Responsibility for supply chain water use starts at the top – H&M
25/01/2013
Its designers and buyers will also receive extra training in the water impacts of raw material production as well as wet processes for different styles, to promote more sustainable choices.
Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of H&M, said: “Our long-term success depends on access to adequate water supplies, and our social licence to operate depends on being a good neighbour and good steward of shared resources.”
Environmental group WWF joins the retailer in the project and will work with policymakers, non-governmental organisations and water institutions to support better management of river basins in China and Bangladesh.
“Water is a key resource for H&M and we are committed to ensure that water is used responsibly throughout our value chain,” added Mr Persson. “We do this to minimise risks in our operations, to protect the environment and to secure the availability of water.”
Around 2.7 billion people – roughly 40 per cent of the world’s population – live in river basins that experience severe water scarcity at least one month of the year, according to WWF’s 2012 Living Planet Report. About a third of the units that perform wet processes for H&M are located in areas which are now, or will be by 2025, in these areas.
“H&M’s water strategy is an integral part of its business plan. We hope other companies will be inspired to take the same approach,” said Jim Leape, director general of WWF International.
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