- About Kappahl Group
- Sustainability
- Partnerships & collaborations
Partnerships and collaborations
We work with industry peers, trade unions, and organisations to drive sustainable change in the fashion industry. Here are some of the partnerships we’re part of.
Ethical Trading Initiative
ETI brings together companies, trade unions, and non-governmental organisations to improve working conditions for textile workers.
Organic Cotton Accelerator
Only about one percent of the world’s cotton is organic. Through OCA, we help farmers switch to organic farming and increase its availability.
STICA
Through STICA, we team up with others in the industry to reduce fashion’s impact on the climate.
Cascale
Our partnership with Cascale gives us tools to track and improve sustainability across our supply chain.
- Read more on Better Cotton's websiteWe are members of Better Cotton, a non-profit organization working to improve cotton production worldwide. Better Cotton trains cotton farmers on how to reduce water usage and the most harmful chemicals, while promoting biodiversity.
All our cotton is either organic or from Better Cotton. - Read more on Bris's website (in Swedish)For many years, we have supported organizations that help children and young people in our largest sales countries. In Sweden, we are one of Bris's biggest partners.
Bris receives over 50,000 calls and messages every year from children and young people who need someone to talk to. Many share stories about loneliness, anxiety, and mental health issues. Bris volunteers listen, support, and are there as trusted adults.
Thanks to support from the Kappahl Group and our customers, Bris can, for example, train more volunteers.
Read more about our partnership with Bris - Read more on Canopy's websiteCanopy is a non-profit organization working to protect the world's forests. They collaborate with companies and producers to stop the logging of ancient and endangered forests for the production of paper, packaging, and materials like viscose and rayon.
We have worked with Canopy since 2016 and only use forest-based textiles and materials from manufacturers with their highest rating. This applies to both fibers in our clothes and raw materials for paper and packaging.
Download our commitment to Canopy (PDF, 233 KB) - Read more on Cascale's websiteCascale is a non-profit industry initiative working for a sustainable fashion industry. Cascale is behind the Higg Index, a tool for companies to measure their environmental and social impact throughout the supply chain.
We have been members since 2018 and use the Higg Index to monitor and improve environmental and social effects throughout our entire supply chain.
Download Assurance Statement Higg BRM Kappahl (PDF, 103 KB) - Read more on the Chemicals Group's websiteWe are members of the Chemicals Group, a network for textile and electronics companies run by RISE. The group shares the latest knowledge on chemical and environmental issues with member companies.
- Read more on FDDS's websiteFor many years, we have supported organizations that help children and young people in our largest sales countries. In Poland, we collaborate with the Empowering Children Foundation (Fundacja Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę, FDDS).
FDDS's children and youth helpline receives over 60,000 calls every year from children and young people who need someone to talk to. Many share stories about mental health issues, violence, and abuse. FDDS volunteers listen, support, and help find solutions and trusted adults in the children's environment. The organization also runs a special helpline for Ukrainian children in Poland.
Thanks to support from the Kappahl Group and our customers, FDDS can, for example, train more volunteers.
Read more about our partnership with FDDS (in Polish) - Read more on ETI's websiteWe are members of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), an organization where companies, trade unions, and other stakeholders collaborate to strengthen human rights and sustainable business practices in global supply chains.
Through our membership in ETI, we work with other companies to improve working conditions for textile workers. We also follow ETI's guidelines to ensure sustainable business practices in our supply chain. - Read more on the City Mission's website (in Swedish)The Kappahl Group's headquarters is located just outside Gothenburg in Sweden, and since 2008, we have supported the Gothenburg City Mission (Göteborgs Stadsmission) with clothing and financial support.
The Gothenburg City Mission is a non-profit organization working for a more compassionate society. They offer support and help to people living in homelessness, poverty, or social vulnerability, both with emergency assistance and long-term support. - Read more on the Accord's websiteThe Kappahl Group has signed the international Accord, an agreement between companies and unions to improve the working environment for textile workers in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
As a company, we commit to financing workplace safety improvements at local suppliers and to not purchase from textile factories that do not address workplace safety issues. At the same time, local unions are given the right to participate in safety inspections.
Currently, safety programs are established for Bangladesh and Pakistan, and we have signed both. - Read more on Keep Sweden Tidy's websiteWe donate the surplus from our bag sales to organizations working to reduce littering. In Sweden, we support the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation (Håll Sverige Rent).
During 2024, we contributed 1.7 million Swedish kronor (about 156,000 Euros) to four organizations in our largest sales countries: Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation in Sweden, Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund in Norway, Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association in Finland, and Our Earth Foundation in Poland.
At the same time, we are reducing bag usage – today almost 80 percent of our customers decline a bag and many choose reusable alternatives. - Read more on Keep the Archipelago Tidy's websiteWe donate the surplus from our bag sales to organizations working to reduce littering. In Finland, we support the Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association (Pidä Saaristo Siistinä ry).
During 2024, we contributed 1.7 million Swedish kronor (about 156,000 Euros) to four organizations in our largest sales countries: Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association in Finland, Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation in Sweden, Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund in Norway, and Our Earth Foundation in Poland.
At the same time, we are reducing bag usage – today almost 80 percent of our customers decline a bag and many choose reusable alternatives. - Read more on Kors på halsen's website (in Norwegian)For many years, we have supported organizations that help children and young people in our largest sales countries. In Norway, we collaborate with Kors på halsen, the Red Cross helpline for children and young people.
Kors på halsen receives around 20,000 calls every year from children and young people who need someone to talk to. Many share stories about loneliness, anxiety, and mental health issues. Kors på halsen volunteers listen, support, and are there as trusted adults.
Thanks to support from the Kappahl Group and our customers, Kors på halsen can, for example, train more volunteers.
Read more about our partnership with Kors på halsen (in Norwegian) - Read more on Majblomman's websiteWe have been a proud partner of Majblomman since 2011 and sell May flowers in our stores after children have had their sales. During 2024, together with our customers, we collected over 530,000 Swedish kronor (about 47,000 Euros) for Majblomman's work to reduce child poverty in Sweden. We also contribute with discounted gift cards.
Majblomman is a non-profit children's rights organization that provides financial support to children in families where money is tight. This could be for a pair of soccer shoes, a birthday party, the fee for a recreational activity, or a jacket in the right size. Majblomman also influences political decisions and funds research to combat child poverty in Sweden. - Read more on MLL's websiteFor many years, we have supported organizations that help children and young people in our largest sales countries. In Finland, we collaborate with Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL).
MLL's children and youth helpline receives over 20,000 calls every year from children and young people who need someone to talk to. Many share stories about loneliness, anxiety, and mental health issues. MLL's volunteers listen, support, and are there as trusted adults.
Thanks to support from the Kappahl Group and our customers, MLL can, for example, train more volunteers and extend their opening hours when needed.
Read more about our partnership with MLL (in Finnish) - Read more on Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund's websiteWe donate the surplus from our bag sales to organizations working to reduce littering. In Norway, we support the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund (Handelens Miljøfond).
During 2024, we contributed 1.7 million Swedish kronor (about 156,000 Euros) to four organizations in our largest sales countries: Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund in Norway, Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation in Sweden, Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association in Finland, and Our Earth Foundation in Poland.
At the same time, we are reducing bag usage – today almost 80 percent of our customers decline a bag and many choose reusable alternatives. - Read more on OCA's websiteWe are part of the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) initiative to help increase the availability of organic cotton in the world. We and other participating companies guarantee farmers in OCA's program that we will buy their harvest and pay a slightly higher price for it. OCA supports farmers with training, expert support, and organic cotton seeds.
Cotton from OCA-affiliated growers is either fully GOTS-certified or grown during a transition period, called "in-conversion cotton." In-conversion cotton is grown in the same way as organic cotton and each harvest is inspected by GOTS. The only difference is that the crop is not yet certified. - Read more on Our Earth's website (in Polish)We donate the surplus from our bag sales to organizations working to reduce littering. In Poland, we support the Our Earth Foundation (Fundacja Nasza Ziemia).
During 2024, we contributed 1.7 million Swedish kronor (about 156,000 Euros) to four organizations in our largest sales countries: Our Earth Foundation in Poland, Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation in Sweden, Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund in Norway, and Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association in Finland.
At the same time, we are reducing bag usage – today almost 80 percent of our customers decline a bag and many choose reusable alternatives. - Read more on STICA's websiteWe are co-founders of STICA, Scandinavian Textile Initiative for Climate Action, a collaboration between Scandinavian fashion and textile companies to reduce climate emissions in line with the 1.5-degree target and the Paris Agreement.
As members of STICA, we set science-based targets and plans for reduced emissions and regularly report on progress. - Read more about Swedish Fashion Council on their websiteWe have signed the Swedish Fashion Ethical Charter, a policy for the fashion industry that establishes shared values and guidelines around body ideals, diversity, and workplace issues. By joining this policy, we take active responsibility for the messages and ideals we convey.
The policy was developed by the industry organizations Swedish Fashion Council and Association of Swedish Fashion Brands. The goal is to create common guidelines for social sustainability – both for those working in the fashion industry and for consumers who are influenced by its messages and ideals. - We collaborate with the TCM Foundation in Bangladesh, a non-profit organization working to strengthen women's and children's rights. The Kappahl Group fully finances a training center for women outside Dhaka, run by TCM Foundation.
Here, women are trained in industrial sewing, household economics, and workplace rights. During the training, they receive compensation, and after graduation, all women are offered employment. Since its start in 2009, more than 1,500 women have completed the training and gained the opportunity for a better future. - Read more on Textile Exchange's websiteWe are members of Textile Exchange, a non-profit organization working for a more sustainable global textile value chain. We have been members since 2018 and use Textile Exchange's standards to certify our materials.