Abercrombie & Fitch

No leading practices were identified for this area.

GHG emissions
Abercrombie & Fitch is reducing its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, and aims to reduce 47% of its scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2030. The company is working with suppliers to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions and discloses a reduction in scope 3 emissions associated with product shipment in 2020 compared to 2019.

No leading practices were identified for this area.

Sustainability strategy and accountability
Abercrombie & Fitch does not disclose a sustainability strategy with nature-related targets nor report on sustainability accountability within its governance structure.

Stakeholder engagement
Abercrombie & Fitch does not disclose how it engages with stakeholders, nor the issues it raises during such activities.

Lobbying
Abercrombie & Fitch does not report on its lobbying and advocacy practices on nature-related issues, nor whether these activities align with its sustainability strategy.

Impact and dependencies assessment
Abercrombie & Fitch has not holistically assessed its impacts or how it depends on nature, including biodiversity. It has an opportunity to start such an assessment across its value chains, focused on quantification of its impacts or dependencies.

Key areas and species
Abercrombie & Fitch does not disclose key species or areas important for biodiversity affected by its operations or suppliers. It has an opportunity to increase its transparency.

Ecosystem conversion and restoration
Abercrombie & Fitch does not have a commitment to ensure zero conversion, nor has time-bound targets to achieve conversion-free supply chains. While the company is aware of the potential risks of deforestation associated with some of its sourcing materials (e.g. cellulosic fibre), its commitments on the matter could be more forceful and precise. Abercrombie & Fitch does not disclose activities to minimise ecosystem conversion, and it has an opportunity to commit to restoring ecosystems. Finally, the company does not disclose details and outcomes of ecosystem restoration projects in areas affected by its own operations or by its suppliers.

Resource exploitation and circularity
No evidence was found regarding Abercrombie & Fitch’s efforts to work towards a circular economy or which organisms it exploits. Furthermore, the company has an opportunity to develop a strategy and publicly report on specific, time-bound targets. Finally, it does not disclose efforts to improve soil health.

Water
While Abercrombie & Fitch has set targets to reduce water use, no quantitative evidence was found of reductions in water withdrawal across its operations. It does not report how much water is withdrawn for its own operations in water-stressed areas, nor engage with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal. Abercrombie & Fitch requires denim washhouses to conduct wastewater tests against the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) guidelines, but there is no evidence of the process of monitoring test results and managing positive tests for water pollutants. The company has an opportunity to disclose its targets to reduce water pollution. Abercrombie & Fitch does not disclose a commitment to respect the right to water, nor its processes for implementing preventive and corrective action plans for identified specific risks to the right to water and sanitation in its own operations.

Solid and air pollution
Abercrombie & Fitch does not disclose relevant information related to pollution in its operations or supply chains.

GHG emissions
Abercrombie & Fitch scope 1 and 2 emissions target is not aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory. The company does not disclose a time-bound target to reduce its scope 3 emissions which is aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory.

Invasive species
Abercrombie & Fitch has not identified any activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive alien species in its own operations.

Safe, healthy, clean environment
Abercrombie & Fitch does not show if it is committed to respecting local communities’ right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment or to zero tolerance for acts of violence, threats, intimidation or judicial harassment committed against land and environmental rights defenders.

Indigenous peoples’ and land rights
Abercrombie & Fitch does not show if it is committed to respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights or Land rights of local communities.

Abercrombie & Fitch discloses the due diligence process regarding conflict minerals, however, it does not disclose the process to identify its human rights risks and impacts in specific locations or activities covering its own operations. In addition, the company has an opportunity to describe a process for assessing the human rights risks it has identified and to disclose what it considers to be its salient human rights issues. A description of this process would include how relevant factors are considered, such as geographical, economic and social factors. While Abercrombie & Fitch states that it takes steps to work with only the most responsible vendors, factories, mills, and mills to combat forced labor, it does not describe its global system to take action to prevent, mitigate or remediate its salient human rights issues. While the company provides an example of the specific conclusions reached and action taken or to be taken for human trafficking or forced labor, which are identified as highest risk, it does not provide an example of the specific conclusions reached and actions taken or to be taken on at least one of its salient human rights issues as a result of assessment processes in at least one of its activities/operations in the last three years. Abercrombie & Fitch discloses the categories of stakeholders it engages with generally on sustainability issues, but it is not clear if these stakeholders are those whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities. While the company reports that in 2021, 987 were trained to identify signs of forced labour, training is not considered enough as an example of company’s engagement with stakeholders whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities.

Abercrombie & Fitch has a publicly available policy statement which shows it is committed to respecting the health and safety of workers, and it expects its suppliers to commit to respecting the health and safety of their workers. The company has an opportunity to disclose a time-bound target for paying all workers a living wage or that it has achieved paying all workers a living wage. The company has an opportunity to describe how it determines a living wage for the regions where it operates. The company has an opportunity to disclose the coverage of collective bargaining agreements. The company has an opportunity to describe how it works to support the practices of its suppliers in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Abercrombie & Fitch has an opportunity to publish a global tax strategy and should assign responsibility for this strategy to an executive-level individual or body. There is no evidence that the company describes the process for identifying its bribery and corruption risks and impacts in specific locations or activities covering its own operations. The company includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in its Code of Conduct with direct business relationships/contractors. There is no evidence that the company has a publicly available policy statement or policy setting out its lobbying and political engagement approach. While the company states that no political contributions shall be made on behalf of A&F or involving A&F funds, including contributions approved by the Chief Executive Officer, without the Board’s prior approval, it does not provide a publicly available policy statement that specifies that it does not make political contributions, since some contributions might be made with approval of the Board of Directors.