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The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) joined forces with Fair Wear Foundation (FW) and the Social and Labour Convergence Program (SLCP) to present on “Leveraging Collective Action for Human Rights” at ISPO Munich, an annual conference for the global sports business community featuring 2,400 exhibitors.
The presentation took place on the program stage for the European Outdoor Group (EOG), a member and partner of all three organizations. The conversation was grounded in the collaborative work that FW, SLCP, and the SAC have pursued in tandem to leverage complementary tools, data, insights, and thought leadership, igniting social and societal change within the apparel and footwear supply chains.
Representatives from the three multi-stakeholder initiatives presented on why leaders must act collaboratively on human rights injustices and shared strategies on how to promote, improve, and scale meaningful impact and engagement for workers.
Speakers included Erlinda Lee, global membership development director at the SAC, who shared information about the organization’s Higg Index suite of tools, used by businesses to measure, evaluate, and improve social and environmental impact; Lee’s presentation centered on the Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (FSLM).
Mariette van Amstel, head of membership at FW, explored the overarching vision that the three organizations share on goals related to worker rights, social, and labor — following the same Human Rights Due Diligence protocol (HRDD). Lottie Watkinson, business development manager at SLCP, shared details of the high-quality comparable data that the organization brings to the collaborative process.
The presenters also acknowledged the challenges — lengthy supply chain processes, power dynamics, and the absence of a common language — faced by many businesses and organizations. They stressed the relevance of this work to the outdoor industry as a whole, emphasizing how the organizations can support companies with tools and solutions at each stage of their journey. Finally, they emphasized that businesses must take action now if they haven’t already, and be prepared for emerging legislation that will mandate compliance.
