Social Compliance & CSR News
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Friday, 24 May 2019Inditex extends displaced migrant support
ARTEIXO — Spanish fashion conglomerate Inditex, the parent company of brands such as Zara and Bershka, has announced the signing of a deal with Universidad Pontificia Comillas to renew the collaborative Chair for Refugees project, aimed at… -
Thursday, 23 May 2019Are banks ignoring ethical fashion?
More and more banks are exerting pressure on the businesses they finance to pursue more environmentally-conscious projects. Is it time this approach was also applied to the welfare and employment rights of workers? -
Wednesday, 22 May 2019Big Closets Small Planet: H&M climate positive by 2040?
WAKEFIELD – Series Two of the Big Closets Small Planet podcast, run in partnership between Ecotextile News and the Sustainable Fashion Academy (SFA), is now in full swing. Innovation in Climate Action is this week’s focus. More specifically, host… -
Monday, 20 May 2019PVH strategy to change one million lives in fashion?
NEW YORK — PVH Corporation, the company which owns Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and several other of the most recognisable brands in fashion, has launched the latest incarnation of its Corporate Responsibility strategy, Forward Fashion. Published… -
Monday, 20 May 2019Bangladesh Accord breakthrough: transition deal struck
DHAKA — After months of prolonged delays and frustration, a deal has now been agreed between the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and the Bangladesh garment employers’ association (BGMEA) to ensure a transition period of almost one… -
Monday, 20 May 2019Romanian garment workers ‘paid 14% of living wage’
DRESDEN — Apparel sector campaign group Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has published a new report claiming that garment workers in Romania are frequently denied acceptable working conditions and paid below the legal minimum wage — equating to as… -
Wednesday, 15 May 2019Podcast: mobile banking to save the planet
WAKEFIELD – In the third podcast of our new series, Mike Schragger speaks to Johan Pihl and Jacob Odqvist of Doconomy, who have developed a ‘mobile banking service for everyday climate action’ which they say makes it easier for consumers to join the… -
Wednesday, 01 May 2019Race to the Top showcases Vietnamese ‘sustainable’ improvements
HANOI – Vietnam’s Race to the Top programme, designed to scale ‘sustainable’ manufacturing practices in the nation’s apparel & footwear industry, has released a report detailing the results from an impact assessment the initiative’s first graduate… -
Friday, 26 April 2019Columbia Sportswear makes water donation pledge
PORTLAND — Columbia Sportswear has launched a new donation programme to drive support for non-profit Planet Water Foundation and counteract the water-intensive practices at certain stages of the apparel supply chain. -
Friday, 26 April 2019Timberland CSR report demonstrates mixed progress
STRATHAM – Outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland has released its 2018 corporate social responsibility report, which highlights the company’s commitment to ‘sustainable’ practices. In 2018, 75 per cent of all cotton used in Timberland apparel was… -
Wednesday, 24 April 2019Tapestry Inc. unveils new 2025 CSR goals
NEW YORK — Tapestry Inc., the organisation behind brands such as Coach, Kate Spade New York and Stuart Weitzman, has published its 2018 Corporate Responsibility Report, in which the company has unveiled a series of targets it aims to achieve by… -
Tuesday, 23 April 2019Tufts student venture offers healthcare to female workers
BOSTON — The winner of a first-place prize at this year’s New Ventures Competition is a healthcare-focused project seeking to give women working in the Bangladesh garment sector access to transformative medical care. Each year, the competition run… -
Thursday, 18 April 2019Risky business: Cross-sector benchmarks offer fresh insight
LONDON – S&P Global Ratings has debuted its ESG Evaluation and Risk Atlas, a new framework and tool which seek to benchmark cross-sector organisations – helping firms contextualise progress comparative to counterparts in other industries. The… -
Thursday, 18 April 2019HSBC and Walmart establish green finance deal
HONG KONG – A partnership struck between global bank HSBC and US retail giant Walmart will see the latter’s suppliers offered financial incentives for meeting or exceeding sustainability targets. The Sustainable Supply Chain Finance Programme looks… -
Wednesday, 17 April 2019'Excessive overtime' essential to equal living wage
WASHINGTON – A study undertaken by the Fair Labor Association (FLA) suggests that in the absence of a nationally-adopted living wage, Vietnamese garment workers are forced to accept excessive overtime simply to survive. The quantity of hours many… -
Tuesday, 16 April 2019Unions react to further Bangladesh Accord delay
DHAKA – Following yet another delay to a conclusive decision on the future of the Accord, unions representing workers in Bangladesh have once again called for the extension of the regulatory body’s tenure in the nation’s garment sector. -
Friday, 12 April 2019Retailer demands garment industry regulation
HAMBURG – German retailer Tchibo has called on the country’s government to regulate the garment industry and enforce better working conditions, as it continues to pursue a fully ‘sustainable’ production chain. -
Thursday, 11 April 2019Mills Fabrica partners with H&M Global Change Award
HONG KONG – The Mills Fabrica – a programme dedicated to supporting technology and style start-ups – has announced a partnership with the H&M Foundation’s Global Change Award (GCA), which aims to accelerate the shift from a linear to circular… -
Monday, 08 April 2019Industry bodies share “deep concern” with Cambodia PM
PHNOM PENH – The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), Fair Labor Association (FLA) and six other apparel industry organisations have written to the Prime Minister of Cambodia urging action to tackle what is described as the “labour and… -
Friday, 05 April 2019H&M accused of living wage “empty promises and bogus claims”
AMSTERDAM — Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has alleged that Swedish fashion retailer H&M has failed to meet its promise of implementing a living wage for 850,000 workers in its supply chain and that the company has “put a lot of effort in trying to… -
Thursday, 04 April 2019Report examines garment sector labour conditions in Vietnam
HANOI — A new study undertaken by Anti-Slavery International has explored the labour conditions facing workers in the export-oriented textile and garment industries of Vietnam, alongside the risk of rights violations such as forced labour, child… -
Wednesday, 03 April 2019Could an end to the Accord lead to a sourcing shift?
AMSTERDAM – As yet another key date in the future of the Bangladesh Accord approaches, Clean Clothes Campaign has collated responses from brands and retailers urging an extension of the regulatory body’s operations. One such statement from Norwegian… -
Monday, 01 April 2019Lenzing launches Earth Month campaign
NEW YORK – Lenzing Group has announced the launch of its 2019 Earth Month campaign, entitled From Trees, For Trees. The company’s Tencel brand, along with seven of its US retail partners, including Bn3th, BleuSalt, Triarchy Denim, Boyish Jeans,… -
Wednesday, 27 March 2019Nike gets FLA tick for re-accreditation
WASHINGTON – The Fair Labor Association (FLA) has announced the social compliance programme of Nike has been granted re-accreditation by its board of directors - marking the third successful accreditation achieved by the Beaverton-based sporting… -
Wednesday, 27 March 2019ASOS back at House of Lords for Modern Slavery forum
LONDON - Online fashion retailer ASOS will today return to the House of Lords to co-host a second Modern Slavery forum with Baroness Lola Young, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion. This comes almost… -
Wednesday, 20 March 2019Bangladesh Accord releases quarterly report
DHAKA – The Bangladesh Accord has released its report for the final quarter of 2018, detailing the remediation progress and status of workplace programs within the last 3 months of the year. -
Monday, 18 March 2019Non-profit votes to require supplier transparency
WASHINGTON – The Fair Labor Association (FLA) has, in response to requests from trade unions and other independent labour rights and human rights organisations, voted to require its company affiliates to publicly disclose their supplier lists. This… -
Friday, 15 March 2019Under Armour social compliance programme accredited
WASHINGTON – US sportswear brand Under Armour has received accreditation from the Fair Labor Association (FLA) for its social compliance programme, confirming that the company has “strong policies and practices in place to set goals, monitor, and… -
Wednesday, 13 March 2019Social audit portal launched to drive industrywide change
LONDON – The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) and Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) have joined forces to launch the Beyond Social Auditing portal, aimed at educating users on the failings of social auditing processes while also… -
Monday, 11 March 2019ILO and IFC unite to empower female garment workers
DHAKA – A pilot programme has been launched by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), offering training to female garment workers in order to enable more women to take up supervisory roles within… -
Monday, 11 March 2019Teijin rallies behind TCFD recommendations
TOKYO – Teijin Group has made public its support for the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), established by the Financial Stability Board (FSB). TCFD was founded under the proviso that those companies… -
Thursday, 07 March 2019Bangladesh inspection agencies not ready, CCC claims
AMSTERDAM – Following a fire in a Dhaka garment factory this week, and despite claims stating otherwise from the Bangladesh government, Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) believes that national inspection bodies are not yet ready to take over… -
Thursday, 07 March 2019NGO urges investigation of worker dismissal claims
NEW YORK – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Bangladeshi authorities to immediately investigate allegations made by garment workers and union leader of arbitrary dismissals and false criminal cases following the spate of recent wage protests.… -
Wednesday, 06 March 2019ETI links business and pressure on labour standards
LONDON – A report commissioned by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) has suggested that business models are at the forefront of creating pressures on labour standards in global supply chains. The report – titled ‘Business models and labour… -
Wednesday, 06 March 2019Bangladesh gets new RMG safety body
DHAKA – Following the dissolution of The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a new organisation has been formed to work on training programmes to maintain safety performance in the Bangladesh garment and textile sectors with what it's calling a… -
Wednesday, 06 March 2019Zalando eyes Higg and BCI to advance its goals
BERLIN – Online fashion retailer Zalando has outlined its goal to become a leading online destination for ‘sustainable’ fashion in Europe by 2020 with plans to up its sourcing of Better Cotton and deepen its engagement with the Higg Index. “As we… -
Tuesday, 05 March 2019OECD calls for action on textile due diligence
PARIS – OECD General Secretary Angel Gurría called out the challenges and urgent changes needed in the garment and footwear industries at the 5th yearly OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) forum on responsible supply… -
Thursday, 28 February 2019Dhaka fire prompts further Bangladesh Accord debate
DHAKA – In the wake of a fire in the Bangladeshi capital which killed more than 70 people, campaign groups and garment worker rights organisations have been quick to praise the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh for helping minimise… -
Tuesday, 26 February 2019UK retailers unite against worker exploitation
LONDON – A group of UK retailers including M&S, Tesco and Sainsbury’s – all of which have substantial apparel operations – have come together as Founding Sponsors of the Responsible Recruitment Toolkit (RRT). The resource will offer “expert,… -
Monday, 25 February 2019Oxfam garment worker study cites “entrenched exploitation”
MELBOURNE – Research conducted by Oxfam Australia into the lives of female garment workers has exposed what the charity describes as “the undeniable truth” which lurks behind the apparel sold in the country's fashion stores. The report claims that… -
Friday, 15 February 2019Prada CSR programme to promote diversity
MILAN – Luxury fashion brand Prada has announced the creation of a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council in order to change the culture of both its operations and the wider fashion industry. The Council has the mission statement to “elevate… -
Thursday, 14 February 2019Money talks in Bangladesh Accord debate
NEW YORK – A group of 190 investors with global assets of over estimated US$3 trillion has released a public statement and written directly to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister calling for an extension of the Accord for Fire and Building Safety in… -
Thursday, 14 February 2019Odlo awarded Leader status by Fair Wear Foundation
HÜNENBERG - Functional sportswear company Odlo has been awarded Leader status from the Fair Wear Foundation for the fourth consecutive year. -
Wednesday, 13 February 2019Survey finds consumers expect CSR from brands
WASHINGTON D.C. - Consumers expect more responsibility, action and accountability from businesses and tend to shop at companies that share their values, according to a survey carried out by market insight company Clutch. The small-scale survey… -
Wednesday, 13 February 2019Apparel sector implored to combat sexism and gender violence
NEW YORK – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the global apparel industry to support a new ILO convention on violence and harassment at work and to do more when it comes to tackling the discrimination and violence faced by many female garment… -
Tuesday, 12 February 2019US garment workers take to the picket line
CHICAGO – Workers at two suit making factories in the US states of Illinois and Ohio have gone on strike over unfair labour practices exhibited by their respective employers; a move which offers up a reminder that such struggles are in no way… -
Tuesday, 12 February 2019Campaigners still seek full remedy for Indonesian workers
TANGERANG – Six years after their alleged illegal dismissal from employment, Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has hit out at the settlement former workers of PT Panarub Industry (PDK) were offered – calling the reimbursement offered “a pittance.” The… -
Monday, 11 February 2019
Canadian union stands with Bangladeshi garment workers
OTTAWA – Canada's United Steelworkers union has written to the Bangladesh High Commission in Ottawa to highlight its concern regarding the situation currently facing many garment workers during the ongoing wage dispute in the South Asian nation. In… -
Friday, 08 February 2019Is the Bangladesh Accord nearing its final destination?
DHAKA – The journey towards a safe garment sector has been a long and tumultuous one for the workers of Bangladesh. Delay after delay has left garment workers across the nation in a state of flux – and desperate to avoid the possibility of a return… -
Wednesday, 06 February 2019Bangladesh garment workers laid off after wage protests
DHAKA - More than 7,500 garment workers from 27 factories which supply brands such as H&M and Next have allegedly been laid off in Bangladesh after they joined wage protests.
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