PVH Corp. has expanded its engagement with the United Nations by signing onto the UN Global Compact, joining more than 9,000 corporate members in recognizing business’s ability to lead change on the global sustainable development agenda, with a focus on the apparel industry.
PVH and its Tommy Hilfiger business have also signed the CEO Water Mandate, an initiative to mobilize business leaders to advance water stewardship and to improve access to clean water and sanitation. Earlier this year, PVH signed the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles to reinforce its commitment to gender equality in the workplace.
“The world is changing rapidly. We recognize both the opportunity and the responsibility for business to take a lead role in addressing pressing global issues. We believe that by partnering with the United Nations through our commitment to the UN Global Compact, CEO Water Mandate and Women’s Empowerment Principles, we can better drive progress in the areas that matter most to our business, our industry and the world more broadly,” said PVH Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Emanuel Chirico.
PVH has a strong history of leadership on Corporate Responsibility (CR) issues. This year, PVH celebrated the 25th anniversary of A Shared Commitment, its code of conduct for business partners, which helped usher in a new era of social compliance in the apparel industry when it was published in 1991. PVH has also been an affiliate of the Fair Labor Association, a multi-stakeholder initiative uniting companies, universities and civil society organizations to protect workers’ rights and find solutions to industry-wide labor issues, since its inception. In 2016, PVH achieved FLA re-accreditation of its CR program, reaffirming the strength of the systems and procedures required for successfully upholding fair labor standards throughout its supply chain.
Earlier this year, PVH launched an enhanced global CR strategy structured with 10 commitments across three key focus areas: empowering people; preserving the environment; and supporting communities. The strategies support 14 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, covering issues such as building safety, chemical management, greenhouse gases, inclusion and diversity, and supporting the needs of women and children.
Water is an area of increasing importance for the apparel industry and, following Tommy Hilfiger’s pioneering work on water through its multi-year partnership with WWF International, PVH will work in alignment with the CEO Water Mandate to drive progress on its goal to safeguard and preserve water resources. Tommy Hilfiger has also signed the CEO Water Mandate to reaffirm its commitment to responsible water usage and stewardship, which are key components of its Sustainable Evolutionstrategy.
For more information on PVH’s corporate responsibility program, visit http://www.pvh.com/cr.
PVH owns the Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, Speedo, Warner’s and Olga brands and market a variety of goods under these and other nationally and internationally known owned and licensed brands. The Speedo brand is licensed for North America and the Caribbean in perpetuity from Speedo International, Ltd.
