H&M’s continuous contributions have a place within most of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s)
“Developing to meet the needs of present generations, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”
Goals 1&2: No poverty, No hunger.
We are a very charity focussed Business, regularly bringing people together to positively impact the needs of others. Our food bank and Christmas gift donations provide relief for people who have been, due to poverty, pushed into suffering.
Goal 3: Good health and well-being:
H&M recognise that anxiety, fear, emotional distress, and depression can be commonplace. Therefore, we have various external professional services available for our employees. We also have two internal Mental Health First Aiders offering a support approach on the following strategy:
• Assess for the risk of harm.
• Listen non-judgementally.
• Give reassurance.
• Encourage appropriate professional assistance.
• Encourage self-help and other support strategies.
Goal 5 Gender equality:
We ensure gender equality at H&M workplace by promoting a culture of mutual respect and dignity, with zero tolerance for all forms of workplace harassment.
Goal 6 Clean water and sanitation:
Good quality sanitation is available at all H&M sites. Fresh drinking water is available, and our toilets are inclusive in design to serve different people groups, with facility numbers proportional to our staffing levels.
Goal 7 Affordable and clean energy:
Retrofitting our solar panels and energy-efficient lighting are long-term investments. Our fossil fuel-free green energy provider is already in place.
In addition, the future provision of HGV TVs within our fleet is directly aligned with this goal.
Goal 8 Decent work and economic growth:
H&M employ people from diverse backgrounds and provide decent work conditions, including some flexibility options such as home working and our extra holidays purchase scheme.
Goal 9 Industry, innovation, and infrastructure:
Rather than rent additional space for our dedicated transport-related training requirements, we use existing space within our St Neots depot. As per Goal 7, our Warrington Depot benefits from harvesting renewable energy via our solar panels.
Goal 10 Reduced inequality:
Our staff are paid adequately, with everybody earning above minimum wage. Opportunities exist for reward-based incentives, based on added value & improvement.
Our Primary Company Value is ‘Be Safe: The safety of all comes first, and as such we continually strive to remove abnormalities from our work processes. Our commitment to safe working practices is reflected in our multi-site ISO 45001 Certification achievement.
Goal 12 Responsible consumption and production:
We contract local companies wherever possible for long-term periods, resulting in cost efficiencies for all.
Goal 13 Climate action:
As with many businesses, the continuation of work-from-home minimises some of our road travel arrangements. However, when trips are necessary, car sharing is strongly encouraged amongst our staff, as are multiple site visits in one journey rather than increased mileage for single return trips. Future provision of HGV TVs within our fleet will help to pave the way for action on this goal for a low-carbon future.
Goal 14 Life underwater:
We have fresh drinking water taps installed across all of our sites and provide reusable drinking glasses to discourage staff from buying bottled water. We know that plastic bottles are one of the largest sources of plastic pollution in our oceans that cause harm to aquatic creatures. In addition to using reusable drinking glasses, we provide reusable crockery and cutlery to discourage plastic use.
Goal 15 Life on land:
Our Warrington site sits adjacent to significant areas of vegetation, helping immensely to attract wildlife which is vital to our ecosystems.
Goal 16 Peace, justice, and stronger institutions:
H&M have formed a comprehensive grievance system for providing fair and impartial support for employee complaints