Materiality Analysis
How was the analysis carried out?
1I In a first step, actual and potential positive and negative impacts of the Company along the value chain in the following categories were identified
- Economy
- Environment
- People
To this end, HUGO BOSS reviewed various sources, including the natural capital assessment carried out by HUGO BOSS itself, as well as current inquiries from various external stakeholders such as customers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and investors. Ratings, regulatory projects, scientific publications and media coverage were also taken into account.
2I The information obtained in this way was evaluated with regard to recurring effects and compared with the Company’s long-standing knowledge of its impact on the economy, the environment and people.
3I Subsequently, the identified impacts were broken down by topic. An internal group of experts then weighted the effects and discussed the results with the relevant departments and summarized them in a list. This was finally released by the Sustainability Committee as a list of the material topics of HUGO BOSS.
The list guides the Company in its strategy development and reporting and is regularly reflected as an integral part of the sustainability presentation with external stakeholders.
What were the results of the materiality analysis?
The following list shows the material topics of HUGO BOSS in accordance with GRI. They are sorted are by descending materiality.
Material topics of HUGO BOSS
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Occupational health and safety in production
Occupational health and safety in production (including own production)
Impact (potential/actual)
- Purchase of goods from countries with inadequate occupational health and safety standards*
- Improve working conditions through own Sustainable Supply Chain Management Program and engage in multi-stakeholder initiatives*
- Decrease critical work processes through digitization/automation of production*
*This category has an impact on human rights
-
Human rights and labor standards in production
Human rights and labor standards in production (including own production)
Impact (potential/actual)
- Purchase of goods from countries with inadequate labor and human rights standards*
- Non-transparent procurement processes lead to increased pressure on suppliers and thus to negative effects on workers*
- Engaging in multi-stakeholder initiatives and raising awareness within the supply chain through audits and training improves working conditions*
*This category has an impact on human rights
-
Climate action in production
Climate action in production (including own production)
Impact (potential/actual)
- Energy-intensive production processes in the supply chain lead to greenhouse gas emissions
- Increased efforts to use and improve access to renewable energy in the producing countries reducing the greenhouse gas intensity in production
-
More sustainable materials and responsible raw material extraction
More sustainable materials and responsible raw material extraction
Impact (potential/actual)
- Energy and resource-intensive production processes lead to negative environmental impacts in raw material production
- Investing in more sustainable materials increases the relevance of these materials along the supply chain
- Supporting initiatives such as Better Cotton promotes greater transparency starting with raw material extraction and improves labor standards*
*This category has an impact on human rights
-
Circularity in design and in production
Circularity in design and in production (including own production)
Impact (potential/actual)
- The use of new raw materials and waste arising from production leads to negative environmental impacts
- The introduction of circular design and production processes and the closure of material cycles increase the recyclability of products and lead to lower resource consumption
-
Responsible handling of chemicals in production
Responsible handling of chemicals in production
Impact (potential/actual)*
- Negative impacts on the environment, workers and the surrounding population due to chemical-intensive production processes in the supply chain*
- Work with suppliers and initiatives to eliminate harmful substances in production*
*This category has an impact on human rights