Gildan Activewear has revealed it has made advances in its drive to be more sustainable in its manufacture and supply of clothing.
Its latest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report sets out how it has reduced waste and increased the use of renewable energy as part of wider commitments in 2021.
Over the 12 months, it continued to make investments in systems, technologies and initiatives towards reducing its carbon footprint and improving water efficiency.
The company said this was despite many challenges including the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, labour shortages and geo-political and climate uncertainty.
According to the new report, 39% of Gildan’s energy came from renewable sources in 2021 while it achieved an 18% reduction in water intensity compared to 2018.
It reduced total waste intensity by 15% in 2021 compared to 2018 and reduced waste clippings by 68% compared to 2020.
Gildan stated that this set “a strong base” for fulfilling its future environmental goals and reaching the level of decarbonisation required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
This year, it signed the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitment letter which defines and promotes best practices in emissions reductions and net-zero targets in line with climate science.
In terms of social achievements within its ESG goals, Gildan spent $850 million (£694 million) in materials and services with local suppliers where its factories are located around the world. It also donated $2.1 million (£1.7 million) to community partners.
It provided $15.1 million (£12.3 million) towards in-kind benefits for employees and ensured that 98% of its workers were represented by formal health and safety committees.
In an employee engagement survey published in the ESG report, 78% of respondents said they believed the company was an inclusive workplace.
At the senior management level, Gildan steadily increased female representation by 2% per quarter, and two-thirds of Gildan’s three board-level committees were chaired by women.
Gildan, which is one of the world’s biggest suppliers of blank garments for decoration, described the contents of the report as demonstrating “strong” ESG performance and “further progress”.
Glenn J Chamandy, president and CEO of Gildan, said: “We are pleased with the work we’ve done to continue playing a role in improving the livelihood of people who make our clothes, protecting the environment, empowering our communities and increasing the sustainability of our products.
“Our vertically integrated business model continues to be the driving force behind our leading ESG practices and allows us to ensure that our products are made with respect throughout our entire supply chain.”
The new ESG report can be found at gildancorp.com/en/responsibility/respect-for-transparency/esg-reports/.
