Abercrombie & Fitch Commits to 30% Water Reduction by 2022

Abercrombie & Fitch Co., a global retailer of apparel and accessories, recently announced it has become a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate citizenship and sustainability initiative. The company also announced its new sustainability targets through 2025. Key goals include:

• Responsibly sourcing materials with sustainable processes or from recycled fibers by 2025, including cotton, polyester, viscose, wool, down and linen
• Driving 30% water reduction in denim (the company’s highest volume material) production by 2022
• Partnering with its vendor partners on training programs, including human trafficking prevention and health & wellbeing, and capacity building to support the training of 75,000 additional workers by 2022

According to the company, these targets align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity and peace and justice. The company’s participation in the Compact and its new set of goals build on the retailer’s existing global social and environmental sustainability programs.

As a signatory of the Compact, A&F Co. supports and commits to the Compact’s Ten Principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. A&F Co. also will participate in two Action Platforms, which advance responsible corporate action and focus on critical issues related to the Compact’s SDGs. Through the “Water Security through Stewardship” and “Reporting on SDGs” platforms, A&F Co. will learn additional best practices to address social, economic and environmental issues related to water and sanitation, as well as methods for capturing, analyzing and reporting performance against the various SDGs, respectively.

As part of its commitment to the Compact, A&F Co. will complete an annual Communication on Progress (COP) submission in 2020. The COP will provide transparency into A&F Co.’s progress towards the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles.