Fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) has become a member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol in a bid to provide greater transparency of its sustainability progress, media reported.
The company believes membership in the trust protocol will help improve communication and standardized reporting of progress toward its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets.
AEO has set itself specific goals to achieve carbon neutrality in its owned and operated locations and significantly reduce water use, among other sustainability initiatives.
“AEO is excited to partner with the trust protocol as we work to move our sustainability practices forward, preserve our planet and meet the ambitious targets we have set on our journey to build a better world,” said Mark Rose, SVP for production and sourcing at AEO.
“The trust protocol will help provide AEO the opportunity to further verify our responsible sourcing practices and demonstrate the progress we’re making toward meeting our environmental targets.”
The US Cotton Trust Protocol bills itself as the only cotton system that provides verifiable goals and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency.
These are integrated from Field to Market’s Fieldprint Platform, enabling enrolled growers to measure the environmental impacts of their operation and identify opportunities for improvement.
“The demand for verified data to credibly demonstrate progress on sustainability targets is representative of a clear need across the retail industry,” said US Cotton Trust Protocol president Gary Adams.
“We look forward to working with AEO to demonstrate tangible and continuous improvement across the six key sustainability metrics we track.”
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