VF's new chemical management tool outlined in first sustainability report
30/10/2014
CHEM-IQ has been developed in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defence Council and provides a scalable method for identifying and eliminating potentially harmful chemicals before they enter the manufacturing process, it said. VF will expand CHEM-IQ globally in 2015.
During the past two years, VF built an internal sustainability infrastructure to serve the diverse portfolio of more than 30 brands. Part of the architecture has been focused on data collection and the development of sustainability scorecards to benchmark the environmental footprints and social actions of its 2,000 facilities.
The group – which owns brands including The North Face (pictured), Timberland and Vans - is on track to meet its 2015 goal of reducing carbon emissions by 5%, and it is now powering 31 of its facilities in part with renewable energy.
CEO Eric Wiseman said: "Our brands are working as ‘One VF' to foster meaningful innovation around sustainability - from product design, to how we choose and manage our resources and materials, to the ways we support our associates and the communities in which we operate."
VF has committed to using sustainable cotton for 3% of its total annual cotton sourced by 2015.
"Our first Sustainability and Responsibility report is a milestone for VF and our brands," said Letitia Webster, senior director of global sustainability for VF. "It's an opportunity to highlight the great efforts our brands and teams have led for many years. Now, with a centralised, global reporting infrastructure in place, we turn our focus to enhanced alignment and collaboration across our company to minimise our environmental footprint and spark innovation, while more effectively sharing our progress with all stakeholders."
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