FABRIC Initiative Engages 16 Leading Textiles and Apparel Companies on Biodiversity

25 March 2025 – The Finance for Biodiversity (FfB) Foundation’s collaborative engagement initiative, FABRIC (Fostering Action on Biodiversity through Responsible Investment in Clothing), has taken its first step towards reshaping the textiles and apparel sector by engaging 16 globally recognised companies with significant nature-related impacts and dependencies.

The outreach is being led by 16 investor members of the FfB Foundation, who have formally contacted companies across the textiles value chain to encourage action on biodiversity and nature-positive practices.

Companies engaged include:
Adidas, Birkenstock, Brunello Cucinelli, Fast Retailing Co. Ltd, H&M, Hermès, Hugo Boss, Inditex, Kering, LVMH, Moncler, Nike, PVH, Ross Stores, TJX, and VF Corp.

These companies span luxury, fast fashion, sportswear, footwear, and apparel retail—sub-sectors that contribute to biodiversity loss through supply chain impacts, unsustainable production methods, and waste generation.

The outreach builds on analysis conducted by the FfB Foundation, in collaboration with the non-profit think tank Planet Tracker, and on input from FfB members within the Engagement with Companies Working Group. Companies were identified based on their environmental impact, supply chain footprint, and relevance to investor stewardship priorities.

Investor Perspectives

The FABRIC initiative is driven by collaborative investor stewardship. Participating investor organisations include:
Achmea Investment Management, Aéma Groupe, CDC Croissance, Domini Impact Investments LLC, EOS at Federated Hermes Limited, LBP AM, ODDO BHF Asset Management, Ofi Invest AM, Pictet Group, Robeco, Sycomore AM, Swedbank Robur, and Vancity Investment Management.

“As part of Robeco’s commitment to creating both wealth and well-being, we are proud to support the FABRIC initiative. By engaging on behalf of our Fashion Engagement equities strategy with key players in the textiles and apparel sector, we aim to address the risks associated with unsustainable business practices. This collaborative effort is essential in balancing our clients’ goals of return, risk, and sustainability, while aligning with global sustainability and biodiversity objectives.”
— Peter van der Werf, Head of Active Ownership, Robeco

“For Ofi Invest AM, it is essential to make informed and responsible investment choices, in accordance with the societal commitments and values upheld by Aéma Groupe. Through this initiative, we encourage players in the textile and luxury sectors to assess the dependencies and impacts of their activities and value chains on nature. We also encourage them to adapt their business models to reduce deforestation risks and promote ecosystem preservation.”
— Léa Bozzi, Stewardship Coordinator, Ofi Invest AM

“Shareholder engagement is pivotal to Sycomore AM’s responsible investor mission. Considering the high materiality of biodiversity for the textiles and apparel sector, we believe that the FABRIC initiative is an opportunity to join forces with other investors and engage with key players of the sector. Through dialogue, we aim at encouraging them to broaden their integration of biodiversity-related issues in their operations and supply chain.”
— Clémence Bourcet, SRI Analyst, Sycomore Asset Management

“We believe that the sustainable transformation of companies in the textiles and apparel industry is critical to achieving global biodiversity goals. This requires embedding biodiversity into business strategies, alongside a deeper understanding of supply chain impacts and dependencies on nature. Through FABRIC, we are supporting the finance sector to play a leading role in steering the clothing industry towards more sustainable practices, ensuring a healthier planet for future generations.”
— Anita de Horde, Executive Founder, FfB Foundation

Why Focus on the Textiles and Apparel Sector?

The textiles and apparel industry is among the most environmentally impactful sectors globally. It is responsible for:

  • Approximately 10% of global carbon emissions and 35% of primary microplastic pollution¹
  • Around 20% of global water pollution from dyeing and finishing processes²
  • Excessive natural resource use, including approximately 3,781 litres of water required to produce a single pair of jeans³

Given these challenges, FABRIC aims to support financial institutions in engaging with companies in the sector to integrate nature-positive strategies into their operations. The initiative contributes to the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which seeks to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

Investor Expectations

Through the FABRIC Investor Expectations Document, investors are calling on companies to:

  • Publicly commit to biodiversity-positive practices across the product lifecycle and value chain, including landscape-level actions
  • Improve supply chain traceability and conduct lifecycle analyses to assess and mitigate nature-related risks and impacts
  • Implement circular economy principles to reduce waste and reliance on virgin materials
  • Set science-based, time-bound, actionable targets to reduce negative impacts on nature, supported by concrete action plans
  • Enhance transparency by aligning disclosures with global frameworks such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

Next Steps

The FABRIC initiative will continue through structured dialogue with the selected companies, encouraging them to adopt and implement the expectations outlined. Over time, FABRIC aims to expand its reach across the sector, supporting a broad shift towards nature-positive business models and improved biodiversity stewardship throughout value chains.

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