Months after documenting its greatest sustainability progress in its history, PVH Corp. announced it will further its efforts by joining the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. The initiative provides a new system for responsibly grown cotton that publishes annual data for six areas of sustainability in line with the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDGs).
The program officially launched in 2020 after a year-long pilot phase, and has since attracted more than 450 brands, retailers, mills and textile manufacturers including Levi Strauss & Co., Gap Inc., Advance Denim, Contempora Fabrics, Cotswold Industries Inc., Frontier Yarns and others.
Overseen by a board of directors consisting of representatives from brands and retailers, sustainability experts and professionals throughout the cotton-growing industry, the Trust Protocol provides verified data on sustainability practices from U.S. cotton growers and access to aggregate year-over-year data for water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss and land use efficiency. It uses independent third-party verification to ensure cotton is more sustainably grown and carries lower environmental risk than other cotton fibers.
“Joining the Trust Protocol helps us move forward in reaching our sustainability goals and driving continuous improvements in sustainable cotton sourcing for our brands and at scale for the industry,” said Marissa Pagnani McGowan, PVH Corp. chief sustainability officer. “This program will enhance our ability to provide sustainable product offerings to our consumers.”
PVH Corp., which owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Warner’s, Olga and True & Co., has been transparent about its aggressive sustainability targets, including its goal to sustainably source 100 percent of its cotton by 2025. This past year alone, the company has joined a number of other sustainability initiatives such as the Ellen MacArthur Jeans Redesign program and the Denim Deal, multi-stakeholder initiatives to increase the use of recycled fibers in fashion.
The company’s commitment to sustainability aligns closely with the goals of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “We are proud to welcome PVH as a new member and to help them meet their bold sustainability ambitions as established in their corporate responsibility strategy Forward Fashion,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “In a period of growing demand for verifiably sustainable supply, the Trust Protocol empowers U.S. growers to demonstrate their stewardship and be recognized for the environmental efforts they’ve increasingly undertaken.”