Garment worker rights group Fair Wear has joined forces with the European Outdoor Group (EOG) to improve working conditions and rights for workers in the outdoor apparel sector.
The EOG represents the outdoor apparel industry in Europe and counts more than 143 businesses among its membership. As part of the partnership, Fair Wear will make its Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) Academy platform available to EOG members to assist in implementing human rights due diligence across their organizations.
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Designed to align with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) standards, the platform offers tailored learning modules, tools and guidance for improving human rights in the garment industry. HRDD Academy also will help brands prepare to comply with new legislation and regulatory frameworks such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which was approved by the Council of the EU in May.
“By partnering with EOG we hope to significantly expand the reach of our HRDD Academy and the positive impact on the working conditions in the outdoor industry,” said Victoria Lauer, HRDD Academy coordinator, Fair Wear.
Over the coming year, Fair Wear will work closely with EOG through in-person events and digital consultation to help its outdoor apparel industry members to improve worker rights and working conditions.
“This partnership is a crucial step forward for the outdoor industry in Europe,” said Katy Stevens, head of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, EOG. “As an industry, we are committed to ensuring our supply chains are both responsible and sustainable, and our collaboration with Fair Wear helps us achieve these goals by placing workers’ rights at the heart of our industry values.”
Along with its push to improve conditions for workers, the EOG has made moves to hold its members accountable on sustainability goals as well. In January, the organization voted to make it mandatory for its members to commit to the United Nations’ Race to Zero initiative by the end of 2024 or face being dropped from the group. Program participants pledge to cut carbon emissions to achieve net-zero status by 2050. EOG’s membership includes Arc’teryx, Patagonia, O’Neal and The North Face, among others.
Amsterdam-based Fair Wear has partnered with a number of brands and groups in the global apparel industry, such as Cascale (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition), Filippa K and Ganni. The nonprofit partnered with the Social & Labor Convergence Program—which spun out of Cascale in February—to reduce audit fatigue when reporting human rights compliance by minimizing duplicative social compliance assessments.
