Spain's Inditex & WWF partner to protect endangered ecosystems

The group will allocate to these projects part of the funds earned by charging consumers for paper bags and envelopes, an initiative launched in 2021 with the aim of promoting the use of reusable alternatives. Inditex will make a minimum annual contribution of €3 million to WWF, with €4.2 million set for 2022. This will amount to a total contribution of €10 million plus over the course of the partnership (2022-25) towards the restoration of threatened ecosystems, according to a joint press release by Inditex and WWF.

Part of this agreement will also see WWF and Inditex develop foundations for a transformational partnership through a year-long scoping phase that will have a special focus on water stewardship and biodiversity conservation. This analysis will include drawing up a map of impacts along the group’s value chain and a review of its actions, impacts, and advances with a view to identifying priorities and key geographies. With the results in hand, the two organisations will seal a second agreement, to which a budget will be allocated, for making progress on sector transformation.

“Our sustainability strategy seeks to increase the positive impact of our work on people, communities, and natural resources. We are therefore delighted to partner with organisations like WWF who share our determination to help protect and restore ecosystems worldwide. We believe that WWF, with its proven track record and global reach, is the best long-term partner for powering up our environmental commitments through transformational work targeted at our entire industry,” said Óscar García Maceiras, Inditex’s CEO, at the signing ceremony attended by both organisations in Geneva.

“WWF is excited to partner with Inditex in our mission to reverse nature loss and achieve a nature-positive world by 2030. Nature underpins our economies, our societies, and our wellbeing. However, we are losing it at an alarming rate. Like many industries, the apparel and textile sector is highly dependent on nature and biodiversity. However, it also has a significant impact. We need urgent action to halt and reverse nature loss, including collective and strategic investments in restoring and protecting biodiversity,” said Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)