Asos unveils ambitious sustainability goals for 2030

Online retailer Asos has published its ‘Fashion with Integrity 2030’, environmental, social, and corporate governance programme, which includes a commitment to achieve net-zero across the full value chain by 2030, and plans to be more circular, transparent and diverse.

The ‘Fashion with Integrity 2030’ (FWI 2030) plan focuses on minimising Asos’ impact on the planet while delivering positive benefits for people who work in fashion and meeting increasing demands from customers for greater choice in responsible fashion.

With that in mind, Asos has set two overarching pillars, Planet and People, which are underpinned by four key goals to achieve by 2030 - to be net-zero, be more circular, be transparent, and be diverse.

Asos plans to be net-zero by minimising its impact on the planet through decarbonisation targets set with the Carbon Trust, with plans to be carbon neutral in its direct operations by 2025 and achieve net-zero across its value chain by 2030.

The e-tailer also plans to shift towards more circular systems to ensure that 100 percent of its own-brand products and packaging are made from more sustainable or recycled materials by 2030. It also adds that it will commit to a public-facing circularity strategy by 2023 to allow it to embed circular design principles by 2030, and will ensure that 100 percent of its own-brand packaging is made from recycled materials and can be widely recyclable by 2025. It also wants to prioritise facilitating programmes for recycling and reuse in key markets by 2030.

Asos unveils new ESG goals - targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2030

Asos also wants to accelerate transparency and human rights within its supply chain and the wider industry and will publish detailed human rights strategy and implementation reports annually from 2023. It will also ensure that third-party brands are signed up to the transparency pledge and the Asos ethical trade policy by 2025. In addition, Asos will provide full public transparency of every Asos own-brand product by 2030.

The final pledge is to be diverse by driving diversity, equity and inclusion across every aspect of the business, with a focus on leadership representation. Asos said that it will ensure that at least 50 percent are women and more than 15 percent are from an ethnic minority background at every leadership level by 2030.

Asos chief executive Nick Beighton said in a statement: “Our Fashion with Integrity programme has been a cornerstone of everything we do and has helped us deliver positive benefits for people and minimise our impact on the planet. Now we are pleased to announce our FWI 2030 programme and stretching ambitions.

“Achieving these will make us a Net Zero business that embraces more circular systems and uses more sustainable and recycled materials in our products and packaging. Our progress will be driven by a more diverse team with equity and inclusion at its heart, leading a business where transparency and human rights remain central to our approach. And, as we continue our journey to becoming a Truly Global Retailer, our new goals will ensure that we do so sustainably and responsibly.”

Asos wants diversity in its workforce and will ensure that 50 percent of leadership are women, and 15 percent are from ethnic minorities

Beighton added: “We cannot do this alone. As we’ve seen throughout the last decade, collaboration and engagement with other brands, civil society organisations and government is critical to driving lasting change. We will work closely with our brand partners and our suppliers, and we will forge new relationships and partnerships to drive progress and build new solutions to enable the achievement of our FWI 2030 goals.

“The responsibility for a sustainable future lies with all of us and businesses must lead the way. We will make sure we deliver products and brands that allow our customers to shop ethically and responsibly, safe in the knowledge that they are reducing their impact on the planet and contributing to a fairer world. We undertake the next step of our FWI journey confident that what we are doing is right for the planet, right for our people, right for our customers and will underpin our ambitious growth plans.”