Production of socks. © Gildan Activewear

Gildan Activewear, a leading supplier of quality branded basic family apparel, has been included on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, marking the seventh consecutive year that the company has been included on the Dow Jones Indices. “We take great pride in our inclusion on this index once again this year, being one of only two apparel companies on the North American index,” said Claudia Sandoval, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship at Gildan.

“We are focused on increasing the transparency of our operations and approaching issues in a holistic way. The company’s vertically integrated business model allows us to exercise significant control over the vast majority of our supply chain. This provides Gildan with the unique ability to ensure a work environment that supports our employees’ well-being and professional growth. It also allows us to identify environmental and resource efficiencies throughout the life cycle of our products and support the continued growth and vitality of our neighbouring communities.”

In the 2019 Dow Jones Sustainability Index results, Gildan demonstrated strengths in areas such as codes of business conduct, environmental policy and management systems as well as environmental reporting, product stewardship, and corporate citizenship and philanthropy.

Code of business conduct

Gildan has a comprehensive framework governing corporate compliance policies including the Code of Ethics, the Code of Conduct, and the Anti-Corruption Policy, amongst others. All Gildan employees are expected to comply with these policies and the company has several processes and training in place to increase awareness and compliance with these codes across the organisation. Gildan also expects its business partners to adhere to the same ethical and business conduct standards that it has adopted internally.

Environmental policy, management

Gildan’s Global Environment and Energy Policy guides the company’s day-to-day practices at all operating facilities and applies across all environmental impact areas. The company’s Environmental Management System (EMS) is based on the ISO 14001 standard and tracks how the Environmental Policy and environmental procedures are being implemented across all of its facilities.

The EMS allows the company to evaluate its procedures for managing critical areas such as water use, wastewater discharges, energy generation and consumption, chemical handling and storage, raw materials selection, waste generation, biodiversity protection, emissions and spills control.

Corporate citizenship and philanthropy

Through providing support, Gildan’s community engagement programs aim to enrich people’s quality of life by advancing access to education, promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, protecting local environments and fostering entrepreneurship. Gildan partners with community organisations to target and respond to the most pressing needs in the regions where the company operates and encourages active involvement from its employees.

The Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index was established in September 2005 to track the performance of companies from Canada and the United States that lead the field in terms of corporate sustainability.

www.gildancorp.com