Stakeholder Engagement

Partnering with Those Who Share Our Commitment

We recognize we cannot address environmental, social or economic challenges alone, so we collaborate with experts and others who share our values.

Building Stakeholder Engagement Globally

Kontoor Brands values the voices of our internal and external stakeholders. Through regular dialogue with our global group of diverse stakeholders, we can maximize our impact and better align our business to social and environmental needs. We engage these stakeholders through one-on-one meetings, expert forums, roundtable discussions, industry coalitions, surveys and inquiries, and formal partnerships.

Our Stakeholder Groups

  • Communities
  • Consumers
  • Customers
  • Employees
  • Governments, Multilateral Organizations & Regulators
  • International & Local Organizations / Nonprofits
  • Our Suppliers & their Employees
  • Shareholders & Investors
  • Trade & Industry Associations

Materiality Assessment

Materiality assessments help companies understand what issues are most relevant to their business and most impactful to society. Kontoor Brands is committed to conducting a formal materiality assessment every two years. In 2020, our assessment identified and evaluated thirteen topical areas that represent our most critical economic, environmental and social impacts.


Responding to Our Material Issues

Through our materiality assessment process, Kontoor Brands engaged with third-party experts and other stakeholders to identify strategies for tackling environmental, social and governance issues relevant to our business and industry. The below table displays our thirteen material issues and select examples of activities that Kontoor Brands has already accomplished or will continue to do as a part of our work responding to our most material issues.

Issue

Agriculture

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
  • Research and publish carbon sequestration values for regenerative agriculture

SDG

Responsible Consumption and Production
Life on Land

Goal

Materials: Source 100 percent preferred materials, including cotton by 2025 and synthetics by 2030

Issue

Animal Welfare

Opportunities

  • Require suppliers meet comprehensive sustainable materials policies
  • Implement special projects with external stakeholders
  • Support regenerative grazing research

SDG

Life Below Water

Goal

Materials: Source 100 percent preferred materials, including cotton by 2025 and synthetics by 2030

Issue

Biodiversity &  Ecosystems

Opportunities

  • Require suppliers meet comprehensive sustainable materials policies
  • Implement special projects with external stakeholders

SDG

Life Below Water
Life on Land

Goal

Materials: Source 100 percent preferred materials, including cotton by 2025 and synthetics by 2030

Issue

Business Ethics

Opportunities

  • Participate in business ethics frameworks and initiatives
  • Prioritize building a culture that values diverse viewpoints
  • Implement procedures for updating business policies and practices

SDG

Responsible Consumption and Production
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Partnerships for the Goals

Goal

Issue

Chemicals

Opportunities

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

SDG

Responsible Consumption and Production

Goal

Chemistry: Use 100% preferred chemistry by 2023

Issue

Community  Engagement

Opportunities

  • Collaborate with local NGOs to support worker wellbeing and community development projects
  • Establish relationships with local stakeholders

SDG

Decent Work and Economic Growth
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Responsible Consumption and Production

Goal

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

Issue

Corporate Governance

Opportunities

  • Implement procedures for updating business policies and practices
  • Champion a culture of transparency

SDG

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Partnerships for the Goals

Goal

Issue

Energy & Climate

Opportunities

  • Sign up for renewable energy power purchase agreements
  • Evaluating on-site and community-based generation projects
  • Retrofit owned facilities with energy efficient lighting, motors and HVAC equipment
  • Researched and published carbon sequestration values for regenerative agriculture

SDG

Affordable and Clean Energy
Climate Action

Goal

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

Climate: Establish a Science-Based Target by 2022

Issue

Equal Opportunity

Opportunities

  • Launch Inclusion & Diversity Strategy

SDG

Gender Equality
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Reduced Inequalities

Goal

Standing for Inclusion & Diversity isn’t enough. We must take action. We’re setting measurable goals for how we will drive change and detailing actionable plans for how we will get there. Learn More

Issue

Human Rights

Opportunities

  • Require supplier conformance to global compliance principles
  • Require supplier meet comprehensive sourcing policies
  • Participate in industry initiatives

SDG

Decent Work and Economic Growth
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Responsible Consumption and Production

Goal

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

Issue

Waste

Opportunities

  • Achieve zero waste designation at six distribution centers
  • Increase recycled content in products
  • Participate in industry initiatives

SDG

Responsible Consumption and Production
Life on Land

Goal

Materials: Source 100 percent preferred materials, including cotton by 2025 and synthetics by 2030

Issue

Water

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 foam dyeing processes

SDG

Clean Water and Sanitation
Life Below Water

Goal

Water: Save 10 billion liters of water by 2025

Issue

Worker Health & Safety

Opportunities

  • Require supplier conformance to global compliance principles
  • Require supplier facility audits and corrective action plans when necessary

SDG

Decent Work and Economic Growth
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Responsible Consumption and Production

Goal

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

Collaborative Partnerships

Our intention is to build lasting relationships with our NGO partners, understand their objectives, their expectations for Kontoor Brands, and enhance mutual trust and understanding.  We collaborate with our partners to gain insights that can inform our sustainability efforts and help us make a positive impact on the world.


Our Partners and Collaborators

American Apparel and Footwear Association
Canopy
Better Cotton Initiative
Ducks Unlimited
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
National FFA Organization
Sustainable Apparel Coalition
Soil Health Institute
Textile Exchange
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