In June 2021, we completed the mapping of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across Scope 1, 2 and 3. We adopted the methodology established by the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and chose the financial year 2020 (June 2019 – July 2020) as a base year. The Protocol requires companies to account for all emissions generated across the whole value chain, from raw material production to product manufacturing, transportation and storage, purchase and consumption of energy for offices and store operations, including any emissions generated during product use and end of life.

A cross-functional team representing multiple business departments have contributed to building our greenhouse gas emissions baseline, which is being used to benchmark our year-on-year emissions reduction.

Our emissions reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative as consistent with levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

ZIMMERMANN commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 50% by FY2030 from a FY2020 base year. ZIMERMANN also commits to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, and upstream transportation and distribution 30% within the same timeframe. 

Lastly, we worked with external climate strategy experts to identify a set of strategic actions in line with our commitment to reduce our overall emissions. These focus on the implementation of renewable energy within our own operations worldwide, exploring ways to limit the use of carbon-intensive transport modes, optimising shipping routes, reducing packaging and working with our suppliers to reduce the impact of the materials we use to make our products. Collaboration and innovation with a focus on circularity will continue to be crucial in our approach to meeting our GHG emissions reduction targets.       

We are proud to have met and exceeded our Scope 1 and 2 Science Based Target by reducing our Scope 2 (market-based) emissions by 99% within a year of setting the target. We have also met our commitment to implement 50% renewable energy in ZIMMERMANN’s operations three years ahead of the target year. To achieve this target, we retired Energy Attribute Certificates sourced in line with the GHG Protocol quality criteria and which are labelled by EKOenergy or Green-e.

To implement our roadmap to reduce Scope 3 emissions, we have integrated sustainability in our sourcing decisions to increase the uptake of materials with a lower carbon impact, such as those made with recycled fibres, and engaged our suppliers in conversations regarding the green energy transition and the promotion of energy-efficient processes. Our Logistics Department has been working towards increasing the use of sea freight over airfreight while optimising shipping routes and packaging.

We completed our first Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions inventory in June 2021 and set emissions reduction targets a few months later. When we set our Science Based Targets (SBTs), we committed to publicly disclose our emission inventory and progress against our targets annually. Our SBTs were set in FY 2022, which marks the beginning of our annual emissions disclosure. A comparison between the baseline and the FY 2022 inventory is shown in the table below:

While we have met our Scope 1 and 2 (market-based) emissions reduction target, our Scope 3 emissions increased despite an encouraging downward trend of upstream transportation-related emissions.

We expected an increase in Scope 3 emissions compared to the baseline due to the growing business and the impact that COVID-19 had on some Scope 3 categories in FY 2020 (e.g., Business travel).

The next few years will be crucial to accelerate the transition to lower-impact materials, scale up the adoption of currently available solutions and bridge the remaining gap between our emissions and targets investing in innovation.

We are members of The United Nations Global Compact and therefore committed to implement sustainability as a core principle in the day-to-day operations of the business.

In March 2021, we became signatories of The Fashion Pact and committed to working collaboratively with our fellow members for the achievement of the collective goals to stop global warming, restore biodiversity and protect the oceans. The specific targets we have committed to achieving by joining The Fashion Pact are detailed on The Fashion Pact's website.

As signatories to The Fashion Pact, we joined a ‘Collective Virtual Power Purchase Agreement’ (CVPPA), aimed at accelerating renewable electricity adoption by investing in new clean energy infrastructures. For more information on this project, visit https://www.zimmermann.com/sustainability-cvppa.

ZIMMERMANN has also joined the ZDHC Foundation’s Roadmap to Zero Programme as a Friend of ZDHC committed to reducing the chemical footprint of our supply chain.

We upcycle, on sell, are participating in circular yarn initiatives, use fabrics made of recycled fibres and donate excess fabrics. For further details, visit the Materials section. We are also actively seeking opportunities to reduce production waste.  We are working with suppliers and external partners to increase the volumes of recycled materials we use in our products.

We have been part of a number of textile-to-textile recycling programs since 2020 whereby existing unused linen, silk and cotton fabrics are re-constituted into yarn for new knitted or woven fabrics to be used in our collections. Thanks to these projects, we are able to repurpose our excess IP-sensitive fabrics. The recycled materials obtained are used to make our packaging, such as our eyewear cases, or garments, such as our retail staff uniforms.  

During 2020, we actioned several packaging initiatives to reduce waste, including:

Plastic bags – most products travel from the factories in plastic (PE) bags to protect them from damage. During 2020 we redeveloped all bags used for this purpose to be made from 100% recycled material, which is also recyclable.

Hangers – many garments travel to our stores on plastic hangers, and for the moment, this is difficult to avoid, but we can help reduce excessive waste. It is normal practice to use these hangers just once, but we have worked out a system to ensure their continued reuse. The hangers used in our Australian stores are taken back by the manufacturer to be cleaned and reused within our own retail network.

Retail and online packaging – all packaging has been redeveloped to be made from recycled or sustainable materials. Additionally, we are now offering our online customers an “eco-friendly” option.

Packaging material overview: 

• 70% of paper and cardboard is FSC-certified.
• 83% of all plastic packaging has 100% recycled content.

Good water stewardship is very important. We manage this by working closely with our fabric mills and trim suppliers to ensure best practice and attain environmental OKEO-TEX100 certification. This system meets strict environmental standards relating to production, sustainability and ecology. In FY23, 82% of our wet processing sites had a valid OKEO-TEX100 certification.

Our compliance program includes a material testing protocol for AZO dyes, formaldehyde, phthalates and pH value to ensure compliance across REACH, PROP 65, China GB and other global standards. We have also adopted the ZDHC MRSL as a standard to ensure the progressive elimination of hazardous chemicals from manufacturing processes. Our Suppier Code of Conduct sets our requirements in relation to chemical management. 

We print all fabrics digitally which limits in-organic (effluent/sludge) liquids from entering waterways.

It starts with our Supplier Code of Conduct and onboarding process. The suppliers we choose to work with share our values, and respect both local and international environmental regulations and standards. We each care about protecting the environment and ensuring manufacturing processes are as clean and green as possible.

In terms of the tools we use to make this happen, we have talked above about the certification systems and standards we work with. We outlaw harmful chemicals such as phthalates and formaldehyde and have strict requirements as to the handling of chemicals that are used. We insist on proper waste management, with special attention to any hazardous waste and emissions, which may not be dumped or discharged in an unlawful manner, including water waste.

We also insist on proper training of any workers involved in this processing and the use of appropriate PPE. Last but not least, all our suppliers have an existing Environmental Management System or are in the process of implementing one.

Lastly, the management of our wet-process facilities has received specialised training on sustainable chemical management and the implementation of the ZDHC guidelines.

No. By working with both the OKEO-TEX100 certification, and through our rigorous testing and compliance program, we make sure our clothes are free from harmful chemicals. We test for AZO dyes, formaldehyde, phthalates and pH value to ensure we meet standards set by REACH, PROP 65, China GB and other global standards.

We do not currently have a take-back scheme but will continue to assess possibilities as they become viable based on evolving technologies. We feel confident that our garments already have a long life. While we do not control resale, we are encouraged to see our pieces passed on through the second-hand economy. Due to our design and craftsmanship, our garments also maintain a strong presence in the rental market. To ensure our garments are taken good care of to be enjoyed for many years, we have published a Care Guide, which is available here.  

As mentioned, we have partnered with organisations dedicated to reducing fashion’s waste by reusing, repurposing, and recycling textile waste. Through these partnerships, we have trialled mechanical recycling processes enabling textile recycling back into fibres. The success of the trials led us to adopt these processes on an ongoing basis to recycle our excess IP-sensitive fabric stock. 

As part of our commitment to reducing plastic waste, we are looking into broadening the opportunities to divert polyethylene bags from landfill once they reach their end of life in store.

We have implemented a PE bag recycling service in our UK and Australian stores while we investigate the availability of fully circular solutions.

As members of The United Nations Global Compact, we have made a commitment to implement sustainability as a core principle and in the day-to-day operations of the business. This includes engaging in collaborative projects to advance sustainability in the industry.

We care deeply about the environment and support various organisations in different ways to help protect it.

We believe that aligning with the UN Global Compact has the biggest impact, but we also support grassroots and local organisations looking after the planet. In 2023 we announced our partnership with the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) in supporting the inaugural ZIMMERMANN Biodiversity Fellowship.