DTO · EN
The case for a comprehensive sustainability concept
“We are sustainable” is a common self-assessment among industrial companies. Yet a more accurate verdict is often: well intended, but inconsistently implemented. Digitalisation and access to critical information are placing companies under greater scrutiny. A company may claim that its production is socially responsible, but if the opposite is demonstrated, a public backlash can follow.
Lessons from the textile industry
The textile industry in particular increasingly provides a framework for recognising sustainable approaches. Websites such as Siegelklarheit.de assess common labels, helping customers understand how sustainably a company operates, for example when certified under the Fair Trade label. Criteria include credibility, environmental compatibility and social responsibility. These categories are divided into subcategories, with percentage scores indicating the extent to which minimum requirements are met. However, labels differ substantially. Fair Trade focuses mainly on socially responsible conditions, but requirements for fair-traded textiles are not particularly demanding or have been relaxed. In production, for example of coffee, only 20% of traded ingredients now need to come from genuinely fair-trade conditions. Some manufacturers using the label are therefore inconsistent in implementing sustainability goals because they rely on inconsistent labels.
Some labels, such as GOTS or Oeko Tex, pursue a broader sustainability concept. Alongside raw material production, they consider further phases of the product life cycle, including manufacturing, transport and trade, and use. What do certificates and labels generally have in common? They do not cover complete end-of-life management. If products are disposed of improperly or in ethically questionable ways, this usually falls outside the certifying body’s responsibility.
Options for companies
What can an industrial company do? An excessively rapid, radical restructuring for sustainability is clearly not a practical route. Too many jobs could be put at immediate risk, and costs might arise that replacement investments cannot offset. Nevertheless, “business as usual” is no longer an adequate response. Manufacturers should ask how they can become more sustainable step by step. Several routes are available. Supplier selection is one: certification bodies can certify suppliers or, where needed, introduce new suppliers already holding certification. Internal processes can also be improved.
Zalando has set ambitious goals. Through the creation of its own ZIGN brand, the online retailer has announced climate-neutral operations by 2023. Among other measures, the Berlin-based company aims to eliminate single-use plastics entirely over the coming years.
Manufacturers also have some control over end-of-life management. The aim is to extend product life cycles, for example by donating clothing or repurposing products into new ones. When new, self-contained business units are established, these issues should be considered from the outset. A newly founded company can build its business model around sustainable principles, as it can generally still choose its materials, producers and administrative structures.
One thing is also clear: alongside social pressure, political pressure is essential. In Germany, new certificates such as the “Green Button” show growing recognition of the problem. But there is still a long way to go towards comprehensive sustainability.