// Sportswear & outdoor retailers ranked the most transparent in annual Fashion Transparency Index
// Index scores fashion brands according to how much info they disclose on sustainability practices
// Adidas, Reebok & Patagonia topped the index, each scoring 64%
Sportswear retailers have taken the lead in terms of social and environmental transparency and practices for the third consecutive year.
According to the annual Fashion Transparency Index, sportswear and outdoor retailers have been ranked as the most transparent.
It marks the first year a retailer scored more than 60 per cent on the index.
The index aims to rate brands’ public disclosure across five key areas: policy and commitments, governance, supply chain traceability, supplier assessment and remediation.
Adidas, Reebok and Patagonia topped the index, each scoring 64 per cent out of a possible 250 points, while Esprit and H&M scored in the 61-70 per cent bracket.
Meanwhile, Asos, Puma, Nike, Converse, The North Face, Timberland, Vans and Marks & Spencer all scored 51-60 per cent.
The index this year looked at “spotlight issues” of gender equality, decent work, climate action, responsible consumption and production and climate action.
The report also found that some retailers were disclosing “very little” about their efforts in achieving gender equality.
A total of 98 brands have been reviewed over the past three years, and there has been an 8.9 per cent rise in the average score since.
However, none of the brands had scored over 70 per cent, and report author Sarah Ditty said brands still needed to improve in terms of transparency.
“The average score amongst the biggest fashion brands and retailers is just 21 per cent, showing that there are still far too many big brands lagging behind,” she said.
“Major brands are disclosing very little information and data about their purchasing practices, which means that we still don’t have visibility into what brands are doing to be responsible business partners to their suppliers.”
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