Have you heard of biodiversity? Simply put, it’s a term to describe all the different plants, animals and microorganisms living on Earth, and the ecosystems they form. And it’s these diverse ecosystems that play a key role in making sure we have clean water and food.
Unfortunately, the fashion industry isn’t too good for biodiversity. Everything from producing raw materials to yarn production to transportation has an impact on the environment. While it’ll take an industry-wide shift to change fashion, we at H&M are committed to reducing our own negative impact. So, we're cleaning up.
By avoiding harmful chemicals, fossil-based energy sources and single-use packaging, we can help protect our water, air and soil. That’s why we’ve set some ambitious goals: to halve our emissions by 2030 and reach a net-zero impact by 2040. These goals are based on the latest science and aligned with the Paris Agreement, which states that we must keep temperature rise to 1.5° to ensure the health of our planet. To do this, we’re exploring new, more sustainable ways to make, transport and package our products.
Together with organisations such as WWF and Solidaridad, we also want to set a new water standard across the entire fashion industry. It takes 7,000 litres of water to create just one pair of jeans (that’s enough drinking water to meet one person’s need for seven years), so it’s crucial that every precious drop is used carefully. How will we do this? By cutting out unnecessary washes during dyeing, training our staff and suppliers on minimising water use, and encouraging farmers to use fewer chemicals. We’re also pushing for stronger policies to restore and protect rivers and freshwater in countries such as Turkey and Bangladesh.