SUSTAINABILITY
52 our H & M brand and H & M home brand this year [ 2019 ], but we actually had worked with this previously with Arket , one of our smaller brands . The big difference there is that , with Arket , that was very much a manual process . What we have done with the H & M brand is to have this as an automated process based on internal systems . Connecting all the data points we have about the products , where they are made , who has made them , into one layer that can be communicated in a transparent and easy way .” Gedda adds that the firm is keen to continue exploring this strategy , and is committed to continually finding new ways to add value to its product transparency . Informing customers of product composition and sourcing is just one way H & M ’ s strategies have solidified environmental and ethical values throughout its operations , and Gedda was keen to discuss the customerfacing initiatives that emblematise its approach . “ Sustainability , for us , encompasses everything from the environmental work all the way to the social work ,” she says , highlighting the cohesive and group-wide influence
“ We are , of course , super happy to see that more customers are engaged around sustainability , but it hasn ’ t really changed where we ’ re going . What ’ s important for us is to see how we can make it easier for customers to lead more sustainable lives ”
— Anna Gedda , Head of Sustainability , H & M Group
MARCH 2020