Commitment
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (“A&F”) through its subsidiaries (collectively, A&F and its subsidiaries are referred to as the “Company” and “we”), recognizes the importance of environmental stewardship. We are committed to advancing environmental initiatives in internal practices by increasing education and awareness throughout our partnership base and through collaboration with the communities where we make and sell our products. On behalf of the customers, employees, stockholders, and the communities we serve, we strive to continually reduce the environmental impact of our global business.
A&F is a participant in the United Nations Global Compact (“UNGC”) and is aligned with its views regarding the need to proactively address climate change and the key role that the private sector plays in making realistic progress. A&F has aligned its published goals with the UNGC’s recommendations surrounding the limit of global temperature rise to 1.5°C and will consider this when setting future goals and measuring progress. A&F’s commitment to strive to reduce our environmental impact is aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals 6, 12, 15 and 17. Our sustainability website is updated regularly to track our progress and actions against our environmental goals. We reaffirm our commitment to strive to reduce our environmental impact by focusing on the topics below.
Climate & Energy
A&F aligned its published goals with the UNGC’s recommendations surrounding the limit of global temperature rise to 1.5°C and will continue to consider this when setting future goals and measuring progress. Since 2009, A&F has reported to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an independent not-for-profit organization that provides a global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share environmental information. Using CDP and other platforms, we gain insight into current usage, as well as identify areas of change and improvement. To meet the Company’s 2030 commitments, renewable energy and operational energy reduction are two of the primary strategies considered when establishing its goals.
Restricted Substances
A&F’s Global Regulatory Department conducts research, evaluates, and communicates regulatory requirements for all brands. These requirements are mandated by laws and regulations where A&F has stores and active websites. The primary role of the Regulatory Department is to determine which laws and regulations impact our products, how our products impact the consumer, and how our products impact the environment.
We publish our chemicals of concern, listed in our Restricted Substance List (“RSL”), to provide transparency around our limitation of certain chemicals. We test items regulated by law annually. We also publish ingredients and allergens on each personal care product in accordance with local regulation and the Personal Care Products Council’s Consumer Commitment Code. Customers can contact customer service about specific questions related to product formulation here.
Please find our RSL here.
Supply Chain
A&F does not directly produce its merchandise. We work closely with our supply chain partners to help identify and implement opportunities to minimize the environmental impact of the manufacturing process. Since 2012, A&F has utilized Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s (SAC) Higg Index to partner with laundries and mills to measure and improve environmental performance through assessments. The assessments are conducted at least once a year and are verified by SAC-approved, on-site assessors. The results guide manufacturers to make improvements and provide current best practices in the field.
Materials and Traceability
A&F has implemented several initiatives throughout its supply chain to confirm materials are sourced in a responsible, transparent manner and works with supply chain partners to trace the origin of the materials through the tiers back to the forest or farm. In addition, A&F strives to source more sustainable fibers in key commodities, including cotton, polyester, down, wool and viscose.
Waste
A&F will identify and improve ways to manage and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. Programs aimed at reducing waste are available to our customers and established at our global home office, distribution centers and stores. We continue to increase opportunities to recycle and reuse, as well as prevent unnecessary waste generation, motivated by our goals set throughout our value chain.
Water
We work to reinforce our water stewardship and conservation practices by identifying and implementing specific efficiency projects in our stores, home office and distribution centers.
The A&F sustainability and sourcing teams work together closely to drive our denim suppliers to implement innovative technologies, equipment, and water saving methodologies to decrease the water use in denim production. Examples include using low Material to Liquor Ratio (“MLR”) washing machines, e-Flow technology to reduce chemical consumption, and reducing the number of cycles per wash by optimizing operation procedures.
Governance
The Environmental, Social and Governance Committee of the Board of Directors of A&F is responsible for the oversight of risks associated with environmental, social, and governance strategies, policies, practices, and programs. The Company maintains an Environmental, Social, and Governance Committee Charter available on our website at corporate.abercrombie.com.
The Global Sustainability Department manages the environmental and social program, including communications, reporting, goal setting, and implementation of strategy. Through the management of our goals and environmental programs supported at the Board level, A&F works to continuously reduce our environmental impact across our supply chain.
For more details on specific topics, please visit https://corporate.abercrombie.com/af-cares/sustainability.