H&M Group joins Stella McCartney in climate action charter

The UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland saw the launch of the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action. The charter was initiated by Stella McCartney, and focuses on climate action measures that can be taken within the fashion industry.

The H&M Group has now announced that it has joined other brands, retailers and suppliers as a signatory to the charter. In a statement, H&M recognized that climate change is “one of the greatest challenges of our time” and that its consequences are a key challenge to the fashion industry. The statement read: “H&M group wants to be part of the solution to global warming and climate change, and collaboration with others plays a key role to succeed.”

H&M shared that its brand group’s shared goal is to become climate positive by 2040 throughout its entire value chain, through exploring opportunities in natural carbon sinks, technological carbon sinks and reductions outside its value chain.

The H&M Group currently uses 96 percent renewable energy and plans to increase that to 100 percent. Additionally, the group is committing to a climate neutral supply chain for tier 1-2 by 2030.

“[The Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action] is about getting the fashion industry united in important climate work,” said Karl-Johan Persson, chief executive officer of the H&M Group in a statement, “Our industry has a global reach and only together can we create the change that is urgently needed. We are happy to be a signatory of this charter as part of our ambition to become climate positive in our value chair.”