FfB Foundation: FABRIC initiative engages 16 major textiles and apparel companies
The Finance for Biodiversity (FfB) Foundation’s FABRIC (Fostering Action on Biodiversity through Responsible Investment in Clothing) collaborative engagement initiative has taken a first step towards reshaping the textiles and apparel sector by engaging 16 globally recognised companies with substantial nature-related impacts and dependencies.
Investors involved in the FABRIC initiative have formally reached out to the following companies:
- Adidas
- Birkenstock
- Brunello Cucinelli
- Fast Retailing Co. Ltd
- H&M
- Hermes
- Hugo Boss
- Inditex
- Kering
- LVMH
- Moncler
- Nike
- PVH
- Ross Stores
- TJX
- VF Corp
These companies represent key players across luxury, fast fashion, sportswear, footwear, and apparel retailing—sub-sectors that collectively contribute to biodiversity loss through their supply chains, production processes, and waste generation.
The outreach, which is being conducted by a group of 16 investor members of the FfB Foundation, including Achmea Investment Management, Aéma Groupe,
CDC Croissance, Domini Impact Investments LLC, EOS at Federated Hermes Limited, LBP AM, ODDO BHF Asset Management, Ofi Invest AM, Pictet Group, Robeco, Sycomore AM, Swedbank Robur and Vancity Investment Management, follows extensive analysis conducted by the FfB Foundation, combined with insights from non-profit think-tank Planet Tracker. The targeted companies were identified based on their environmental impact, supply chain footprint and investor interest within the FfB Engagement with Companies Working Group.
Peter van der Werf, Head of Active Ownership at Robeco, said: 'As part of Robeco's commitment to creating both wealth and well-being, we are proud to support the FABRIC initiative. By engaging on behalf of our Fashion Engagement equities strategy with key players in the textiles and apparel sector, we aim to address the risks associated with unsustainable business practices. This collaborative effort is essential in balancing our clients' goals of return, risk, and sustainability, while aligning with global sustainability and biodiversity objectives.'
Léa Bozzi, Stewardship Coordinator for Ofi Invest AM, said: 'For Ofi Invest AM, it is essential to make informed and responsible investment choices, in accordance with the societal commitments and values upheld by Aéma Groupe. Through this initiative, we encourage players in the textile and luxury sectors to assess the dependencies and impacts of their activities and value chains on nature. We also encourage them to adapt their business models to reduce deforestation risks and promote ecosystem preservation.'
Clémence Bourcet, SRI Analyst, Sycomore Asset Management, commented: 'Shareholder engagement is pivotal to Sycomore AM's responsible investor mission. Considering the high materiality of biodiversity for the textiles and apparel sector, we believe that the FABRIC initiative is an opportunity to join forces with other investors and engage with key players of the sector. Through dialogue, we aim at encouraging them to broaden their integration of biodiversity-related issues in their operations and supply chain.'
Anita de Horde, Executive Founder, FfB Foundation, added: 'We believe that the sustainable transformation of companies in the textiles and apparel industry is critical to achieving global biodiversity goals. This requires embedding biodiversity into business strategies, alongside a deeper understanding of supply chain impacts and dependencies on nature. Through FABRIC, we are supporting the finance sector to play a leading role in steering the clothing industry towards more sustainable practices, ensuring a healthier planet for future generations.'
Why the textiles and apparel sector?
The textiles and apparel industry is one of the most environmentally impactful sectors globally. It is responsible for:
- 10% of global carbon emissions and 35% of primary microplastic pollution
- Approximately 20% of global water pollution from dyeing and finishing processes
- The excessive use of natural resources, including the 3,781 litres of water required to produce a single pair of jeans
Given these challenges, the FABRIC initiative focuses on supporting investors in engaging with companies active in the sector, to encourage them to embed nature-positive strategies into their business operations and thereby support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s mission to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
A Call for Industry Action
Through the FABRIC Investor Expectations Document, investors are urging companies to:
Publicly commit to biodiversity-positive practices across the entire product lifecycle and throughout the value chain, including landscape-level actions.
Improve supply chain traceability and conduct lifecycle analyses to assess and mitigate nature-related risks and impacts.
Implement circular economy principles to reduce waste and reliance on virgin materials.
Set science-based, time-bound, actionable targets to reduce negative impacts on nature with a concrete action plan tackling the main impact drivers of the company.
Enhance transparency by aligning disclosures with global frameworks such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).
Next Steps
FABRIC’s collaborative engagement will continue through structured dialogue with the selected companies, encouraging them to adopt and implement the recommendations outlined in the FABRIC Investor Expectations Document. The initiative also seeks to broaden engagement across the textiles and apparel sector, ensuring companies commit to nature-positive business strategies, both for their own operations and those of their supply chains.
