Goals

Addressing Social and Environmental Impacts

At Kontoor Brands, we’re committed to a sustainable future for everyone. In 2020, we announced our first global sustainability goals to address the environmental and social impact of our operations, supply chain, products, and people.

Our Goals

At Kontoor Brands, sustainability means the dynamic process of continual improvement for people, for our product, and for the planet. We manage our progress through goals and measurable targets.

Energy

Energy

Power 100 percent of owned and operated facilities with renewable energy by 2025
Emissions

Emissions

Establish a science-based target by 2022.
SUBMITTED*
Water

Water

Save 10 billion liters of water since beginning water savings initiatives in 2008, by 2025.
Materials

Materials

Source 100% Preferred Materials, including cotton, by 2025 and synthetics by 2030**.
Chemistry

Chemistry

Use 100% Preferred Chemistry† that reduces use of chemistry that may contribute to negative environmental impacts or jeopardize worker safety by 2023**.
Worker Well-Being

Worker Well-Being

Work only with factories that support a worker well-being or community development program by 2025

*Submitted and pending verified approval.
**Excludes licensed business.
†Preferred Chemistry are chemicals that are compliant against the ZDHC MRSL.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Our sustainability efforts align with many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We have identified the following areas in which we believe we can have the biggest impact.

Clean Water and Sanitation
Affordable and Clean Energy
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Responsible Consumption and Production
Climate Action
Life Below Water
Life on Land
Partnerships for the Goals

Maximizing Value and Impact

Our 2020 Sustainability Report shares an update on each of our global sustainability goals. The below table displays our six global sustainability goals and select examples of progress and activities that Kontoor Brands has already accomplished or will continue to do as part of meeting our global sustainability goals.

Goal

Energy

Power 100 percent of owned and operated facilities with renewable energy by 2025

Opportunities

  • Sign up for renewable energy power purchase agreements
  • Evaluate on-site and community-based generation projects

SDG

Affordable and Clean Energy
Climate Action

“Renewable energy” is defined as electricity that is generated from solar, wind, geothermal, small-scale hydro or tidal energy.

In addition to global facilities that are owned and operated, leased locations are also included. Facilities associated with licensed products are exempt and open-air retail, “shop-in-shops,” are out of scope for this goal.

Science-Based Target will be submitted to the SBTi. Kontoor’s future SBT includes both energy efficiency improvements and use of renewable energy.

Goal

Emissions

Establish a science-based target by 2022.
SUBMITTED*

Opportunities

  • Sign up for renewable energy power purchase agreements
  • Retrofit owned facilities with energy efficient lighting, motors and HVAC equipment
  • Research and publish carbon sequestration values for regenerative agriculture

SDG

Affordable and Clean Energy
Climate Action

“Renewable energy” is defined as electricity that is generated from solar, wind, geothermal, small-scale hydro or tidal energy.

In addition to global facilities that are owned and operated, leased locations are also included. Facilities associated with licensed products are exempt and open-air retail, “shop-in-shops,” are out of scope for this goal.

Science-Based Target will be submitted to the SBTi. Kontoor’s future SBT includes both energy efficiency improvements and use of renewable energy.

Goal

Water

Save 10 billion liters of water since beginning water savings initiatives in 2008, by 2025.

Opportunities

  • Build and regularly upgrade advanced wastewater treatment for owned manufacturing
  • Require suppliers to monitor wastewater treatment and remediate violations
  • Collaborate in the commercialization of innovative dyeing processes under Indigood

SDG

Clean Water and Sanitation

The scope of this goal includes water consumption used in natural fiber production, fabric production, and product finishing for Kontoor products globally, excluding licensee products.

Water conserved is tabulated annually, with a reported savings of 3B liters in 2016, an additional 5B liters in 2020, with a cumulative savings of 8B liters. With this goal, we plan to save at least 2B additional liters by 2025.

Goal

Materials

Source 100% Preferred Materials, including cotton, by 2025 and synthetics by 2030**.

Opportunities

  • Require suppliers meet comprehensive sustainable material policies
  • Support regenerative agriculture research and training for cotton producers
  • Procure sustainable cotton through various sustainable management frameworks

SDG

Responsible Consumption and Production
Life Below Water
Life on Land

We prefer materials that are backed by data validating their lower environmental impact.

Sustainable Cotton:

Our cotton strategy focuses on advancing regenerative agriculture practices globally while sourcing more sustainable cotton for Kontoor products.

We currently define sustainable cotton as cotton grown in the U.S. or Australia, recycled cotton from validated post-consumer and post-industrial sources, or cotton certified under sustainable cotton frameworks, including Organic orBASF’s e3 program.

Sustainable Synthetics:

We currently define sustainable synthetics as synthetic fibers made with recycled content, bio-based feedstocks, or additives to enhance biodegradability in polyester, nylon, or spandex.

Goal

Chemistry

Use 100% Preferred Chemistry† that reduces use of chemistry that may contribute to negative environmental impacts or jeopardize worker safety by 2023**.

Opportunities

  • Require supplier compliance with Restricted Substance List
  • Use advanced chemical screening procedures
  • Replace unwanted chemistry with preferred solutions

SDG

Responsible Consumption and Production
  1. “Preferred chemistry” is defined as both process and product chemistry that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances.
  1. All suppliers review, sign and accept a Restricted Substances List.
  2. All of Kontoor’s strategic Tier 2 suppliers will be elevated with an advanced CHEM-IQ testing process. Strategic suppliers constitute 90% or more of the product portfolio by weight.
  3. This goal excludes licensee products.

Goal

Worker Well-Being

Work only with factories that support a worker well-being or community development program by 2025

Opportunities

  • Require supplier conformance to global compliance principles
  • Require supplier facility audits and corrective action plans when necessary
  • Collaborate with local NGOs to support worker wellbeing and community development projects

SDG

Decent Work and Economic Growth
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Responsible Consumption and Production
  1. This goal applies to both a worker well-being programs but also community development initiatives that improve a bigger geography of which the factory and workers are members.
  1. Worker well-being programs and community development initiatives are not the same as complying with labor regulations but address local needs:
    1. Access to water and sanitation
    2. Adequate health and nutrition
    3. Access to childcare and education
  2. Kontoor uses a decision matrix to determine the most relevant and needed service in a priority sourcing region and will not qualify a program or initiative that is not addressing a priority need. This is to ensure that the investments in programs and initiatives are focused on the most relevant and contextual need.
  3. Qualifying programs or initiatives can either be managed by the factory under NGO supervision or managed by an NGO with factory participation. Kontoor provides an oversight and investment role.
  4. Factories are defined as Kontoor’s Strategic Suppliers, both Tier 1 and Tier 2 are in scope and constitute 90% or more of the product portfolio by weight.
Follow Us Find us on Twitter Find us on LinkedIn