Gildan Publishes 2019 Genuine Responsibility ESG Report - Seite 2

Conserving the Environment

On the environmental front, Gildan undertook and made further progress across a range of initiatives this past year, and achieved two of its 2020 targets early, related to water intensity and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which represented an 11.2% and 13.0% reduction from their 2015 baseline, respectively. Some of the Company’s 2019 progress also included continuing to integrate more energy efficient technologies at Company-owned facilities, completing the installation of its Biotop filtering system at all textile and hosiery facilities in Honduras, and continuing to replace bunker fuel with biomass for steam production. Gildan also launched its updated Global Environment & Energy Policy, which will help strengthen environmental performance as one of the Company’s key priorities. In 2019, 44% of total energy use at Gildan was powered by renewable resources, an area which will continue to remain a large focus for Gildan in the coming years.

Creating Stronger Communities 

Gildan also believes that it has a responsibility of being an active participant in the communities where it operates, starting with buying locally wherever possible – a directive which is mutually beneficial, reducing lead times and costs for the Company while fostering economic growth. In 2019, over 3,700 local suppliers in Latin America and Bangladesh benefitted from the Company’s presence in the region, and over $260 million worth of materials were purchased by Gildan from these suppliers. The Company also continued to implement various community projects and enhanced meaningful partnerships with organizations to respond to regional needs while giving back to the communities where it operates. One of these projects was Gildan’s renewed partnership with Room to Read to help improve girls’ education and literacy and promote gender equality in Bangladesh. In 2019, Gildan’s donations to community causes amounted to approximately $1.5 million towards creating sustainable local impacts.

The 2019 ESG report is available here.

The executive summary is available here.

About Gildan

Gildan is a leading manufacturer of everyday basic apparel which markets its products in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, under a diversified portfolio of Company-owned brands, including Gildan, American Apparel, Comfort Colors, Gildan Hammer, Prim + Preux, GoldToe, Anvil by Gildan, Alstyle, Secret, Silks, Kushyfoot, Secret Silky, Therapy Plus, Peds and MediPeds, and under the Under Armour brand through a sock licensing agreement providing exclusive distribution rights in the United States and Canada. Our product offering includes activewear, underwear, socks, hosiery, and legwear products sold to a broad range of customers, including wholesale distributors, screenprinters or embellishers, as well as to retailers that sell to consumers through their physical stores and/or e-commerce platforms, and to global lifestyle brand companies.