ESG Outlook is Sourcing Journal’s discussion series with industry executives to get their take on their company’s latest environmental, social and governance initiatives and their own personal efforts toward sustainability. Here, Katie Fensome, principal consultant at sustainability consultant Biodiversify, discusses how sustainability isn’t just about compliance or reputation management, but a chance for companies to innovate.
Name: Katie Fensome
Title: Principal Consultant
Company: Biodiversify
Related Stories
What do you consider your company’s best ESG-related achievement over the last 5 years?
Biodiversify is very privileged to work with a multitude of clients from different industries who have all made great strides when it comes to ESG. Impossible to say which is best, but I am very proud of Biodiversify’s work with Primark which has been ongoing for the last few years. Led by my fantastic colleagues, Dr. Mirjam Hazenbosch and Dr. Mike Burgass, the project has largely focused on assessing the impact on biodiversity for Primark’s Sustainable Cotton Program. This project is particularly special to Biodiversify as ‘on the ground’ work is core to delivering our mission. It has provided invaluable insights into the challenges and successes of implementing sustainable practices in the fashion industry. By working with local farmers and organizations, we’ve been able to gather detailed data on biodiversity impacts. This collaboration demonstrates how focused, ground-level initiatives can drive positive change for nature and sets a benchmark for other industries to follow.
What is your company’s latest ESG-related initiative?
One of our more recent ESG-related initiatives has been our work on the Science Based Targets for Nature (SBTN) pilots with Kering. SBTN is a relatively new initiative that aims to help companies set clear, measurable goals for the protection and restoration of nature. Kering is one of 17 companies on the SBTN pilot program, the learnings of which will be used to refine future guidance and open target setting for a broader range of companies in the future.
Working with Kering on this has been an exciting and novel experience. It has allowed us to form a deep understanding of SBTN and what science-based targets look like in practice. This is particularly important because, before this stage, this was purely theoretical. Being able to see how SBTN could complement existing company programs (such as water efficiency) has been very interesting. The potential for shared learning and collaborative action in this space is high, making for circumstances which should then lead to more advancements in ESG.
What is the biggest misconception companies have about sustainability in fashion/accessories?
Something I see quite often, and not just among companies, is a hope or expectation that there is one target, or one indicator, that we can use to measure biodiversity and our progress. However, it is not possible to measure nature with one metric without losing something extremely important in the process. In fact, using unified metrics or overly focusing on a single metric can have unintended consequences and lead to worse outcomes for nature.
Because of this, we tend to work closely with companies to help gain shared clarity on the decisions they need help in making, and the information they need to make that decision. Only by doing this can you know what the right data they’ll need to make better decisions for nature.
What was your company’s biggest takeaway from the Covid crisis?
A key takeaway from Covid was that the expectation for companies to act within planetary boundaries is not going away any time soon, and in fact, the pressure is growing. With huge supply chain disruptions over recent years, there was the potential for sustainability to sink to the bottom of the agenda. But the opposite has happened—momentum has increased, perhaps driven by the EU Green Deal that was happening around the same time.
As consumers become more aware of worker conditions, how clothing is produced and the damaging effects to nature, how can the industry best accelerate progress?
This can start with more sustainable business models. ESG teams are sometimes playing catch up with business models that are predicated on high volume and/or low-quality clothing, or growth in areas that bring high environmental risks. I believe that circularity, durability and quality are fundamental and that coordination and collaboration between sustainability, design and purchasing are needed so that these functions can work toward a common goal.
Suppliers at all tiers will also have a role to play here. Changes to ensure ethical conditions for workers and a reduction of negative impacts on nature are essential. It is important that the requests going to suppliers are consistent and clear. I would like to see companies collaborate pre-competitively to create standard templates for data or to share engagement so that gaps can be closed.
What do you consider to be the apparel industry’s biggest missed opportunity related to securing meaningful change?
A big, missed opportunity is companies seeing sustainability as a bolt-on rather than as a core to how their company thinks about their future and their products. Sustainability isn’t just about compliance or reputation management; it is a chance for companies to innovate, for example, tapping into a growing market of environmentally conscious consumers or developing eco-friendly products. Seeing sustainability as core is about shared value creation. Companies that create shared value through the integration of social and environmental concerns into their business strategies will benefit not just the company, but society as a whole.
What is your personal philosophy on shopping and caring for your clothes?
I try to buy quality second-hand items that will stand the test of time. I am a Vinted devotee and have found that by opting for vintage clothing, I end up with clothes that are better quality and cheaper than buying brand-new clothes. I can do my bit to reduce the demand for brand-new items and get quality clothing, it’s a win-win. I also try to avoid synthetic materials wherever I can but especially for knitwear. Synthetic knitwear doesn’t tend to last as long and can increase microplastics ending up in the ocean, so when I have the choice, I’ll always opt for natural fibers.
How much do you look into a brand’s social or environmental practices before shopping?
I feel passionately about supporting brands that have good social and environmental practices, but even as a professional in this field, it is very disorienting trying to make better choices. I avoid buying from companies who have been found to use materials linked to forced labor in their supply chain, and who don’t have strong due diligence protocols for this. Companies should not be profiting from forced labor, and this is a very good example of why traceability and supply chain management are important parts of sustainability.
Anything new you are doing to boost sustainability beyond the fashion industry?
At an organizational level, Biodiversify has always worked with a range of industries. However, as the business has grown, so too has our expert knowledge in the industries we work in. This high-level expertise has allowed us to consider how sectors overlap and could learn from one another. For example, the fashion industry has overlaps with the food industry and the mining industry (particularly mining for metals and gems). When it comes to acting for nature, I truly believe collaboration is key.
On a personal level, I am planning to start volunteering to help restore temperate rainforests in my home country of Cornwall, England. Cornwall is famous for its beautiful beaches and coastline. However, it also used to be home to temperate rainforests that were hubs of biodiversity. I’m really looking forward to being able to contribute to the work to restore these rainforests which will hold huge benefits for Cornwall’s local wildlife.
