Along the entire value chain at HUGO BOSS, important natural resources are used, along with chemical and energy inputs – from the extraction of raw materials and production to shipment of finished products. This has an impact on our climate, the quality of ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as and human health, among other factors.
To live up to our responsibility, it is important to know about these impacts in detail. Fact-based knowledge is needed to set strategic priorities, make well-founded decisions, and develop sensible, sustainable innovations.
That’s why HUGO BOSS has conducted life cycle assessments since 2009, to examine the environmental impacts of the individual product categories. Findings by partners and scientific studies are also included to support and validate the study. But environmental impacts – such as water consumption, land requirements, and CO2 emissions, for example – are not directly comparable, because they are measured in different units such as kilograms and liters. A further intermediate step is needed to render the different environmental impacts comparable. This is why HUGO BOSS began using the Natural Capital Protocol by the Capitals Coalition in 2016. It renders the results comparable by translating them into standardized monetary values.
In short, the natural capital evaluation identifies the steps in the value chain that cause the greatest environmental impacts. These findings form the foundation for HUGO BOSS to implement targeted measures to achieve more environmentally-friendly production and distribution of its products.
The greatest weight among the environmental impacts of the value chain arise during the production steps: raw materials extraction and wet and dry processes. That’s why HUGO BOSS has set special targets in these areas and become involved in relevant initiatives, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or the Leather Working Group (LWG).
For other steps in the value chain that are not directly related to products (logistics, administration, and store operation), we also aim to implement measures to reduce environmental impacts. For more information, see the PLANET section.
The different work steps along the value chain can be categorized by their corresponding ecological effects. Some of the work steps have a greater impact on climate change, for example, while others affect human health. This creates hot spots where more precise analysis and suitable measures can be employed to improve the overall environmental balance.
The largest hot spots identified in the raw materials stage are water consumption and the impact on ecosystem quality, while the wet processes have their greatest impact on climate change and human health.
Three white papers document research efforts by HUGO BOSS in the area of natural capital evaluation. The detailed method is described in the first version (white paper 2016). All three publications contain results for the individual product groups. In addition, the third white paper, published in 2018, describes the impacts of the HUGO BOSS value chain on climate change in greater detail.
White Paper - Environmental Impact Valuation - 3rd Edition (May 31, 2018)
White Paper - Environmental Impact Valuation - 2nd Edition (June 27, 2017)
White Paper - Environmental Impact Valuation - 1st Edition (October 07, 2016)