Strategy and Reporting

SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY

Our approach to sustainability has evolved and improved over the years, our long-term focus includes key sustainability priorities specified in goals for 2025 and long-term ambitions for 2030. These are commitments built on many foundations, such as our risk assessments covering the different phases of our value chain and the use of sustainable materials in our collection. Working with different industry partners and tools such as the Higg Index of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and the programs of Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals with our suppliers, has ensured that we can measure and track impact, and scale across our value chain. We report annually on our progress and achievement through the G-Star RAW Sustainability report. Read our Sustainability Report of 2023.

Strategic framework

Goals & Ambitions

*The Science Based Targets initiative has approved G-Star's near-term science-based emissions reduction target. G-Star commits to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions 42% by 2030 from a 2021 baseline. G-Star also commits to reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services and upstream transportation and distribution 42% within the same timeframe.

Risk Assessment

To better understand the potential risks and impacts, we assess them across the lifecycle stages of our garments. We also assess each of our production countries based on their national regulations/laws, cultural, social and economic challenges.

This is why we make assessments aligned with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector, as reflected in our Sustainability Strategy, Supplier Code of Conduct, Sustainable Supply Chain Handbook, Social and Labor Guidelines and our UK Modern Slavery Act Statement (see downloads).

Governance

Our Sustainability Department implements the Sustainability Strategy within and beyond our own operations. The team specializes in social and environmental sustainability across the supply chain and has a presence across the Netherlands and Asia. An important company focus is to further integrate our sustainability work throughout our organization. The departments that are actively involved in carrying out our sustainability strategy include Design, Product Development, Merchandise, Purchasing & Pricing, Quality Assurance, Sourcing, Logistics, Marketing, Communications and Sustainability.

Partners

• ACT (Action, Collaboration, Transformation)
• ACCORD on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh
• Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)
• Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textiles (AGT)
• Plastic Soup Foundation
• Social & Labor Convergence Project
• Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC)
• Textile Exchange
• UN Fashion Charter
• Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Initiative (ZDHC)

REPORTING AND TRANSPARENCY

To deliver on our strategy, we enable external stakeholders to hold us accountable when it comes to assessing our data-backed sustainability performance. This includes transparent reporting.

Our first sustainability scorecard was developed with MADE-BY in 2013, and we progressed to a MODE tracker disclosure in 2015 until 2017. Since 2018 we have reported using the Higg Brand and Retail ‘Beta’ Module (BRM). This is the most commonly used tool in the apparel sector to measure the environmental and social impacts, enabling meaningful improvements.

Since 2020, we annually publish a Sustainability Report that meets the reporting requirements of the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile, of which we are a signatory, and follows the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector.

Our latest Sustainability Report focuses on the sustainability progress made in 2023, the planned actions for 2024 and our long-term goals and ambitions for 2025 and 2030.

In the future, we will use the Higg BRM to track, measure and share the social and environmental impact of our value chain. G-Star’s annual sustainability report will reflect on our yearly performances regarding our strategy, including our goals and ambitions, while also determining the future approach.

Providing oversight of the supply chain is part of our commitment to the apparel sector’s Transparency Pledge. For five years, we have made our Manufacturing Map public – so anyone can trace the origin of a G-Star product, now covering approximately 95% of our production volume (this differs per season). In addition to the map, we publish further detail on our direct suppliers, processing facilities and nominated fabric mills in our Manufacturing List, which is available on the Open Apparel Registry, an open source tool, which maps garment factories worldwide.