Jeanswear giant Levi Strauss & Co (LS&Co) has been named as the apparel company with the greenest supply chain in China according to an evaluation of 248 global brands.
The Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI) evaluates the environmental performance of international brands selling and sourcing in China, with the ultimate goal of guiding consumers into making green choices.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The measurement tool uses government and public data on suppliers, and was jointly developed by the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE), an environment-focused NGO in China, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Brands are assessed on their ability to respond to enquiries and engage with the public; promote supply chain transparency; push suppliers to take corrective actions; establish screening mechanisms; publicly disclose information on wastewater management, energy and climate targets; and disclose information about work to promote its suppliers in China to improve environmental performance.
LS&Co was ranked third overall on the list headed by global giants Apple and Dell – and ranked first among 65 peers in the textile/apparel category.
The company said it was “laser-focused on increasing transparency and environmental management performance” in its supply chain. Last year the company ranked second in the list and in 2015 it took third place.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData“It is a great honour to receive the top ranking in the textile industry from IPE this year. The consistent progress the company has made over these past three years is a testament to the great work of our sustainability team,” said Nic Versloot, managing director of LS&Co Greater China. “We remain committed to the goal of becoming the most sustainable apparel company in China.”
Chinese textile and apparel manufacturer Esquel Group took second place in the textile category.
Adidas, which had ranked second overall in last year’s report, slipped into fourth place on this year’s list. In the textiles category, it came third.
The top 30 list – which includes technology, automobile and personal care firms – features textile and apparel companies including M&S, Gap, Puma, H&M, Zara, New Balance, Esprit, Primark, Asics and Mothercare.
Of the 248 companies assessed overall, at least 37 textile and apparel manufacturers and retailers obtained a CITI score of 10.5 or less out of 100 – suggesting there is still a significant gap in building green supply chains in global operations.
