’s

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? May 2013
TEXTILES, APPAREL, FOOTWEAR AND LUXURY GOODS Page 10 of 46