As a leader in outdoor apparel and footwear, VF Corporation recognizes its responsibility to protect the very environment that inspires and sustains its business.
On Tuesday, the Denver-based owner of The North Face, Vans, Timberland, and Dickies released its 2025 Environmental and Social Responsibility Report, highlighting progress in tracing key materials and expanding its Worker & Community Development program, while also addressing ongoing challenges.
“At VF, we are committed to operating our business responsibly and aim to make a positive impact on people, communities and environments we all share,” said Bracken Darrell, VF’s president and CEO. “We believe environmental and social responsibility is a continuous journey—one that requires listening, learning, and adapting. Our newly released report reflects this approach, offering a transparent look at how we’re working to support people and the planet across our global operations.”
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VF is on track to achieving its FY26 target for all cotton purchased to be grown in Australia, the U.S. or under a third-party cotton-growing scheme that promotes environmental and/or social sustainability improvements.
In FY24, 94 percent of cotton used by VF brands was grown under these requirements, up from 89 percent in FY23. The company sourced regeneratively grown cotton from groups such as Indigo Ag and Good Earth Cotton. The North Face is leading VF’s use of regeneratively grown cotton. In FY25, brand to sourcing 6,400 MT of regeneratively grown cotton for “logowear” including fleece and jersey products. This represented an 82 percent increase over FY24 regeneratively grown cotton sourcing.
Cotton accounted for 16 percent (by weight) of VF total materials sourced in FY25. Polyester was the most used at 19 percent, though the company is making headway on sourcing recycled polyester. In FY24, 64 percent of the polyester used by VF brands originated from recycled materials, up from 48 percent in FY23, achieving its FY26 target.
In FY25, VF traced 75 percent of its leather supply chain from Tier 2 through Tier 5. Additionally, 90 percent of the firm’s footwear leather finishing tanneries were audited by the Leather Working Group.
On the topic of climate and energy, VF said it is focusing on mitigating impacts associated with owned-or-leased operations, direct suppliers and the broader apparel and footwear value chain. The company revalidated its targets with Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in FY25.
VF is more than halfway to achieving its SBTi-validated target to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 55 percent by FY30 In FY25, VF’s absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions decreased 29 percent from a FY17 baseline.
However, the company’s use of renewable energy took a step back. In FY25, VF secured renewable energy credits and generated on-site renewable energy equivalent to 29 percent of its global electric usage, compared to 36 percent the year prior. Additionally, Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services and upstream transportation and distribution increased 19 percent from the FY17 baseline.
“Despite this, we experienced a 7 percent reduction in emissions from these categories between FY23 and FY24. This year-over-year reduction in Scope 3 emissions can be attributed to an overall decrease in production volume as well as a continued increase in procurement of preferred and regenerative materials,” VF stated in the report.
VF’s proprietary CHEM-IQSM program continues to guide the conglomerate’s chemistry management. The program works alongside the company’s supply chain wastewater management practices to proactively eliminate unwanted and regulated chemicals from product manufacturing and prevent the release of hazardous substances into the environment. In FY25, more than 280 supplier facilities participated in the program and 43 percent of identified unwanted, red-rated chemistries were successfully phased out.
The company’s circularity efforts are mostly based on take-back programs. Timberland’s Timberloop program recovered over 11,000 pairs of shoes in FY25. The North Face’s Renewed program sold over 96,000 items across the U.K. and U.S. during the same period.
VF’s Worker & Community Development (WCD) program reached a major milestone by impacting 1 million people across 15 countries—one year ahead of its target. Launched in 2017, the program aims to enhance the well-being of workers, their families, and surrounding communities throughout VF’s global supply chain. Using a “framework for change,” WCD identifies critical areas of need—such as childcare and education, health and nutrition, and water and sanitation—and partners with expert organizations to deliver targeted support.
