Sustainability Works Best in a Strong Network

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We have set the bar high, but we can’t achieve it all alone. We can only be strong and successful when we join forces. That’s why we work together with international partner organizations when it comes to ecological, social, and ethical issues and standards.

A Member Since 2022

Fair Wear Foundation

We believe that fashion should be fair. That’s why we have been an official member of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) since 2022.

The Fair Wear Foundation is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder initiative, which is committed to ensuring that communication on production and supply chains is more transparent and that working conditions are improved for workers. That is why we are working intensively together with the Fair Wear Foundation on our Social Program.

Once a year, the Fair Wear Foundation checks the status of all its member brands. The S.OLIVER GROUP went through this Brand Performance Check for the first time in 2023. The result: Fair Wear rates us with "Good"! Here you can find the report.

A Member Since 2013

The International Accord

We want to guarantee safety in the workplace for all employees in our supply chain. For this reason, we have been a member of the International Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry (ACCORD), formally known as the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, since 2013.

Since the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in 2013, in which 1,134 factory workers lost their lives, Accord has been advocating fire, electricity, and building safety in the garment industry. The accord, originally limited to Bangladesh, was renewed in 2021 with a commitment to extend its work to other countries. As a member of the accord, we will continue our efforts to improve the safety standards in the factories of our international supplier companies in order to guarantee safety in the workplace for all workers who are involved in the manufacture of our products.

A Member Since 2015

The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles

We are working towards improving production conditions in the international textile supply chains in the long term. For this reason, we have been a member of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles since 2015.

In this multi-stakeholder initiative, we work with a range of specialist groups which tackle issues such as social standards, more sustainable cotton, animal welfare, waste water management, and transparency in the supply chain. Furthermore, as a member of the Partnership, we set ourselves individual corporate goals in the area of sustainability, for which we produce an annual report.

A Member Since 2022

Textile Exchange

We want to reduce the negative impact of the textile industry on people, the environment, and animals and to bring about positive effects instead. In order to get closer to achieving this goal, we have been a member of Textile Exchange since 2022.

Textile Exchange is a global non-profit organization which works closely together with its members in order to drive a change in the industry towards more responsible fibers, integrity, standards, and supply networks.

Through the use of established standards (especially GRS and OCS), as part of this exchange, we are helping to shape this change in the textile industry.

A Member Since 2019

Better Cotton Initiative

A key partner of ours in the area of cotton is Better Cotton. Growers licensed to sell Better Cotton in the supply chain must meet minimum social and environmental criteria and demonstrate continuous improvement in this regard. In terms of the environment, Better Cotton is characterized, for example, by reduced pesticide use, better water efficiency, and a cultivation method that prioritizes preserving soil fertility and biodiversity.

You can find an overview of the Better Cotton Criteria here. The cotton is fed into our supply chain on the basis of the mass balance system.

A Partner Since 2009

Cotton made in Africa

We want cotton cultivation to be structured more sustainably. In order to drive this development on the African cotton market as well, we have been a partner of Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) since 2009. 

This initiative from the Aid by Trade Foundation advocates for the more sustainable cultivation of cotton by African smallholder farmers. We are introducing CmiA cotton into our procurement mix and integrating it into our production chain according to the principle of mass balancing. In doing so, we are making a direct contribution towards helping people help themselves. We are promoting socially and ecologically sustainable cotton production in our African partner countries, and actively supporting village communities.

A Member Since 2021

The Good Cashmere Standard®

We have been part of The Good Cashmere Standard® (GCS) initiative since 2021.  

The GCS is an independent standard with a focus on animal welfare and standards for keeping cashmere goats. Furthermore, the GCS also focuses on social, economic, and ecological criteria in cashmere production. In the process, we are supporting the living conditions of farmers in Inner Mongolia while reducing negative effects on the environment at the same time.  

Signatory Since 2006

Fur Free Retailer

As part of the Fur Free Retailer Program, we banned real fur and real fur trims from all of our collections as early as 2006.

The Fur Free Retailer Program is represented in Germany by the animal welfare organization “FOUR PAWS” with the goal of raising awareness of ethical consumption among customers.

A Member Since 2007

AFIRM Group

We advocate reducing the usage and effects of potentially harmful substances in global textile supply chains. That’s why we are a member of the AFIRM Group.

A Partner Since 2010

Save the Children

We want to improve future prospects and working conditions for young adults. That’s why we have been working with Save the Children since 2010. 

In partnership with the children’s rights organization, we already implemented the joint “Work2Learn Advanced” project from 2010 to 2020, which improved the working conditions of young people in Dhaka (Bangladesh). Within the scope of a nine-month vocational training course in the textile industry, they were not only given further professional training, but were also educated on their rights as employees. Upon completing the training course, they received an internship with the subsequent option of a permanent entry into the textile industry.  

We have continued to systematically pursue this program together with Save the Children since 2022. As part of the “Young Workers Development Program,” we are expanding our joint cooperation and reviewing our child labor prevention and relief policies. We are also developing processes to integrate these guidelines into our business processes in a sustainable way. A further component of our partnership with Save the Children is the implementation of more family-friendly workplaces in factories in Bangladesh in order to improve the quality of life of workers and their families.