H&M launches initiatives to protect migrant workers, boost green delivery

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Dec 10, 2019

H&M has this week announced two initiatives that further its green and ethical credentials as the company continues with its goal of being one of the most ethical/sustainable operating in the mass-market fashion retail sector today.

On Tuesday, it said that customers in the Netherlands can now have their online purchases delivered by bicycle. The delivery option is in a test stage at the moment but the company said that “we want to use our size and scale to drive positive change towards climate-smart solutions and are so excited about this test”.

It has teamed up with Fietskoeriers.nl, which covers about 30 cities in the country. Fietskoeriers picks up the parcels at H&M’s warehouse with biogas vehicles and then delivers them by bicycle from local hubs. The new service is a next-day delivery option and priced the same as its regular next-day delivery.

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It added that “with a growing online business, transport is becoming an increasingly important focus area for us. We want to ensure that our logistics is as energy efficient as possible as our aim is to become climate-positive by 2040. This means that we will work to reduce more greenhouse gas emissions than our value chain emits”.

Meanwhile on Monday, the group linked with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to “promote cooperation in relation to ethical recruitment and protection of migrant workers in global supply chains”.

The UN Sustainable Development Goal “Reduce inequality” calls out migrant workers as a key target for action, and the two said that by joining forces, they “can more effectively address and take action on the challenges connected to this area. The collaboration aims at strengthening the protection of migrant workers, including improvement of recruitment practices and of employment of migrants”.

“We see a need to collectively advocate for improved legislation and cross-border regulations, and at the same time continue working on the ground, together with our business partners and other brands,” said H&M Group’s sustainability chief Anna Gedda.