LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Selfridges & Co. has announced that it has signed The Fashion Pact, as part of a coalition of 32 global fashion and textile companies, to further its commitment to driving change in the fashion and retail industry in response to the climate emergency. This is the first time that leading players in the fashion and textile sector have pledged to join forces to tackle the impact of the industry on climate change.

The Fashion Pact was launched on Friday August 23rd ahead of the G7 meeting in Biarritz. It was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron, alongside the 32 signatories, all of which have committed to achieving practical objectives together in three areas: climate, biodiversity and oceans.

The Fashion Pact’s objectives draw on the Science-Based Targets (SBT1) initiative, which focuses on action in three essential areas for safeguarding the planet:

Stop global warming: by creating and deploying an action plan for achieving the objective of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in order to keep global warming below a 1.5°C pathway between now and 2100.

Restore biodiversity: by achieving objectives that use Science-Based Targets to restore natural ecosystems and protect species.

Protect the oceans: by reducing the fashion industry’s negative impact on the world’s oceans through practical initiatives, such as gradually removing the usage of single-use plastics.

Simon Forster, Managing Director at Selfridges & Co. said: “This is an historic moment for the fashion industry – marking a coming together to acknowledge our collective role in tackling the environmental crisis our planet faces. This is an important milestone on a journey we are already taking, as our Buying Better, Inspiring Change approach continues to sit at the heart of our business strategy and we continue to work towards ambitious sustainability commitments."

The announcement comes amid a growing appetite for information on sustainability from Selfridges customers. According to Selfridges’ research2, almost three quarters (72%) of its customers want more information on sustainability from individual brands and 69% want more information on individual products. The research also revealed that 86% of customers think it’s important for retailers to show a genuine commitment to sustainability.

The Fashion Pact is open to any company that wants to help to fundamentally transform the practices of the fashion and textile industry, and to meet the environmental challenges of our century.

Read the full text of the Fashion Pact

To date, The Fashion Pact coalition comprises (in alphabetical order):

ADIDAS, BESTSELLER, BURBERRY, CAPRI HOLDINGS LIMITED, CARREFOUR, CHANEL, ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA, EVERYBODY & EVERYONE, FASHION3, FUNG GROUP, GALERIES LAFAYETTE, GAP Inc., GIORGIO ARMANI, H&M GROUP, HERMES, INDITEX, KARL LAGERFELD, KERING, LA REDOUTE, MATCHESFASHION.COM, MONCLER, NIKE, NORDSTROM, PRADA GROUP, PUMA, PVH Corp., RALPH LAUREN, RUYI, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, SELFRIDGES GROUP, STELLA MCCARTNEY, TAPESTRY.

- ENDS ­-

Notes to editors:

*Customer research conducted online by A Bird’s Eye View, in November 2018 surveying 1,100 Selfridges customers (random selection)

Buying Better, Inspiring Change

Through Buying Better, Inspiring Change, Selfridges now leads a retail revolution by pledging to raise the ethical standards of at least 50% of the products it sells across all its departments by 2022. “Buying Better Inspiring Change” is at the heart of the Selfridges Strategy.

Based on Goal 12 of the UN Global Goals – Responsible Consumption and Production - we look at the impact of our operation and how we buy, sell, build, work and ship.

Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and the second largest consumer of water. Making textiles uses water, energy, chemicals, and other resources that most people don’t think about, or ever see. We know our customers care and want us to highlight brands who put sustainability at the heart of everything they do.

We focus on our partners (these are all the brands we work with) because we know that by working as one we can co-create a step change in ethical trade across fashion, food and beauty.

Key Selfridges sustainability milestones:

2019

Launched six new labelling categories as part of the Buying Better labelling scheme

Committed to removing all exotic skins by 2020

Removed all Palm Oil from its own label products

2018

Removed all single use plastic carbonated drinks

2017

Removed all plastic straws from Food Halls, concessions and restaurants

Converted to green electricity

Launched a partnership with Positive Luxury

Launched CupCycling initiative (coffee cups are recycled and turned into Selfridges shopping bags)

Launch of Buying Better labelling (cotton, denim, British makers)

Won National CSR award and Better Society Award for our partnership with ZSL, and TVE award for Material World film

2016

Removed microbeads from all beauty products

With ZSL and partners, launched #OneLess campaign

Second Carbon Trust triple standard

Won IGDS award for best sustainable department store

2015

Removed all single-use plastic water bottles

Removed all plastic carrier bags

2014

First department store to be awarded and retain The Carbon Trust Triple Standard for reduction in energy, water and improved waste management

2013

Selfridges banned squalene from all beauty products in the Beauty Hal

2012

Selfridges co-founded the Marine Reserves Coalition, which has now evolved into the Great British Oceans coalition (including the Zoological Society of London, Greenpeace, Marine Conservation Society, Pew Charitable Trust, RSPB and Blue Marine Foundation

2011

Selfridges launched Project Ocean

2009

Selfridges banned the sale of foie gras

2005

Selfridges became fur free

1 The aim of the SBT initiative is to match companies’ objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions with the data provided by climate science.

2 Customer research conducted online by A Bird’s Eye View, in November 2018 surveying 1,100 Selfridges customers (random selection)