VF Corp lays out group sustainability strategy to reduce emissions

VF Corporation, the American parent company to Vans, Timberland, Napapijri and Eastpak brands, announced the guidelines of its new sustainability and responsibility strategy.

The Denver-based apparel giant has launched a ‘Made for Change’ program, aimed at mitigating global warming by implementing an action plan in line with the Paris climate agreement, to reduce CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030.

The plan also aims to cut emissions by 30 percent within the same year in its production chain, monitoring the selection and route of raw materials, from procurement to packaging of garments, to distribution in stores.

“Our workforce of 50,000 performance-oriented people shares the commitment to be more than just a clothing and footwear company. We strive to be a business driven by the goal of harnessing the strength of our business to provide positive impacts for the people and the planet we share,” said Steve Rendle, chairman, president and CEO of VF Corp in a statement.

To achieve the objectives, VF presented a new procurement strategy which provides that the nine main raw materials used to make garments, responsible for around 90 percent of the emissions related to materials, come from renewable, regenerative or recycled sources within 2030.

The sustainability objectives achieved in 2018 include the obtaining, by 16 VF offices, of the LEED certification, the launch of a new strategy for the procurement of raw materials focused on recycled, regenerative or renewable materials, and the improvement living conditions for workers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, China, Kenya and Lesotho. Furthermore, 50 percent of the Group’s distribution and logistics centers do not produce waste thanks to recycling.

Photo courtesy VF Corp