Baptist World Aid (BWA) together with Tearfund New Zealand has released this year’s Ethical Fashion Report.
The ninth edition since the initiative’s inception in 2013, it is said to be the largest and most transparent yet, reviewing 120 companies that represent 581 brands – 161 more than last year.
The report focuses on six key issues in the supply chain: tracing materials beyond final stage, payment of living wages, remediation of labour exploitation, support for worker voice and empowerment, the use of sustainable materials and commitment to climate action.
“While it’s positive to see progress among some brands committed to improving their ethical supply chains in the last year, overall, this year’s Ethical Fashion Report is sobering reading for shoppers, investors and leaders in the fashion industry,” said Sara Knop, corporate advocacy lead, BWA.
“It’s time for brands to prioritise action over rhetoric, to move from policies and commitments to tangible outcomes that support vulnerable workers and our vulnerable planet.”
However, the report has also received criticism from companies with several brands who declined to participate in this year’s review.
The brands who boycotted this year’s BWA fashion report
In a grading system from A+ to F, the ethical report uses a percentage score out of 100. While the boycotting brands commended the change from previous years, they remain unsatisfied, urging BWA to adopt a fairer system.
“By attempting to aggregate the enormous complexity of the apparel manufacturing supply chain into one score, the Ethical Fashion Report fails to deliver a truly representative picture to consumers – in fact it misleads them more than it educates them,” said Jacinta Fitzgerald, sustainability consultant at Made Good.
Outland, Etiko, and Joyya, are some of the brands who declined to participate in this year’s BWA ethical report, with Outland Denim’s founder, James Bartle, calling it “potentially one of the greatest setbacks to the ethical and environmental sustainability movements I’ve witnessed in the past 10 years”.
The brands are also calling out to the organisation to change elements of the grading system.
Some of the suggestions include:
- Improve details displayed on tiles, and include leadership in paying living wages.
- For brands that can still be on the top tier despite having low scores (50 per cent below) on Human Rights and Worker Empowerment.
- The top tier be made up of brands that scored 80 per cent to 100, and not brands that scored in the top 20 percentile.
Australian retailer The Iconic added that reducing the complexities involved in supply chain management into a single score is potentially misleading.
“Significant time and resources required to respond to the BWA questionnaire are better spent on our continued work with our supply chain,” the retailer said.
BWA responds: “report works”
Knop responded to the boycotts and said she stands by the reporting system, which has evolved over the years to “better respect workers and protect the environment”.
She said the report works and can be seen in the progress regular entrants were making. Last year, the average score for brands was 32.5 versus 34.85 this year.
Companies included in the report for the first time this year performed a lot worse, however, with an average score of just 9.7.
“There is more demand than ever for detail about the supply chains of fashion companies, which is why we’d urge all brands to strive for transparency and for global citizens to leverage their power to influence change by using this year’s report and the online Brand Finder tool to make more ethical decisions,” she concluded.
With its mission to end poverty, BWA Australia has published the Ethical Fashion Report since 2013. As one of Australia’s leading publications on ethical fashion, the Ethical Fashion Report and Guide helps consumers make better choices based on thorough data from 120 companies representing almost 600 brands.
Ethical rankings: The top and bottom fashion labels
The top 10
Mighty Good Basics (Score: 86)
Patagonia 68
AS Colour 66
Zara Home 60
Zara 60
Uterque 60
Stradivarius 60
Pull&Bear 60
Oysho 60
Bershka 60
- Note: Zara, Uterque, Stradivarius, Pull&Bear, Bershka, and Oysho are all owned by Spanish-headquartered multinational fashion retail giant Inditex. Uterque is now sold under the Massimo Dutti banner.
The bottom 10
2XU
Hannahs
Nine West
Novo Shoes
Number One Shoes
Sheike
Windsor Smith
Anaconda
Bardot
Harris Scarfe
All of the above brands scored just 1, except 2XU which excluded itself.
Declined listing
Viable Earth asked BWA which specific brands declined to join this year’s report and it responded that the brands were marked with an “*” asterisk sign in the Appendix section of the Ethical Fashion Report.
Companies with an asterisk beside their score have been assessed on public information only (company webpages, annual/sustainability reports, and modern slavery statements),” BWA told Viable Earth.
“This may be because they have chosen to only provide evidence through their public transparency initiatives or because they have opted not to engage.”
The brands that openly boycotted the report:
- Outland
- Etiko
- Joya
The brands who declined to participate, but were still included on BWA’s website with a score included:
- 2XU
- 206 Collective
- 28 Palms
- 7Goals
- A for Awesome
- Abercombie & Fitch
- Abercrombie Kids
- Active Intent
- Active Steps
- Aerie
- Alan Pinkus
- Allbirds
- Amazon Basics
- Amazon Essentials
- Amco
- Anaconda
- An’D
- Arabella
- Artengo
- Arthur Harvey
- Athlete
- Atmos&Here
- Auricle
- Back Country
- Banana Republic
- Bardot
- Bardot Jr
- Barkers
- Basics Brand
- Basics Maternity
- Bdoco
- Beach Works
- Billabong
- Birkenstock
- Bisley Workwear
- Blue Denim Co
- Blue Illusion
- Blundstone
- Bogs
- Buttoned Down
- Cable Stitch
- Calvin Klein
- Cat Footwear
- Chaco
- City Beach
- Coastal Blue
- Comfort Denim Outfitters
- Common District
- Core 10
- Culture Kings
- Daily Ritual
- Dazie
- DC Shoes
- Debut
- Decjuba
- Decjuba Girls
- Denim Bloom
- Denizen
- D-Luxe
- Dockers
- Double Oak Mills
- Easy Steps
- Element
- Ell&Voo
- Ella Moon
- Emma Riley
- Endless
- Essentialist
- Farmers
- Florsheim
- Forclaz
- Forever 21
- Franklin Tailored
- Gap
- Garage
- Gilly Hicks
- Ginger Tree
- Good Brief
- Goodsport
- Goodthreads
- H&H (The Warehouse Group)
- Hannahs
- Harley-Davidson Footwear
- Harris Scarfe
- Haven Outerwear
- Hayden Rose
- Hem&Seam
- Hill City
- Hollister co.
- House&Shields
- HyTest
- Indie Kids
- Indigo Society
- Industrie
- Inkast Denim
- Intermix
- Intrepid
- Iris and Lily
- Isle Bay Linens
- James & Erin
- Jane Debster
- Janie and Jack
- Jeanswest
- John Bull
- Jump
- Kachel
- Kate Madison
- Keds
- Kid Nation
- Kipsta
- Kold Feet
- Lark & Ro
- Leather Architect
- Levi’s
- Lily Parker
- Locale
- Maggie T
- Mariella Bella
- Marks and Spencer
- Match
- Max
- Maya
- Meraki
- Merrell
- Mika Muse
- Mint Lilac
- Mirro
- Moon & Black
- Mountain Designs
- Myx Store
- Nabaiji
- Navigator South
- Nina
- Nine West
- Novo shoes
- Number One Shoes
- Nunn Bush
- Ocean Blues
- Old Navy
- Oxelo
- Painted Heart
- Papillio
- Paris Sunday
- Peak Velocity
- Pickaberry
- Ping Pong
- Pink Inc
- Pyra
- Quality Durables Co.
- Quechua
- Quicksilver
- Rafters
- Ravella
- Rivet
- Rockrider
- Roler
- Roxy
- Rugged Mile Denim
- RVCA
- Sandler
- Saucony
- Schooltex
- Scout & Ro.
- Sheike
- Shein
- Signature by Levi Strauss & Co
- Signature Society
- Simple Joys by Carter’s
- Social Graces
- Society New York
- Soft Style
- Something for Everyone
- Sperry
- Spotted Zebra
- Spurr
- St. Swim
- Stacy Adams
- Staple Superior
- Stocking Fox
- Stride Rite Children’s Group
- Suite Alice
- Symbol
- Temt
- The Fix
- The Warehouse
- TK Maxx
- Toms
- Triban
- True Angel
- TS14+
- Umi
- Under Armor
- Valleygirl
- Von Zipper
- Wide Steps
- Wild Meadow
- Windsor Smith
- Wolverine
- Wood Paper Company
