Posted on January, 24 2013

Stockholm — Fashion retailer H&M says its new water strategy will minimize water impacts throughout its operations and supply chain, and create positive change in key river basins with major garment production. The strategy was created in partnership with conservation organization WWF, which will work with H&M to implement it over the next three years.

“Water is a key resource for H&M, and we are committed to ensuring water is used responsibly throughout our value chain. We do this to minimize risks in our operations, protect the environment and secure availability of water for present and future generations. We are proud of the partnership with WWF, which we hope will inspire others to follow,” says Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of H&M.

During 2012, WWF and H&M performed a comprehensive evaluation of all H&M’s efforts and challenges related to water. These include agricultural production of fibers, as well as dyeing and washing processes. The review guided development of the new H&M water strategy, which WWF and H&M will implement together starting this year. According to WWF, no other fashion company has such a comprehensive global water strategy.

“This partnership marks an evolution in the corporate approach to water. H&M understands that its long-term success depends on access to adequate water supplies. It also understands that its social license to operate depends on being a good neighbour and good steward of shared resources. H&M’s water strategy is an integral part of its business plan. We hope other companies will be inspired to take the same approach,” says Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International.

To embed sustainability from the beginning, H&M designers and buyers will receive additional training on water impacts of raw material production, as well as wet processes for different styles. H&M will also improve its internal water efficiency, minimize its suppliers’ impact on water, and educate staff and customers about water issues.

WWF and H&M will work in collaboration with policymakers, NGOs, water institutions and other companies to support better management of particular river basins in China and Bangladesh – key production hubs for the company. In addition, H&M will support WWF freshwater conservation projects in the Yangtze river basin in China.

Currently, 2.7 billion people – roughly 40 per cent of the world’s population – live in river basins that experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year, according to WWF’s 2012 Living Planet Report. About a third of the factories that make clothes for H&M using wet processes are already located in extreme water scarce areas, or will be by 2025. This partnership builds on 10 years of H&M’s work to reduce negative water impacts in different parts of the value chain.