Our commitments
Responsible fashion means taking responsibility all along the chain – from manufacturing to recycling. One of the advantages of the work we do is that it gives us the chance to contribute to social development. In many instances, in alliance with our colleagues in the fashion industry, because we know that progress means partnering.
In addition to Kappahl’s own initiatives, we actively support a large number of organisations campaigning for sustainable development for the textile industry and those who work in it. We also support organisations working for a cleaner environment, and those campaigning for the rights of people at risk in society, and for the right of children to just be children, in Europe and globally.
Join us – for strength in numbers!
Kappahl Responsible Actions
Our efforts to contribute to long-term sustainable development in society are grouped under the banner Kappahl Responsible Actions. One of our projects is an training centre for women in Bangladesh, and we are also campaigning for more sustainable cotton farming.
The funds donated via Responsible Actions are raised from different parts of Kappahl’s operations, in which customer donations make a big difference. One example is that the proceeds of our One Bag Habit scheme are donated in full to sustainable development projects in the countries where we operate. In our Fine as I am campaign, our customers’ donations also make a vital difference.
Learn more about our fundraising over the last year, and where the money goes in our Sustainability Report.
These are the organisations supported by Kappahl Responsible Actions:
Children’s Rights in Society (Sweden) is a politically independent, non-denominational children’s rights organisation that listens to, supports and improves children’s and young people’s rights in society. The organisation offers children and adolescents safe, anonymous and free counselling by email, chat or phone. The callers are minors who have suffered physical or mental abuse or who for any other reason need the support and advice of a knowledgeable and caring adult. Bris is the Swedish children’s rights organisation Kappahl supports via its Fine as I am campaign.
Read more about Bris here.
Kors på Halsen (Norway) is the Norwegian children’s rights organisation run by the Norwegian Red Cross. The organisation offers free, anonymous counselling to children and young people from 200 voluntary, highly-trained adults, covering concerns and problems on every scale. The organisation listens, supports and inspires hope in supplement to public-sector support. Kors på Halsen is the Norwegian children’s rights organisation Kappahl supports through its Fine as I am campaign.
Read more about Kors på Halsen here.
The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (Finland) campaigns for the welfare of children and families, to increase respect for the rights of the child and to lobby for the perspective of the child in public policy-making. The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare is the Finnish children’s rights organisation Kappahl supports through its Fine as I am campaign.
Read more about Mannerheimförbundet here.
Empowering Children Foundation (Polen) was established in 1991. The Foundation campaigns for children and the rights of the child, and its services include national helplines for children and young people. The Empowering Children Foundation is the Polish children’s rights organisation Kappahl supports through its Fine as I am campaign.
Read more about Empowering Children Foundation here.
The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation campaigns to reduce littering, increase recycling and promote personal and organisational environmental responsibility by educating children and young people in environmental awareness. The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation is the Swedish environmental organisation Kappahl supports through its One Bag Habit initiative.
Read more about Håll Sverige Rent here.
The Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund is an alliance of Norwegian retailers working to reduce the use of plastic carrier bags and general littering. Handelens Miljøfond is the Norwegian environmental organisation Kappahl supports through its One Bag Habit initiative.
Read more about Handelens Miljøfond here.
The Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association campaigns to keep the Finnish coastlines, lakes, beaches and archipelago clean, and seeks solutions to make recreational boating and port and marina operations more eco-friendly. The Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association is the Finnish environmental organisation Kappahl supports through its One Bag Habit initiative.
Read more about Håll Skärgården Ren here.
Our Earth Foundation focuses primarily on eco-education, and runs projects to raise awareness of environmental protection and sustainable development. Nasza Ziemia is the Polish environmental organisation Kappahl supports through its One Bag Habit initiative.
Read more about Nasza Ziemia here.
The Hunger Project is an NGO campaigning to eliminate hunger and poverty. With women in focus, they offer education and empower people to take control of social development and eliminate famine. The aim is to help people to become self-sufficient to the stage where The Hunger Project is no longer needed.
Read more about The Hunger Project here.
TCM Bangladesh campaigns for the rights of children and women in Bangladesh. The day-to-day activities at Kappahl’s sewing training center in Dhaka, Bangladesh are run by this NGO. At the training center, the underprivileged women are offered technical training on industrial sewing machine operation and they are also educated on their rights and responsibilities as basic life skills i.e. health and hygiene, financial literacy, decision making, life planning, etc. This training enables them to work in the export-oriented readymade garments industry and thereby provide for themselves and their family. Kappahl also supports the pre-primary and primary education centers for marginalized children run by TCM Bangladesh.
Read more about TCM Bangladesh here.
Göteborgs Stadsmission - Gothenburg City Mission helps people in distress in the Gothenburg district of Sweden. Through voluntary work, this NGO carries out a diverse range of activities for the benefit of socially disadvantaged people.
Read more about Göteborgs Stadsmission here.
Majblomman is a Swedish charity that for more than a century has partnered with organisations serving the interests of children through lobbying activities calling for policy-makers to interpret the law from the perspective of the child. Children who sell the annual “Mayflower” charity pin get to keep the proceeds as a token of their empowerment.
Read more about Majblomman here.
ERIKS carries out initiatives for education, health and safety to give children and adolescents around the world a brighter future. The organisation has many offshoots, including charity shops, projects and material aid in developing countries.
Read more about Erikshjälpen here.
Faktum was founded in 2001 and is a newspaper sold by homeless people. The vendors sell the paper to earn money, but also as a way of taking responsibility, planning their day, and achieving a routine and social interaction. Faktum also hosts an annual stage show and football championships for homeless people in Gothenburg.
Read more about Tidningen Faktum here.
Other organisations we are active members of:
Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is a leading alliance for businesses, trade associations and NGOs campaigning for worker rights. Kappahl has been a member since 2016. We comply with the ETI’s guidelines and engage within its network for joint action on manufacturing-chain challenges though social dialogue, the right to collective bargaining and the rights of migrant workers.
Read more about Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) here.
Textile Exchange is a global non-profit organisation dedicated to driving industry transformation in textile fibres, integrity and standards and responsible supply networks. They identify and share best practice on agriculture, materials, processes, traceability and lifespan in order to reduce the textile industry’s adverse impact on people and the environment. Kappahl has been a member since 2018 and uses Textile Exchange’s standards in product development.
Read more about Textile Exchange here.
Stica, Swedish Textile Initiative for Climate Action, was launched jointly by Peak Performance, H&M, Sustainable Fashion Academy, Elco and Kappahl in 2018. Any Swedish textile and fashion organisation can join Stica, on condition that it commit to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions in line with the 1.5°C target and the Paris Agreement. Stica is committed to serving as an action learning network, where members are allied in sharing knowledge and implementing solutions for achieving sustainable change. At Kappahl, we have produced a roadmap for our future strategy to reduce carbon emissions in our value chain by half by 2030. Our progress can be followed in our annual sustainability report.
Read more about Stica here.
SAC, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, is an organisation working for a sustainable fashion industry. SAC’s Higg Index is a suite of tools for measuring and scoring supplier and product sustainability performance and contributes to long-term sustainable improvements for factory workers, communities and the environment. Through harmonised working methods and processes, the industry will also provide the transparency that is increasingly being demanded by consumers. We joined SAC in 2018.
Read more about SAC here.
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is the non-profit organisation that created the global Better Cotton standard for more sustainable cotton production. Kappahl has been an active member since 2011. BCI works holistically across the cotton supply chain, from smallholder farmers to retailers, advising cotton growers on reduced use of water and pesticides for their crops.
Read more about Better Cotton Initiative here.
Canopy works with brands globally to protect the world’s forests, species and climate. The aim is to create sustainable supply chains for viscose and other textile materials from forests, and to promote innovative solutions to environmental challenges. Kappahl has been a member since 2016 and is working towards exclusively using viscose fibre from sustainably managed forests.
Read more about Canopy here.
Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) unites key industry players committed to taking collective action to grow a prosperous organic cotton sector that benefits everyone – from farmer to consumer. It does this by working for increased transparency, methods for measuring environmental impact and social aspects and new work processes linked to agriculture and purchasing. Kappahl has been part of this network since 2016.
Read more about Organic Cotton Accelerator here.
International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry was established to guarantee occupational health and safety for millions of textile and garment industry workers in Bangladesh, and in future, in additional countries. Since 2013, Kappahl has been part of the movement in alliance with more than 200 international counterparts representing our sector, trade unions and employee organisations.
Read more about the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry here.
The Chemical Group at RISE is a knowledge-building network offering guidelines on chemicals restrictions and strategies. Experts share legal requirements and break down complex information to make it easily understood for use in a company’s day-to-day work with chemicals. Our affiliation with this group makes Kappahl better informed in laying down strict requirements regarding chemicals management for sub-suppliers and in responding to questions from both consumers and news media.
Read more about The Chemical Group at RISE here.
Agenda 2030 i Väst is an open network forum for trade and industry, academia, the public sector and non-governmental sector in West Sweden established in support of the UN Global Goals. Read more here (in Swedish).
Regulations we follow:
United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Since 2016, Kappahl has based its sustainability efforts on the UN Agenda 2030 and its 17 goals for sustainable development. The goals have been adopted by member states around the globe to reduce poverty, protect the planet and bring prosperity to all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. As a global company within the private sector, Kappahl is working to achieve the UN goals.
Read more here.
ILO – Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
Our Sustainability Commitment (previously Code of Conduct) is based on the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work: promoting rights, fair employment prospects, improving welfare protection and strengthening dialogue on work-related concerns. The rights are universal and apply to people worldwide, regardless of their national economy. The declaration emphasises that economic growth alone is no guarantee of non-discrimination and social progress. Kappahl commits to respecting human rights in our Human Rights Policy.
Read more here.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
GRI is an international organisation that helps businesses and governments understand and communicate their impact on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, and human rights. Kappahl reports annually on its sustainability in accordance with GRI’s standards core.
Read more here.
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
OECD has laid down guidelines on responsible corporate conduct for multinational enterprises. Kappahl abides by the guidelines and takes actions to detect and prevent any adverse impacts in our activities and processes.
Read more here.
Transparency Pledge is a wide-ranging coalition of large global organisations (Human Rights Watch, IndustryAll, Clean Clothes Campaign and more) that works to promote transparency in the fashion industry’s supply chains. Here at Kappahl, we have been publishing our lists of suppliers on our website since 2013 and we are also working on a range of solutions for increased transparency. To make our commitment clear, we joined Transparency Pledge in autumn 2019, which means that we comply with their transparency requirements relating to the supply chain.
Read more about Transparency Pledge.