Greetings from Waiheke Island!
I thought I'd be sharing this much earlier in the year but as our first ever Sustainability Progress Report, it took a bit longer which means I'm extra delighted to be sharing it now.
As some of you may remember, back in 2021 we used the extended lockdown in Aotearoa to dig deep with the fine people at Go Well Consulting and created a robust and highly ambitious Sustainability Strategy that we could use to align our pillars of Planet, People and Prosperity with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (often referred to as the SDGs).
2022 brought some major disruptions to global supply chains along with the increasing pressures of the rising cost of living.
Our commitment to sustainability has remained steadfast throughout but we've had to be patient and keep the long term vision in focus as we've navigated these stormy waters.
I'm proud to say we made significant strides last year, focusing on eco-friendly materials, fair wages for our team, and transparent practices within our supply chain. Read the full Progress Report here or if you've just tuned in you can read our whole Sustainability Strategy here.
In 2022, we managed to map the environmental footprint of 40% of our garments, updated our Supplier Codes of Conduct to include water and chemical management, and pledged to increase our use of organic cotton and other eco- friendly materials. We also worked hard to share more information about our sustainable practices with you, both online and in our stores, to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable fashion.
Unraveling the impacts of our industry is complex and while genuine progress is being made, there is still so much to do. As an activated and passionate community, we can work together to keep challenging the status quo and use our voices and platforms to call for the change we want to see. We can vote with our dollars and learn better ways of living in harmony with ourselves and Mother Earth.
I hope thinking back to 2022 doesn't feel too retrograde and I'm committed to share our Progress Report for 2023 early in the new year!
Thank you for being on this journey with me and the amazing people who make up our team here at WE-AR. Together, we are making a difference.
Many blessings
Jyoti
