Better Everyday
We want to do better everyday for our people, customers, for suppliers and for our planet while staying profitable. We don’t do that overnight, becoming more sustainable goes step by step. Little by little. We ask ourselves and the people around us ‘Which step will you take today?

Sustainable entrepreneurship

Our products are located throughout Europe at the most diverse retailers, supermarkets and shops. We feel it is our responsibility to ensure that all of our products are produced under the right conditions, by the right people, and the right suppliers, and in accordance with the applicable quality standards. With an eye for both the creators of our products and the end consumer, as well as the environment.

We only work with suppliers and partners who are prepared to comply with our Code of Conduct and the initiatives we support. Our Code of Conduct outlines the standards we consider essential in our partnerships with suppliers and what we want to see through the entire supply chain. All our suppliers have signed our Code of Conduct, through which they have made a commitment to (continue to) comply with these standards.

Sustainable entrepreneurship has an important place in our corporate strategy. Not only do we know where our products are made and under what circumstances, but our production units are also controlled through audits to see whether the producers comply with our code of conduct and its implementation.

We recognize the fact that there are enough things that we can not solve alone and we believe that cooperation is key to bringing about change, which is why we have been a participant in the Amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative BSCI for years. HVEG also signed the Bangladesh Safety Agreement in 2014, an initiative that aims to make the working conditions for employees in garment factories safer in the fields of electricity, building and construction, and fire safety. By being a member of The Leather Working Group, we contribute as well to maintaining an environmental management protocol that is specifically intended for the leather industry.

Documents

Code of Conduct

Sustainability Report

External Grievance Mechanism Policy

  • lwg
  • bsci
  • ICS
  • sedex
Verantwoord ondernemen

Our themes

At HVEG Fashion Group, sustainability is fully integrated and embedded in our business planning and decision-making process. Sustainability and continuous improvement are the foundation for our social compliance program and these two principles guide our approach to corporate responsibility. In order to formulate suitable responses to the major social themes on which we have impact as an organization, we have aligned our social compliance strategy with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopting a firm commitment to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our strategy encompasses five key themes defined in the 2030 agenda on which we have impacts as an organisation. These themes are:

SDG #6 – Clean water and sanitation

Water scarcity affects more than 40% of the world’s population and is projected to rise. Flooding and lack of proper wastewater management also hinder social and economic development. Goal 6 looks at how we provide access to clean water and basic sanitation to billions of people who currently live without it. We have incorporated this SDG into our overall strategy in the following ways:

  • As part of our commitment to Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals, we closely monitor the quality of wastewater from our suppliers’ factories in order to improve the quality of water discharged in the supply chain.
  • We will work with our supply chain to phase out certain chemicals deemed hazardous and replace them with alternatives. We will also seek to ensure that we have appropriate measures in place for pollution prevention and control.

SDG #8 – Decent work and economic growth

According to the International Labour Organization, more than 204 million people were unemployed in 2015. Even though the global economy continues to recover, we are seeing slower growth, widening inequalities, and not enough jobs to keep up with a growing labour force.
Goal 8 calls for more jobs that not only provide decent pay but stimulate the economy and provide equal opportunities for men and women, while protecting the environment. The apparel industry has an important role to play in providing quality jobs that stimulate development. We have incorporated this SDG into our overall strategy in the following ways:

  • We believe that safe and fair working conditions should be the norm for all garment workers. For this reason, we work with our suppliers to ensure that they uphold labour rights, safe and fair working conditions and comply with a set of social standards, in line with internationally recognized conventions. For this purpose, we carry out social audits. These audits are conducted according to the methodology of the internationally recognized organization Amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative). We are also signatories to the Bangladesh Accord in order to ensure workers in our supply chain are not at risk from fire, building disrepair or similar concerns.
  • We work with our suppliers in order to help build capacity and ownership of the issues they face.

SDG #12 – Responsible consumption and production

We urgently need to reduce our ecological footprint by changing the way we produce and consume goods & resources. Goal 12 asks us to manage our shared natural resources and the way we dispose of toxic waste and pollutants by thinking twice about the things we use and through recycling– it’s about doing more (and better) with less.
We have incorporated this SDG into our overall strategy in the following ways:

  • We support the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Initiative (ZDHC) and are actively working with our suppliers to eliminate hazardous chemicals from our supply chain by 2020.
  • We are focusing on reducing the amount of non-renewable material in our products, reducing our packaging ratios and looking at opportunities for product reuse and recycling.

SDG #15 – Life on land

Between 1990 and 2015, the world’s forest area diminished from 31.7 per cent of the world’s total land mass to 30.7 per cent. As of 2015, over 23,000 species of plants, fungi and animals were known to face a high probability of extinction; the list of species under international protection continues to grow. Goal 15 asks us to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt reverse land degradation and diversity loss.
We have incorporated this SDG into our overall strategy in the following ways:

  • We are working closely with our customers and suppliers to source more sustainable raw materials, so that we are able to reduce our carbon, water and waste footprint, limit chemical and pesticide usage, prevent deforestation and protect fresh water and biodiversity.
  • Our suppliers must meet the requirements set out in our Restricted Substance List which is updated annually.

SDG # 17 - Partnerships

Partnership to achieve the goals.
International cooperation is needed to strengthen capacity and resources to implement the sustainable development agenda. Achieving the goals requires coherent policies, a cooperative environment and forging new global partnerships. This also applies to us at HVEG Fashion Group. By working together with all our stakeholders, we can make a change.