Scope 1 Emissions
2022 Communication on Progress
Elevate Textiles, Inc.
Published date
May 26, 2022
No. of questions
66
Supplemental files
Global Code of Conduct_Elevate.pdfCEO Statement
Governance
Policies and Responsibilities
1. Does the Board / highest governance body or most senior executive of the company:
2. Does the company have a publicly stated commitment regarding the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentOur annual Sustainability Report and targets contain our commitments to Labour Rights/Decent Work and Environment.3. Does the company have in place a code of conduct regarding each of the following sustainability topics?
4. Has the company appointed an individual or group responsible for each of the following sustainability topics?
5. Does the company have a formal structure(s) (such as a cross-functional committee) to address each of the following sustainability topics?
Prevention
6. Does the company have a process or processes to assess risk?
6.1. During the assessment of risk, which business relationships are reviewed?
7. Does the company have a due diligence process through which it identifies, prevents, mitigates, and accounts for actual and potential negative impacts on sustainability topics?
7.1. During the due diligence process, which business relationships are reviewed?
Concerns and grievance mechanisms
8. Are there any processes through which members of the company’s workforce can raise concerns about the company’s conduct related to human rights, labour rights, environment, or anti-corruption?
Optional commentDetailed in our Global Code of Conduct.8.1. Please provide additional detail regarding the process(es) the company has through which members of the company’s workforce can raise concerns about the company’s conduct.
9. Does the company provide or enable access to effective remedy to right holders / stakeholders where it has caused or contributed to the adverse impact?
Lessons
10. How does the company capture lessons regarding each of the following sustainability topics?
Executive Pay
11. Is executive pay linked to performance on one or more of the following sustainability topics?
Board Composition
12. Percentage of individuals within the company’s Board / highest governance body by:
13. Do you produce sustainability reporting according to:
Optional commentWe do have a sustainability report but it does not follow a framework.Data Assurance
14. Is the information disclosed in this questionnaire assured by a third-party?
Human Rights
Materiality / Saliency
1. Which of the following has the company identified as material human rights issues connected with its operations and/or value chain, whether based on their salience (i.e., the most severe potential negative impacts on people) or another basis?
Response
8. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the human rights principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
Cone Denim (a brand of Elevate Textiles) utilizes cotton as its primary raw material. Cone Denim completes quarterly verification of cotton origin with our partner, Oritain, in support of our transparency and social responsibility strategies. Using a unique method that incorporates forensic science in order to verify product origin, Oritain analyzes samples across Cone Denim operations to confirm that Cone’s cotton sourcing is not of restricted growth origin with regards to forced labor concerns. Cone has reaffirmed their partnership with Oritain for 2022 and is excited to expand upon its collaboration. As a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Elevate Textiles has committed to evaluating a minimum of 80% of our facilities by production volume against the Higg Facility Social Labor Module (FSLM) each year. In 2021, we surpassed this requirement with 83% of our production evaluated. In 2022, our goal is to reach 100%. By connecting with our facilities in the Higg portal, our customers can see our performance against social responsibility metrics aligned with the ILO and UN Global Compact. We utilize the feedback and benchmarking functions within the tool to improve our practices. We saw continued excellent trends in our Global Safety Incident Rate, achieving DART (Days Away/Restricted or Transfer) rates that were 80% below our comparable industry averages. In 2021, we completed implementation of our digital safety reporting system to allow more immediate communication on incidents and quicker response times for updated training or process solutions. The system is now rolled out globally, giving us the ability to perform data analytics on the types of incidents, causes, and trends related to preventive actions. We use this system alongside our Leading Indicator Index, which is a leading-edge measurement tool developed and enhanced by a local university. The Leading Indicator Index measures preventive actions our facilities take to avoid incidents, rather than a reactive approach. Scores are reviewed by top leadership in the company each month. These strategies help us to focus on preventing accidents and demonstrating clearly that safety is a top priority.Labour
Commitment
1. Does the company have a policy commitment in relation to the following labour rights principles?
1.1. For each labour rights policy, is it:
Optional commentExternal labor rights expertise includes our industry organization involvement (AAFA), and brand/retailer customer codes of conduct.Prevention
2. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following labour rights issues?
3. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with this labour rights issue?
4. Who receives training for the following labour rights issues?
5. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following labour rights issues?
Performance
6. What is the percentage of employees covered under collective bargaining agreements?
7. What is the percentage of employees in a trade union or other workers' organization?
8. In the course of the reporting period, what was the percentage of women in:
9. What was the average ratio of the basic salary and remuneration of women to men (comparing jobs of equal value) during the reporting period?
10. In the course of the reporting period, how frequently were workers injured (injuries per hour worked)?
11. In the course of the reporting period, what was the company’s incident rate?
Optional commentCommon incident rate calculation (incidents x 200,000/total work hours)Response and Reporting
12. In the course of the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy where it has caused or contributed to the adverse impact associated with the following labour rights issues?
13. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the labour rights principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
Global code of conduct in multiple languages; annual training (general and specific); reporting mechanisms; multiple councils across multiple departments and regions regarding the same.Environment
Commitment
1. Does the company have a formal policy on the following environmental topics?
1.1. For each environmental policy, is it:
Prevention
2. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following environmental issues?
Optional commentMembership and participation in the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals and UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action groups.3. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with these environmental topics?
Optional commentAudit referenced is the Higg Facility Environmental Module, conducted at each facility.4. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following environmental topics?
4.1. For each environmental topic in which the company sets timebound goals / targets, what kind of targets has the company set?
4.2. For each environmental topic in which the company sets timebound goals / targets, how is progress against target / goal tracked?
5. In the course of the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy for any actual impacts associated with the following environmental issue(s)?
Optional commentRemedy associated with water is related to closure of a plant with wastewater treatment system.Climate Action
6. What were the company’s gross global greenhouse gas emissions for the reporting period?
Scope 2 Emissions
Scope 3 Emissions
Optional comment2021 emissions have not been updated from original 2019 inventory yet.7. What percentage of the company's revenue was invested in R&D of low-carbon products/services during this reporting period?
8. Has the organization acted to support climate change adaptation and resilience?
Energy / Resource Use
9. Please report the company's renewable energy consumption as a percentage of total energy consumption in the reporting period.
Technology
10. What percent of the company's revenue came from environmentally friendly products / services during this reporting period?
Sector-specific Questions
11. Which sector(s) does the company operate in? If diversified, choose top 3 by revenue.
Sector-specific: Water
12. Please provide details regarding the company's water withdrawal and consumption (own operations) during the reporting period.
Water withdrawal (volume of water in megaliters):
Water consumption (volume of water in megaliters):
Optional commentHigh stress region data includes consumption for all facilities in India and Mexico.13. Please provide details about the company’s water intensity of products in regions with high or extremely high water stress.
Optional commentCubic meter per kilogram production is 0.0408. Could not enter a number less than 1 and do not have metrics in per dollar revenue.Sector-specific: Forest, biodiversity, and land use
14. Please report the number and area (in hectares) of sites owned, leased, or managed by the company in or adjacent to protected areas and/or key biodiversity areas (KBA).
15. What area (in hectares) of natural ecosystems was converted during the reporting period in areas owned, leased, or managed by the company?
16. Is the company supporting or implementing project(s) focused on ecosystem restoration and protection?
Sector-specific: Air pollution
17. Where applicable, please report the company's emissions of the following pollutants during the reporting period.
Optional commentWe track pollutants at plants where this is required, but do not track at a corporation level.Sector-specific: Waste
18. Please report the company's total weight of waste generated in metric tonnes during the reporting period.
Optional commentUsed 2020 data as 2021 was not yet available.19. Please report the percentage of the company's waste that was hazardous waste (i.e., hazardous waste ratio) during the reporting period.
20. Please report the company's estimated metric tonnes of single-use plastic consumed wherever material along the value chain during the reporting period.
Overall Environment
21. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the environment principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
In 2022, we are continuing the essential work of translating our sustainability goals and targets into specific metrics and roadmaps that enable our facilities and business units to visualize and advance their contributions to our overall performance across the company. Our key facility contributions include improving their performance related to energy efficiency and water conservation best practices, taking advantage of opportunities to incorporate renewable energy into our portfolio, and investing in energy efficient machinery as well as in wastewater recycling and reuse technology. An important aspect of transparency for Elevate Textiles is to work closely with our customers and suppliers to share sustainability data and performance of our individual facilities. That is why we are proud members of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and why we enthusiastically endorse and use the Higg Suite of sustainability tools, including the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) and the Higg Facility Social Labor Module (FSLM). It is also why we are proud contributors to the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Programme, and why we have implemented the ZDHC MRSL and Wastewater programs, through which we share critical sustainability data with our customers. We take part in important industry initiatives and commitments, such as the UN Fashion Charter for Climate Action. We enjoy active roles in these organizations, working with our suppliers, competitors, and customers on efforts that help the overall industry improve its sustainability performance.Anti-corruption
Commitment
1. Does the company have an anti-corruption compliance programme?
Optional commentRecorded within our Global Code of Conduct.2. Does your company have policies and recommendations for employees on how to act in case of doubt and/or in situations that may represent a conflict of interest, e.g. with regard to gifts and hospitality, donations, sponsorship, or interactions with public officials?
Prevention
3. Who receives training on anti-corruption and integrity?
Optional commentVendors are required to sign our Vendor Code of Conduct, which includes the same language on anti-corruption as our Code of Conduct.3.1. How often is such training provided?
4. Does the company monitor its anti-corruption compliance programme?
Response and Reporting
5. Please report the company's total number and nature of incidents of corruption during the reporting year.
6. Within the reporting period, what measures has the company taken to address suspected incidents of corruption independently or in response to a dispute or investigation by a government regulator?
7. Does your company engage in Collective Action against corruption?
8. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the anti-corruption principle, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
Global code of conduct in multiple languages; annual training (general and specific); reporting mechanisms; multiple councils across multiple departments and regions regarding the same.