H&M Group sets the foundation for its biodiversity work

Today WWF has published its flagship Living Planet Report, a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. This year’s report provides scientific evidence to what nature has been telling us repeatedly: unsustainable human activity – today world citizens live as if we had 1.6 globes at our disposal – is pushing the planet’s natural systems that support life on Earth to the edge. In this context, Environmental Sustainability Manager Cecilia Brännsten presents H&M Group’s ambition for biodiversity. 

A thriving fashion industry is undeniably dependent on healthy ecosystems and climate change kept within safe planetary boundaries.

Cecilia Brännsten, Environmental Sustainability Manager H&M Group

Cecilia adds: “When using the land for cultivating the cotton to make our customers’ favourite garments, regenerative farming is the future. When washing and dyeing the customers favorite jeans the soil and water should be left unharmed. Our ambition for biodiversity, together with our climate strategy, will help us in our work to relieve the planet from critical pressure, creating a more resilient supply chain and business”.

It is extremely important that businesses start taking action to fight biodiversity loss, as they have a powerful role to play in bending the curve and investing in nature. We salute H&M’s holistic approach to manage their impact and dependence on biodiversity and hope that other companies will follow their example.

Erika Sundell, Head of Corporate Partnerships at WWF Sweden

H&M Group’s long-term vision is to have a net positive impact on biodiversity. That means not only avoiding and mitigating harm, but leaving the natural environment in a better state than beforehand through habitat restoration and protection.

In order to achieve this, H&M Group has set two objectives: 

1. To prevent and reduce the company’s overall impact on biodiversity and natural ecosystems in our value chain.
2. Help to protect and restore biodiversity and natural ecosystems in line with what science requires*. 

The base for H&M Group’s ambition on biodiversity started with a biodiversity footprint assessment to identify the biggest impact areas of our business. The next step is now to align and formalise goals. Looking ahead, the company will continue to:

• cooperate with WWF through a specific biodiversity workstream,
• work on biodiversity traceability strategy to measure progress,
• participate in forums and cooperating with organisations driving work in the area of biodiversity. 

 

*Science currently calls for action to ensure that 50% of the Earth’s surface is protected, restored and sustainably managed by 2030, with 30% of the area being fully protected and 20% sustainably managed.