The fast fashion industry generates around 92 million tons of waste every year. H&M is one of the companies that pursues the goal of constantly improving their sustainability (Chan, 2019). Sustainability is one of the biggest and at the same time most important challenges nowadays. The requirement of sustainability is to balance the economic, the social and the environmental dimension (Altmaier, 2014). The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is inseparable from corporate sustainability (CS). The fundamental basis of this concept is the three-pillar model. This model is built on the three pillars economy, ecology, and social responsibility (Enquete-Kommission, 1997). The purpose of this report is to improve H&M's sustainability as best as possible based on the three-pillar model of sustainability to achieve the corporate sustainability goals that H&M set out to achieve.
Table of Contents
- List of Abbreviations
- 1 Purpose and structure of the report
- 1.1 Purpose of the report
- 1.2 Structure of the report
- 2 H&M
- 2.1 About the Company
- 2.2 How sustainable is H&M?
- 3 Corporate Sustainability and the three-pillar Model
- 3.1 Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Sustainability
- 3.2 The three-pillar model of Sustainability
- 4 Analysis of Sustainability improvement of H&M
- 4.1 Social Sustainability
- 4.2 Environmental Sustainability
- 5 Recommendations and Conclusion
- List of References
Objective & Thematic Focus
This report aims to analyze how H&M can improve its sustainability efforts, navigating the challenges of the fast fashion trend, by applying and evaluating the three-pillar model of sustainability. The overarching goal is to identify concrete methods and measures for H&M to achieve its corporate sustainability objectives across economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
- Addressing the sustainability challenges posed by the fast fashion industry.
- Examining the concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Sustainability (CS).
- Detailed exploration of the three-pillar model of sustainability (economic, social, environmental).
- Evaluating H&M's current sustainability practices and goals.
- Proposing improvements specifically for H&M's social and environmental sustainability.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Social Sustainability
Corporate social sustainability aspects include human rights, fair working conditions, living conditions, health, safety and, above all, justice (Innovations, 2021).
For financial reasons, the manufacturing of textiles has largely been outsourced to China, India, and Bangladesh over the years. Under catastrophic working conditions and for a starvation wage, mainly women and children must sit at sewing machines for 12 to 19 hours a day in sweatshops and work on a piecework basis. Illnesses such as chronic coughs and burning eyes are the consequences (Diekamp & Koch, 2010).
In a report of WirtschaftsWoche, a factory worker of a supplier of H&M from India says that she has to work under extreme conditions. If she is one minute late, she gets a whole hour's wages cancelled. In addition, she has trouble breathing due to the humidity at her workplace and has fainted several times and even had an accident and suffered from internal bleeding (Rösgen, 2018). Although the company claims: "As part of our responsible purchasing practices, we also ring-fence labor costs in negotiations with all our suppliers. This means that the labor cost is fixed and cannot be negotiated" (Group, 2021). But the factory worker reports that she frequently works overtime without being paid. Even after The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) talked to 62 other workers, none of them were paid anything close to a living wage. In addition, bullying and groundless dismissals are also part of their everyday life. The CCC, an association of various organizations, has set itself the goal of achieving humane working conditions, higher wages, better working hours and a ban on child labor by means of a code of labor conduct. Campaigns draw the public's attention to abuses in the textile industry and put pressure on many companies. Fearing the loss of image, some companies now take care to work according to the established code of conduct and to assume social responsibility for their suppliers.
Chapter Summaries
1 Purpose and structure of the report: This chapter introduces the problem of fast fashion's unsustainability, states the report's purpose to improve H&M's sustainability using the three-pillar model, and outlines the report's structure.
2 H&M: This chapter provides an overview of H&M as a company, including its history and brands, and evaluates its current sustainability efforts, highlighting initiatives like "Conscious Collection" and recycling programs.
3 Corporate Sustainability and the three-pillar Model: This chapter defines Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Sustainability (CS) and explains the fundamental three-pillar model of sustainability, which balances economic, environmental, and social dimensions.
4 Analysis of Sustainability improvement of H&M: This chapter applies the three-pillar model to H&M, specifically analyzing the company's social and environmental sustainability challenges and potential areas for improvement, focusing on production and distribution.
5 Recommendations and Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings to provide concrete recommendations for H&M to enhance its social and environmental sustainability, concluding with an overall assessment of its efforts within the fast fashion context.
Keywords
H&M, sustainability, fast fashion, three-pillar model, corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate sustainability (CS), social sustainability, environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, textile industry, supply chain, recycling, CO2 emissions, working conditions, human rights
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this paper essentially about?
This paper presents a case study analyzing how H&M can enhance its sustainability practices within the fast fashion industry by applying the three-pillar model of sustainability.
What are the central thematic areas?
The central thematic areas include the challenges of fast fashion, the concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Sustainability, the three-pillar model, H&M's current sustainability efforts, and detailed analyses of social and environmental sustainability improvements for the company.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The primary objective is to determine how H&M can best improve its sustainability, despite the fast fashion trend, by adhering to the three-pillar model of sustainability, ultimately aiming to achieve its corporate sustainability goals.
Which scientific method is used?
The report employs a case study approach, applying the theoretical three-pillar model of sustainability to analyze and evaluate H&M's current practices and propose improvements.
What is covered in the main part?
The main part of the report covers an in-depth analysis of H&M's sustainability, specifically focusing on its social and environmental dimensions, and how these can be improved based on the three-pillar model, with a focus on production and distribution.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key characterizing keywords include H&M, sustainability, fast fashion, three-pillar model, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Corporate Sustainability (CS), social sustainability, environmental sustainability, and working conditions.
How does H&M currently address sustainability according to the report?
H&M has been focusing on sustainability since 2012 with initiatives like the "Conscious Collection" and in-store clothing recycling. They aim to source 100% recycled or sustainable materials by 2030 and become climate-positive by 2040, using technologies like Looop and Green Machine.
What specific social sustainability issues are highlighted regarding H&M's supply chain?
The report highlights issues such as catastrophic working conditions, starvation wages, excessive working hours (12-19 hours/day), bullying, and groundless dismissals in outsourced production countries like China, India, and Bangladesh, despite H&M's stated policies on labor costs.
What environmental challenges are discussed concerning textile finishing and distribution?
Textile finishing processes involve massive use of dyes and chemicals, 80% of which pollute water systems. Additionally, long transport routes for distributing textiles via ship, plane, or truck significantly increase energy consumption and CO2 emissions, further burdening the environment.
What are the report's main recommendations for H&M to improve its sustainability?
The report recommends H&M engage more deeply with suppliers for better working conditions and Fairtrade, support suppliers in installing water recycling or desalination plants, consider relocating production sites to Europe to reduce transport emissions, and implement proactive design methods to minimize waste.
- Citar trabajo
- Anonym (Autor), 2021, An Analysis of How H&M Can Improve Their Sustainability Despite the Fast Fashion Trend by Following the Three-Pillar Model, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1585888
