EK Fashion ESG Annual Report 2021

ESG ANNUAL REPORT 2021
together we make retail future-proof

FOREWORD
Dear reader,
This is the second edition of EK Fashion's annual ESG report.
A key milestone for our team and our organisation, as together
with our partners, we have succeeded in continuing the journey
towards a more sustainable fashion sector.
The challenges regarding sustainability have definitely not
become any easier recently. The entire chain is under even more
pressure due to the pandemic and logistic issues. This shows
the vulnerability of the production and sale of clothing.
We will be able to continue to be successful in the future only
if we work together to create a more transparent, fair and
high-quality industry.
In the first phase of our ESG journey, the focus was mainly
on education and insights, such as the EK Fashion Academy.
Specific activities are now being added such as the
GreenChange Pop-up in Germany and the integration of
sustainability into our services for retailers. Our focus for the
coming period will be on the development of a tool to help
brands and retailers make their assortments more sustainable.
In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed
to the achievement of our plans and results, both within and
outside our company. Enjoy reading this second edition!
Jan Bongers
Director of EK Fashion
2 3

EK FASHION 2021
in a nutshell
About 900
contracted brand suppliers
in the Netherlands
About 250
contracted brand suppliers
in Germany
100%
of tier 1 manufacturers of
men’s wear
are known
100%
of all tier 1/2/3 producers of
Babyface are known
Babyface:
33%
more sustainable
materials
Women’s:
24%
Men’s:
13%
About 1100
affiliated shops
in the Netherlands
About 100
About 600
affiliated shops
in Germany
39
QR Codes
online
affiliated shops
in Austria
Certified for:
GOTS
Member of:
Better Cotton
Certified for:
GRS
9
learning modules are live
66 employees
in the Netherlands and Germany
2 employees
26
training sessions conducted at
producers in India
Launch of
EK FASHION
ACADEMY
in the Netherlands
ESG-team
Member of:
Amfori BSCI
€363
million turnover
-2.9%
turnover 2021 compared to 2020
4 5

SUSTAINABLE
JOURNEY
2017 2018 2019 2020
2021
Signing the Covenant on
Sustainable Clothing and
Textiles
In 2017, we started to make
EK Fashion more sustainable
by signing the Covenant for
Sustainable Clothing and
Textiles for the Babyface
brand. The people behind the
Covenant supported us in
making our supply chain
transparent and in discovering
and addressing the risks in
the chain.
Creating internal support and
drafting the policy
2018 was all about creating internal
support, appointing people and
freeing up budgets to properly
carry out our sustainability task. We
asked various sustainability experts
for their advice in order to gain
more knowledge and to give the
initial impetus to the drafting of the
ESG policy.
Focus on private labels
In 2019, we actively started to
make the private labels more
sustainable. We have drawn
up new codes of conduct
(Responsible Business Conduct)
and discussed these with the
factories that organise the
production for the men's labels
and Babyface. We also conducted
a risk analysis for Babyface to
gain insight into the highest risks
in our production chain. Based
on this, we have been able to
define the five main goals.
The initially achieved objectives and
start of communication to retailers
In 2020, the first targets were achieved
for the private labels on, among other
things, more sustainable materials,
chain transparency and working
conditions in the chain. This year,
EK Fashion also presented its ESG
policy to retailers and the first
sustainability services for retailers
were set up.
Professionalisation and expansion
of sustainability services
In 2021, the initial steps were taken
to integrate ESG into all teams at
EK Fashion by setting SMART targets.
The existing sustainability services for
retailers were also further
professionalised and new services were
set up. In addition, making the private
labels more sustainable is a continuous
process of improvement, with the first
steps being taken in 2021 in the areas
of circularity and chemicals
management.
6 7

Table of contents
Foreword3
EK Fashion 2021 in a nutshell 4
1. EK Fashion: together we will make retail future-proof 10
EK 12
EK Netherlands 13
EK Fashion 13
2. EK Fashion’s playing field 16
Stakeholders 18
Sustainable Development Goals 20
Interview with Alexandra Clot from tex.tracer 22
3. EK Fashion’s sustainable ambition 24
4. Deep Dive: Goals, Achievement, Follow-up 28
Buy Smarter 30
Waste Less 50
Empower Local Heroes 56
Appendix: 62
Responsible Business Conduct
8 9

01
EK FASHION: TOGETHER WE WILL
MAKE RETAIL FUTURE-PROOF
10 11

Chapter 1
EK FASHION: TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE
RETAIL FUTURE-PROOF
Since 2015, Euretco B.V. has been part of EK, a retail service organisation operational in
more than ten countries and based in Bielefeld, Germany. To be able to combine international
forces even further, since 19 April 2022, the name Euretco has become EK Netherlands.
The familiar name Euretco is dropped, but the central position as the largest retail service
organisation in the Netherlands is continued.
EK
EK provides services to local retailers and is a purchasing
organisation, marketing organisation and competence
network in one.
EK's business model is characterised by its focus on
six strategic business segments: EK Home, EK Fashion,
EK Living, EK DIY, EK Sport and EK Books.
Around 650 employees do their utmost to support retail
partners in the best possible way. As a service provider
for independent small and medium-sized retailers,
specialist markets and department stores, one of EK's
most important tasks is to lead local independent retailers
into the digital future.
In 2021, a start was made to make ESG an integral part
of the current group strategy. ESG has been given high
priority on the management agenda. Together with
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a project is currently running
to integrate sustainability into everything we do with a broad
cross-section of the organisation. This group consists of the
board, management and ESG managers from all business
units. In phase two, the scope will be broadened from
group level to all commercial business units and in phase
three we are building on the further roll-out of ESG services
for retailers.
EK NETHERLANDS
EK operates in the Dutch markets with the divisions
EK Fashion, EK Living, EK DIY, EK Sport and EK Books.
EK Nederland works with around 1,500 independent
retailers and franchisees. In total they run almost
2,200 shops.
Our core activities include retail, franchise, wholesale and
financial services to independent retailers. Around 300
people at EK Netherlands work with great passion to relieve
EK’s retail partners as much as possible from any burden of
tasks, both in their shops and online.
The shop formulas and floor concepts include INTERSPORT,
Runnersworld, The Athlete's Foot, Hubo, Decorette, Topform
and Libris/Blz.
EK FASHION
In addition, through its fashion division with, among others,
Babyface, Born with Appetite, Marco Manzini, Supply&Co
and in shape, EK Netherlands offers international top brands
in the women's, men's, baby and children's clothing
segments. EK Fashion comprises about 1100 affiliated shops
in the Netherlands, about 600 affiliated shops in Germany
and about 100 affiliated shops in Austria. EK Fashion
supports them with data-driven advice, education,
up-to-date market information, private label purchasing
and more.
By bundling fashion retailers into groups, EK Fashion is
able to create an equal and confidential cooperation in
which all parties reinforce each other. We believe in a close
relationship with our affiliated retailers and brands to create
future-proof retail based on better, not on more. Independent
fashion retailers have the perfect position in this future-proof
retail by building personal customer relationships and
offering high-quality products.
.
BRAND VALUES
Share of turnover by product division 2021
Women’s private label
We understand our business and are well versed
at it. Our complete range of services makes us
unique. Our diversity makes us a strong
international partner. No other company can offer
the added value of our multi-sector cooperation.
We are an ... Experienced Advantage Creator
We make the customer and his needs the focal
point of our actions. In addition to competitive
prices, retailers receive services that make them fit
for their future. We maintain a personal and close
relationship with our members. We are an ...
Inspiring Partner
Babyface
37.13%
Women’s private label
24.45%
Men's private label:
With our many years of experience, knowledge
and our international structure, we are a stable
and reliable partner. Our drive to further develop
our multi-branch business, combined with our
position in the market, makes us a suitable partner
for the long term. We are a ... Safe Harbour
We are motivated and have a service-oriented
mindset. Our members are at the heart of our
company. We are a ... Passionate Service
Partner
Men's private label:
38.42%
Babyface
12 13

TEAMS AT EK FASHION
The various teams at EK Fashion work closely together to provide
a diverse range of services to retailers and brands.
Product
We deliver exclusive collections of women's, children's and
men's clothing throughout the year to make sure that the
retailer's assortment stands out and is unique compared to
the competition.
Business Intelligence
By analysing retail data about the industry, we provide
valuable insights and forecasts regarding trends and
consumer behaviour. In combination with our unique style
matrix, we provide retailers and brands with pragmatic
solutions and assortment advice.
Marketing
EK Fashion provides support to retailers in the design,
production and distribution of online and offline marketing
messages. One of the latest marketing services is the
marketing segmentation model called RFM.
Omnichannel
For efficient omnichannel retail (OCR), all partners need to
work together on data exchange. EK Fashion is the link
between brands and retailers. We digitise and streamline
the process as much as possible by creating a standard
that can be used throughout the market. Through these
collaborations with partners in the areas of data collection,
enrichment and distribution, we are improving the retail
landscape and the chain as much as possible.
Environmental Social Governance
To achieve the sustainable ambitions and to integrate
sustainability into the daily work of all employees at
EK Fashion, an ESG team of 1.1 FTE is operational and
each team has one ESG manager.
14 15

02
EK FASHION’S PLAYING FIELD
16 17

Chapter 2
EK FASHION’S PLAYING FIELD
As EK Fashion, we are in close contact with all our stakeholders with whom we intend to make
Fashion retail futureproof. We are also aware of our global responsibility as an international
company with an international value chain. That is why we commit to the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) which you will find more information about by the end of this chapter.
Retailers
BRANDS
About 900 contracted brand suppliers in the Netherlands
and about 250 contracted brand suppliers in Germany work
together with us with the aim of playing retailers to their
strengths. The cooperation is based on the central payment
system, whereby EK Fashion organises payments for
retailers to brands. EK Fashion guarantees the payments
from the retailer to the brand. For the retailer, this is a great
convenience and saves time. The brand is assured of
payment within the agreed payment term. We also inform
brands about their KPI score at our entrepreneurs to
NGOs & Institutes
Brands
STAKEHOLDERS
Tex.tracer
Agents & Producers
improve the collections. In addition, we advise brands during
assortment advice with entrepreneurs and discuss market
developments.
AGENTS AND PRODUCERS
To create the private label collections, we do business
worldwide with producers and agents who are all part of
the production chain. Through years of cooperation, a bond
of trust has been created that helps us to achieve our
sustainable ambitions.
TEX.TRACER
With tex.tracer, we are actively working on making our
supply chain traceable and transparent. Through a
blockchain-driven platform and the data that producers
provide, EK Fashion is gaining gradually more insights into
the entire chain. This enables us to make well-considered
decisions in order to be more sustainable.
NGOS & INSTITUTES
Amfori is a global business association for the promotion
of open and sustainable trade. Amfori enables 2,400
companies to operate as successful, sustainable businesses
by helping them to monitor and improve the social and
environmental performance of their supply chains. Through
Amfori, EK Fashion conducts social audits in the factories
where we produce our clothes, with the aim of improving
working conditions.
Arisa is an independent non-governmental human rights
organisation committed to defending human rights in
South Asia since 1976. Arisa does this through advocacy
and policy influencing politicians and companies,
research, critical dialogue and raising social awareness
of human rights violations. Arisa and SAVE, EK Fashion is
committed to improving working conditions in factories in
India together with other clothing companies.
Social Awareness and Voluntary Education (SAVE) is a
non-profit organisation founded in 1933. SAVE runs various
development programmes to eliminate child labour, support
women and young people and promote fair working
conditions. Arisa and SAVE, EK Fashion is committed to
improving working conditions in factories in India together
with other clothing companies.
Modint is the sector organisation for manufacturers,
importers, agents and wholesalers in (company) clothing,
fashion accessories, carpets and (interior) textiles. Together
with over 400 members, Modint is building a valuable future
for our sector by making a positive contribution to addressing
relevant and social issues and by innovating and expanding
the market. EK Fashion is a member of Modint and receives
support on topics such as chemicals, impact measurement
and more sustainable material choices.
The Covenant on Sustainable Clothing and Textiles (CKT)
ran from 2015 to 31 December 2021. A broad coalition of
companies and other organisations, including Babyface from
2018 onwards, have joined forces to prevent abuse such as
exploitation, animal suffering and environmental damage.
RETAILERS
The about 1100 affiliated shops in the Netherlands, about
600 affiliated shops in Germany and about 100 affiliated
shops in Austria are the central point of everything we do.
Retailers can cooperate with us and our network at various
levels. This varies from cooperation purely for payment
transactions to very intensive cooperation in one of the
retailer groups. We provide tailor-made solutions for each and
every one of them, based on the retailer's wishes and needs.
18 19

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 targets to make the world
a better place by 2030. They are a global compass for challenges such as
poverty, education for all and the climate crisis. The goals were established
by the United Nations in 2015 as a follow-up to the Millennium Development
Goals. EK Fashion wants to contribute to achieving SDGs with a focus on
SDGs 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 17.
Goal 1 is about eradicating all forms of (extreme)
poverty. EK Fashion contributes to this by
dedicating itself to achieving a living wage and a
safe workplace, including in parts of the world where
extreme poverty has a strong impact on lives. Learn more
about this subject on page 40.
Goal 3 is about good health and well-being for all.
EK Fashion specifically contributes to target 3.9
by encouraging producers to reduce the use of
harmful chemicals and to purify used water. Learn more
about this subject on page 44.
Goal 4 includes inclusive, equal and quality
education for all. EK Fashion contributes to this
goal with our EK Fashion Academy which teaches
retailers about sustainable business. Learn more on page 56.
Goal 6 includes clean water and sanitation for all.
EK Fashion contributes to this by encouraging
producers to reduce the use of harmful
chemicals and purify used water. Learn more on page 44.
Goal 7 is about access to affordable and sustainable
energy for all. EK Fashion contributes to this by
encouraging our member retailers to switch to
renewable energy sources and use energy more efficiently.
EK Fashion is also working on making its processes more
energy efficient.
Goal 8 includes inclusive economic growth,
employment and decent work for all. EK Fashion
contributes to this by creating jobs for the people
who make our clothes. Here, we endeavour to achieve a
living wage, ensure a safe workplace and provide equal
opportunities. Learn more about this subject on page 40.
Goal 10 includes reducing inequality within and
between countries. EK Fashion contributes to this
goal by not allowing discrimination based on
religion, belief, political opinion, race, gender or for any other
reasons at the business partners we work with. Learn more
about this subject on page 40.
Goal 12 is about sustainable consumption and
production. EK Fashion contributes to this by
producing high-quality clothing that consumers
can enjoy for a long time. We also work with more
sustainable materials such as organic cotton and Better
Cotton. These materials have less negative impact on the
environment than conventional cotton. Learn more about
this subject on page 34.
Goal 13 is about tackling climate change.
EK Fashion contributes to this by working towards
processes that emit less CO 2
and use less water,
energy and chemicals. An example is our Restricted
Substances List, a list of chemicals that we do not want to
find in our clothing. We also work with more sustainable
materials that have a smaller footprint than conventional
materials. Read more about our next steps on
pages 34 and 44.
Goal 17 includes strengthening global partnerships
to achieve goals. EK Fashion contributes to
this through its partnerships with stakeholders
such as Arisa and SAVE, with whom we carry out projects in
India on topics such as forced labour, discrimination &
gender, child labour, freedom of association, living wages
and occupational health and safety. Learn more on page 40.
20 21

Interview
Alexandra Clot
through our platform we support EK Fashion in making
the entire supply chain transparent, which means that
you as EK Fashion first of all get better insights and
secondly can take action. Of course, the platform also
supports you with the compliance modules, and therefore
it reduces your workload.
What is the strength of our partnership?
A very good example of the strength is that we have made
really big steps with EK Fashion and I think that’s because
we have the same goal and the same motivation. We're all on
the same page and we really want the industry to improve.
tex.tracer can be used as a tool to achieve this. So, I think
that at EK Fashion, this is your genuine belief, and that is why
there is progress and why things are being achieved. We
also communicate very openly and honestly with each other.
If something is not good enough with tex.tracer, then you will
let us know fair and square. Your feedback is extremely
valuable to us.
What opportunities and obstacles do you see in making
EK Fashion's value chain more transparent
There are several obstacles to getting all the suppliers in the
value chain on board. For example, the language barrier, but
also the fear that suppliers have of making mistakes and
losing customers as a result. These kinds of obstacles also
exist in other aspects of sustainability, such as obtaining a
GOTS certificate for the entire chain.
In terms of opportunities, you really need to look at the
combined strength of all the retailers. If they all demand
more transparency as well, this gives you even more power in
the supply chain and a lot of potential for new collaborations.
To bring about such collaborations, the entire industry’s
mindset really needs to change, because at the moment,
everyone is fighting for their own cause. I think that
competitors are not your enemies, but can be good allies
when you know where they make their purchases or where
they produce.
What does sustainability mean to you?
Evidently, it’s a very broad concept. For me personally, it’s
effectively about making better choices, in view of the future,
but also of the present. In order to make better choices in
fashion, I made some rules for myself: I buy little, I only buy
things that I "really" need. Then you can always ask yourself:
do you really need that T-shirt? And if I do buy something, it
is usually second-hand. If I buy something new, it has to be
high quality and have a timeless design. That way, say in ten
years’ time, I can still enjoy it as much as I do now. And then
I also do some research beforehand to see if there are
certain standards for materials and working conditions
at the brand.
Once you have done the research which several good
brands, which element of sustainability is decisive for you?
Design and quality, because I think if you buy a blouse or a
pair of trousers that are made really well from really good
materials and can last for ten years, then you will benefit
from a product longer. And the longer it lasts, the less
quickly you need something new. So I think the lifespan
is a key element.
Can you describe the collaboration between tex.tracer
and EK Fashion?
EK Fashion has joined us as a launching customer, effectively
since the start of tex.tracer. The current collaboration is that
22 23

03
EK FASHION’S SUSTAINABLE
AMBITION
24 25

Chapter 3
EK FASHION’S SUSTAINABLE AMBITION
STRATEGIC PILLARS
We have structured our ESG policy in 2019 around three
strategic pillars at EK Fashion. These focus on the future
generation of retailers, reducing our negative impact on
the environment and increasing our positive social impact.
Buy Smarter
Through partnerships, we aim at creating better products
with a less negative impact on the environment and that
contribute better to human well-being. We focus on five
themes:
1. Transparency in the chain.
2. More sustainable materials in the private label
collections.
3. Improving working conditions for the factory workers who
produce our private labels.
4. Respecting the environment by reducing water, energy
and chemicals.
Waste Less
We are committed to reducing our footprint by producing
less waste through co-creation and data exchange,
stimulating recycling and extending the life span of
products. We focus on three themes:
6. Produce on demand.
7. Circular entrepreneurship.
8. Efficiency in transport and packaging.
With these activities, we contribute to the following SDG’s:
Empower Local Heroes
Retailers make a difference in the transformation towards a
sustainable and prosperous fashion business. We give them,
as well as brands and our employees, full support to be
successful. We focus on three themes:
9. Increase the knowledge level.
10. Rewarding sustainable innovations.
11. Increasing employee vitality.
With these activities, we contribute to the following SDG’s:
5. Helping retailers and brands make more conscious
purchasing choices by enhancing knowledge about ESG
performance.
With these activities, we contribute to the following SDG’s:
26 27

04
DEEP DIVE: GOALS,
ACHIEVEMENT, FOLLOW-UP
28 29

Chapter 4
DEEP DIVE: GOALS, ACHIEVEMENT,
FOLLOW-UP
READY-MADE GARMENT MANUFACTURERS
Myanmar
7.6%
Menswear
Bangladesh
3.3%
BUY SMARTER
In the strategic pillar of Buy Smarter, we focus on clothes that are produced with
better sustainability. A significant first step for EK Fashion was to start making its
private labels and Babyface more sustainable. Each department, women’s,
men’s and Babyface has its own pace and goals.
1. TRANSPARENCY IN THE CHAIN
To make a brand sustainable, you must first have insight into where the products are
made. If you know where your products are made, you can identify the possible risks
in your supply chain and you know the improvements that you as a company can
make. That is why EK Fashion aims at getting to the bottom of all the links in the chain.
Unfortunately, there are not yet any international standards to
make transparency and traceability measurable and
reportable. Therefore, EK Fashion, together with tex.tracer,
has drawn up standards that we use to report on traceability
and transparency. These standards consist of three levels of
traceability and transparency (abbreviated to T.T levels) and
a clear division of production processes into tiers. Defining
production processes in tiers remains complex due to the
various types of supply chains. Nevertheless, the established
tiers help to set clear goals.
T.T Levels
- T.T Level 1: the supply chain partner is known to
EK Fashion but has not yet registered with Tex.tracer.
- T.T Level 2: The concerned supply chain partner has
created a tex. tracer account. This account includes
information such as the partner's name, contact
information, address, trade register number, product
groups, etc.
- T.T Level 3: the supply chain partner has uploaded
and verified order information.
India
76.8%
Babyface
Germany
0.3%
Womenswear
China
89.1%
China
22.9%
Transparency Pledge
By signing the Transparency Pledge
for Babyface in February 2021,
EK Fashion is demonstrating our
commitment to increased transparency
of our supply chain. Since May 2021
the Babyface production locations are
publicly listed on the Babyface website
and the Open Apparel Registry. Once
we will have reached the lower limit of
60% transparency in tier 1 and 2 for
the men's and women's private label
divisions, we will also make these
production locations public.
Tex.tracer
To gain a better understanding of our
supply chain, we started to work with
tex.tracer in April 2020. We can see the
production details for every entered
article: from the purchase of the raw
material (e.g. cotton) to the delivery to
our customers. All supply chain
partners enter the requested information
by themselves, such as company
information, certificates and order
data. This information is then verified
via geolocation data, time stamps,
digital confirmation between the
various links and automated checks.
In case there is any deviating input, the
system does not accept any data input.
The data is stored in a decentralised
database.
About tex.tracer
With tex.tracer, we are effectively
making efforts to make our supply
chain traceable and transparent.
By using a blockchain-driven
platform and the data that suppliers
enter, the team at EK Fashion
gains gradually more insight into
the entire chain, which enables us
to make well-considered decisions
to become more sustainable.
Tiers:
- Tier 0: Logistics (transport/importers/storage), agents.
- Tier 1: Assembly factories: cutting, sewing, assembling
and packing for shipment.
- Tier 2: Processing facilities: fabric production: printing,
dyeing, washing/washing, embroidery.
- Tier 3: Processing facilities: yarn spinning, knitting and
weaving.
- Tier 4: Raw material suppliers: cotton cultivation,
farming, livestock farms.
Ready-Made Garments (RMG)
manufacturers provide finished textile products that can
be bought in shops or online and are ready to wear.
Italy
54.6%
Macedonia
0.3%
India
3.6%
China
24.9%
Turkey
14.4%
Bangladesh
2.1%
Greece
0.2%
30 31

GOALS & ACHIEVEMENTS
On this page, you will find a schedule of the targets
EK Fashion has set for tracing our supply chain. A target has
been set for each segment, for each tier and for each T.T.
level in the form of a percentage of transparency. Each year
we want to achieve a higher percentage of transparency.
Retrospectively, we have set targets for 2021 that are in line
with the standards explained above.
GOALS
2021
2022
2023
2025
BABYFACE
WOMEN’S
ACHIEVEMENT
The traceability targets set for 2021 for all production
departments have been half achieved. One of the reasons
that not all targets have been reached is the impact of
COVID-19 on producers. A large part of the producers
struggled to keep their heads above water during the
pandemic. For this reason, innovation and new tasks such as
working with tex.tracer had less priority.
By 2021, we will have identified all of our logistics partners
and agents and they will all have created an account for
tex.tracer. Therefore tier 0 is not included in this schedule.
For tier 4, producers of raw materials, tracing is very difficult
due to the large number of producers. That is why we have
not yet set specific targets for tier 4 before 2025.
TIER 1 TIER 2 TIER 3
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 100% ✗
Level 1: 100% ✗
Level 2: 100%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 1: 100% ✗
MEN'S Level 1: 100% ✓ Level 1: 100% ✗
BABYFACE
WOMEN’S
MEN'S
BABYFACE
WOMEN’S
MEN'S
BABYFACE
WOMEN’S
MEN'S
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 100%
Level 1: 100%
Level 2: 33%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 75%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 100%
Level 1: 100%
Level 2: 50%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 100%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 100%
Level 1: 100%
Level 2: 50%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 100%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 1: 50% Level 1: 50%
Level 1: 50% Level 1: 50%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 10%
Level 1: 75%
Level 2: 10%
Level 1: 75%
Level 2: 10%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 33%
Level 1: 100%
Level 2: 33%
Level 1: 100%
Level 2: 33%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 10%
Level 1: 75%
Level 2: 10%
Level 1: 75%
Level 2: 10%
Level 1: 100% ✓
Level 2: 33%
Level 1: 100%
Level 2: 33%
Level 1: 100%
Level 2: 33%
QR-codes
In 2020, Babyface started to provide several products with
QR codes linked to data from tex.tracer. These codes were
attached to products of the brands: Babyface, in shape
(women's label) and men's private labels. When the
consumer scans the QR code, he sees the entire journey
made by the article: from the cotton field to the warehouse.
In this way, we also offer the consumer 100% transparency.
At the time of reporting, 39 QR codes are online.
Babyface
As the above schedule shows, Babyface has achieved most
of its goals. The achievement of these goals is particularly
successful because of the cooperation of our agents in
India and China. In addition, personal contact with our
producers is very important, because it explains the added
value of traceability.
It has not yet been possible to get all tier 1 producers to set
up a tex. tracer account, as some producers find it requires
too much effort to set up an account or are afraid of losing
their good position in the market. Especially in uncertain
times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we noticed that
producers were even more reluctant to cooperate on the
tex. tracer platform.
Women’s
In 2021, we started to explain and point out our ESG goals to
our producers. Two importers and one agent in Greece have
now set up an account for tex.tracer. We expect to achieve
the target of reducing the number of production locations
by 25% in 2022 instead of 2021. This was partly due to
COVID-19 restrictions that made travel almost impossible,
making personal contact and visits to new producers
impossible.
Men's
The men's private label department did achieve the target
for 2021 for tier 1, but not for tier 2. This is mainly due to
the ignorance of producers and the amount of information
they do not understand without explanation or which scares
them off.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021
100%
of all tier 1/2/3 suppliers of Babyface are known.
100%
of Men's tier 1 suppliers are known.
39
QR-Codes online.
NEXT STEPS
Babyface
The follow-up steps for Babyface in 2022 mainly include
encouraging the tier 1 producers who have not created an
account for tex.tracer to do so. There are still five producers.
In addition, in 2022 we want to analyse all the producers we
have in mind for possible social risks. We will do this through
social audits, which you can read more about under item
three "improvement of the working conditions for the factory
workers who produce our private labels".
We will also work to increase the number of QR codes on
products, to enable more consumers to trace the origin of
the product. We aim to have all Babyface items registered
in tex.tracer by the 2022 collections.
Women’s
The women’s private label department produces its labels at
factories, whereby our interests are often represented by an
agent on site. This agent organises the optimisation of the
entire purchasing and production process. Importers are
also engaged and these intermediaries make it difficult to
trace producers.
Reducing the number of producers is a key objective,
as is encouraging producers to create a tex.tracer account.
Steps have already been taken to achieve more sustainable
production by entering into cooperation with producers in
other production countries who can effect responsible
production. They meet our ESG requirements. We expect
that they will also participate in tex.tracer.
In addition, when visiting production sites, we will raise the
relevance of tex.tracer and will make efforts to overcome any
resistance that may be raised (such as privacy legislation).
To this effect, it will particularly be important to maintain
close contact with our agent in Italy.
Men's
The most important step for the men's private label
department in cooperation with the ESG team is to meet
individually with producers online to explain the significance
of tex.tracer once again. During the first appointments with
each producer, only EK Fashion employees will be present.
During the second round of appointments, our contact
person at tex.tracer will also be present to guide the
producers through the platform and the application
process. As soon as producers have created an account,
they will be encouraged to state their suppliers (tier 2/3/4)
on the platform.
32 33

2. MORE SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS IN PRIVATE LABEL COLLECTIONS
An essential aspect of environmental, social and governance at EK Fashion is more sustainable
materials. The choice of materials largely determines the impact on people and the environment.
The use of more sustainable materials is a key objective for every product department at EK Fashion.
It is a step that we can take fairly quickly due to a high degree of direct influence.
To determine which materials we consider more sustainable, we use the Modint Fiber Matrix.
We consider all materials in the column from 'preferred' upwards to be more sustainable.
MODINT FIBER MATRIX
BEST BETTER PREFERRED CONVENTIONAL
Cotton Recycled cotton (GOTS) Organic cotton (GOTS) Better Cotton (BCI)
man-made
cellulosic fibers
Lyocell with recycled
content
Refibra TM
Lenzing Autria
Livaeco by Birla
Cellulose TM
Ecovero TM
Cotton made in Africa
(CmiA)
Cotton in conversion
Lyocell
Tencel TM
conventional cotton
conventional cotton
Wool Gerecycled wool (GRS) Organic wool (GOTS) Responsible Wool (RWS) Virgin wool
Polyester
Polyamide
© Copyright Modint 2021 - the MFM cannot be circulated, printed, copied or used in any other way without
reference to Modint and use of Modint lay-out and logo. Visit www.modint.nl for more information
Mechanically gerecycled
polyester (GRS)
Mechanisch recycled
polyamide
Recycled polyester from
PET (GRS)
REPREVE ®
Chemically recycled
polyamide (GRS)
ECONYL ®
(partialy) Biobased
polyester
Sorona ®
(partially) Biobased
polyamide
Sorona ®
Linen Organic linen (GOTS) Linen
Hemp Organic hemp (GOTS) Hemp
https://modint.nl/thema/buying-production/documenten/149-modint-fiber-matrix
Virgin polyester
Virgin polyamide
GOTS certified cotton
The GOTS quality label shows that an article contains at
least 70% organic cotton. If the label is present on the
end product, it shows that all tiers in the supply chain
that contributed to the production of the article
complies with their established social and ecological
conditions. This makes GOTS one of the leading and
most comprehensive quality labels. Babyface was
GOTS certified in 2020, meaning that when the entire
supply chain is GOTS certified, we can use the GOTS
logo on our articles. Not all links in the chain may be
GOTS certified, for example because it requires an
investment from the factory. In that case we don't use
the logo on the article. Still, we can proudly state that
our articles are made of organic cotton.
Preserving other materials
In addition to cotton, we also use a lot of polyester, viscose
and wool in our collections. We do this based on SMART
objectives and the Modint Fibre Matrix, which enables our
buyers and stylists of our brands to see at a glance which
are the more sustainable versions per material type. An
example of this is the purchase of TENCEL TM from Lenzing
by our women’s private label department for the 2021
collections and joining the Lenzing E-Branding Service.
Better Cotton
Better Cotton is a non-profit organisation that aims to
help cotton-producing communities prosper and grow
while protecting and restoring the environment. Through
Better Cotton and its partners, farmers receive training
in water efficiency, care for the health of the soil and
natural environment, reduction of the use of the most
harmful chemicals and application of the principles of
decent work. Farmers who apply this system are
licensed to sell Better Cotton. Better Cotton is derived
from a mass balance system and is not physically
traceable to finished products. See bettercotton.org/
massbalance for details.
Lenzing E-branding Service
The E-Branding Service protects the Lenzing brand
portfolio and their valid partners. It strengthens
communication and interaction between partners in the
value chain. It also provides access to support for
certifications and identification of products and
guidelines to market products with Lenzing materials.
Better Cotton and organic cotton are currently purchased
most by EK Fashion, supporting more farmers in farming
in a more sustainable way (see text boxes for further
explanation).
34 35

In the year 2021, a dip in the amount of more sustainable
materials is shown in all EK Fashion collections. In 2020,
the collections consisted of an average of 28% more
sustainable materials, while for 2021 the average across
all labels is 23%. For example, for the men's collections,
the winter collection consisted of 30% more sustainable
materials in 2020, whereas the winter collection for
2021, unfortunately, did not contain any more sustainable
materials at all.
GOALS
We have had to adjust the formulated objectives for the use
of more sustainable materials due to the worldwide shortage
of organic cotton. Learn more at 'achievement'.
ACHIEVEMENT
Babyface
The Babyface collections of 2021 consisted of 33% more
sustainable materials, of which 17% Better Cotton and
16% organic cotton.
Women’s
The women's private label collections consisted of 24%
of more sustainable materials, of which 18% were linen,
3% Better Cotton, 2% organic cotton and 1% TENCEL .
Men’s
The men's collections of 2021 consisted of 13% more
sustainable materials, namely organic cotton.
More sustainable materials
2022 Babyface
Women’s
Men's
2023 Babyface
Women’s
Men's
2024 Babyface
Women’s
Men's
50%
30%
20%
65%
40%
30%
75%
50%
40%
Acrylic
Conventional Cotton
Better cotton
Organic Cotton
Elastane
Polyamide
Polyester
Viscose
Other 1
0.25 50.83 17.51 15.73 3.36 0.04 11.68 0.59 0.88
Acrylic
Conventional Cotton
Better cotton
Organic Cotton
Linen
Polyamide
Polyester
Viscose
Wool 2
Other 3
Conventional Cotton
Organic Cotton
Polyester
Viscose
Sheep's wool
Other 4
7.40 6.49 3.12 2.00 18.15 9.95 36.54 8.43 4.86 3.07 48.10 13.44 23.56 7.32 4.41 3.16
2025 Babyface
Women’s
Men's
80%
60%
50%
1
0.59% Viscose, 0.25% Acrylic, 0.04% Polyamide
2
0.29% Alpaca, 0.03% Cashmere, 0.01% Mohair, 0.63% Merino, 3.9% Sheep
3
1.30% Polyurethane (PU), 1.06% TENCEL, 0.27% Modal, 0.25% Metallic, 0.13% Elastane, 0.05% Acetate, 0.01% Lurex
4
1.38% Elastane, 0.85% Nylon, 0.93% Polyurethane (PU)
36 37

Organic cotton shortage
One of the causes is that, at the beginning of 2021, we were
informed by our manufacturer that for the winter collections,
we would not be able to buy any GOTS-certified organic
cotton, nor would we be able to buy organic cotton without
a certification.
The demand for organic fabrics has risen sharply worldwide
and it takes a cotton farmer on average three years to
convert to organic cultivation. This means that it can take a
long time before sufficient organic cotton is available again.
An additional problem is that in the autumn of 2020, Global
Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) discovered a large-scale
fraud involving fake organic cotton from India. Following an
investigation, GOTS identified 20,000 tonnes of cotton that
had been falsely certified as organic. With the disappearance
of the availability of organic cotton with the GOTS label,
the challenges of ensuring social conditions in the supply
chain are growing. The GOTS certificate not only verifies the
quantity of organic fibres, but also the good working
conditions in all links of the production process.
Better Cotton
We continue to invest in more sustainable materials for the
women's, men's and children's collections. EK Fashion does
not scramble for the last available ball of cotton at sky-high
market prices, but invests in the transition to more
sustainable cotton cultivation. That is why EK became a
member of Better Cotton in 2021 and has set Better Cotton
as our minimum requirement for future Babyface
collections and subsequently also for the men's and
women's collections.
Organic cotton from China
In 2021, we have been looking for partners who could help
us obtain more organic cotton. We have had discussions
with various stakeholders such as the Covenant on Sustainable
Clothing and Textiles, the Organic Cotton Accelerator
and Raddis Cotton. For the time being, these discussions
have not led to any further actions because all organisations
focus on cotton from India. We are currently buying organic
cotton again for our production in India, but our shortage is
mainly in China.
NEXT STEPS
Babyface
In 2021, we were able to considerably increase growth in
more sustainable materials for the Babyface collections in
2022. For example, for our New Born Capsule 'Tiny Story'
we were able to buy organic cotton again. We have also
switched all conventional cotton to Better Cotton for all our
jerseys and sweats that are produced in India. In this way,
Better Cotton supports more farmers in farming in a more
sustainable way. Based on a calculation based on the
number of items, and therefore not on specific weight, we
arrive at 52% more sustainable materials by 2022. This is
something we are proud of!
We have also made more sustainable choices in our
polyester consumption. Together with a manufacturer that
makes jackets for us, we were able to have part of our
polyester jackets made from recycled polyester for the
2022 collections.
Women’s
For 2022, the focus remains on incorporating as many
sustainable materials as possible into the products.
Since raw materials such as organic cotton are sometimes
not available, this is a greater challenge. Nevertheless,
a priority is that, in addition to responsible production,
the materials used must also meet our requirements.
Men
For the men's private label department, we will need to have
complete clarity on whether Better Cotton can be purchased.
Better Cotton has been contacted several times
about this, but due to the complexity of the ownership of the
various men's private labels, no unambiguous answer has
been received yet.
In addition, further research will have to be done into
other sources of more sustainable cotton from China.
The shortage of organic cotton with the GOTS certificate
is still causing difficulties for the private label department
in sourcing more sustainable materials. The increase in raw
material prices also has a strong negative impact on finding
affordable more sustainable options.
Recycled Materials
A specific next step in increasing the percentage of recycled
materials in the Babyface, women's private label and men's
private label collections is our collaboration with Drop & Loop
and Wolkat. Please refer to the topic 'Circular entrepreneurship'
for further information.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021
Babyface:
33% more durable materials.
Women’s:
24% more durable materials.
Men:
13% more durable materials.
38 39

utilities
food
housing
A living wage
for a worker and their family
should provide:
savings
healthcare
transport
education
clothing
3. IMPROVING WORKING CONDITIONS FOR THE FACTORY WORKERS WHO
MAKE OUR PRIVATE LABELS
EK Fashion strives to ensure that all people who work on our products have a good workplace.
The following topics are relevant to ensure such good workplaces: no child labour, no forced labour, no
sexual harassment, no violence, no discrimination, no bribery, no corruption and the presence of a living
wage and a safe and healthy workplace, reasonable working hours, freedom of association and a
complaints mechanism.
Responsible Business Conduct
These criteria are, amongst other things, included in our
Responsible Business Conduct (RBC, see appendix).
The RBC is a code of conduct that clearly describes the
standards and values for the partners in the production
chain. Producers are asked to sign and return a statement
confirming that they have read this code of conduct
and intend to observe our standards. We maintain
communications with producers about our standards and
values and discuss the areas for improvement that we can
achieve together. The producer also lets us know whether
the actions of EK Fashion impede compliance with the
standards and values.
Amfori BSCI
In addition, EK Fashion is a member of Amfori BSCI.
Through Amfori, we conduct social audits in the factories
where we produce our clothing with the aim of improving
working conditions. It is EK Fashion's responsibility to have
audits conducted by local auditors. Throughout the year, we
analyse these reports and have talks with our producers to
achieve structural improvements.
Training programmes and living wages
In October 2020, we started two projects with Babyface to
improve working conditions in factories in the Tamil Nadu
region of India. We collaborate with human rights
organisation Arisa, local organisation SAVE, FNV and the
brands Fabienne Chapot, HEMA, O'Neill, Prénatal,
The Sting and WE Fashion and our four producers in India.
Factory Support Programme
One project is the three-year Factory Support Programme in
which producers receive training on various social issues
including discrimination and gender, child labour, forced
labour, freedom of association, living wages and
occupational health and safety. With these training
programmes, producers are supported in setting up
well-performing consultative committees between workers
and management, which can deal with complaints and
develop preventive measures around any risks in factories.
Another goal is to increase workers' knowledge of labour
laws so that they can better defend their rights.
Living wage pilot in Tamil Nadu, India
The factory workers of the four producers in India are
currently participating in the training programmes of Arisa
and SAVE. These factories provide us with all kinds of
information, such as the number of temporary and
permanent employees and the turnover level among the
workers. This information is needed to set up the living wage
pilot project. For this reason, we want to start the living wage
pilot project with one of the four factories in 2023.
GOALS
For 2021, targets have only been set for Babyface. In 2023,
we will also set targets for the men's and women's labels
when we will have better insights into their production
facilities.
Factory Support Programme & Living Wage Pilot
2021 Babyface A living wage survey was conducted at four tier 1 producers. ✗
2022 Babyface 4 tier 1 producers have completed the training programme.
2023 Babyface 1 tier 2 producer has completed the training programme.
1 tier 1 producer has started a living-wage project.
2025 Babyface 1 tier 1 producer pays a living wage to workers.
ACHIEVEMENT
Factory Support Programme in Tamil Nadu India
In mid-February 2021, we introduced the Factory Support
Programme at our Top Notch agency in India. After some
critical questions, an appointment was immediately made to
visit our four producers together with SAVE to introduce the
programme. All producers responded positively and agreed
to cooperate.
Factory
Number of training sessions for
senior and middle management
Number of training sessions
for factory workers
Number of training sessions
for worker committees
Milestone 3 2 6
Geethalaya 2 1 8
Coral Knitwear 3 1 -
Greyfield 2 - -
40 41

Up to April 2022, training sessions for senior and middle
management have been held at the four selected producers.
The first training sessions were well received. Arisa and
SAVE told us that such training sessions were new for the
producers and therefore highly valuable. The management
of the producers learned about the relevance of proper
planning and adapting planning and leadership to individual
workers on the shop floor. After all, not every person can
work equally hard. This has reduced the stress of the
workers in the factory.
The training was also given to factory workers and
established worker committees. The relevance of such
committees has been clearly explained and topics such as
transgressive behaviour, proper sanitation and ensuring a
good working temperature have been discussed. Finally,
the trained producers mentioned that the training contains a
great deal of information, which is why repetition is required.
With the last of the four producers, the contact was more
difficult and no steps were taken towards training the factory
workers or setting up worker committees. Unfortunately, the
visit of this last producer to SAVE did not result in further
developments.
The implementation of the training courses has proceeded
more slowly than initially anticipated, partly due to the
COVID-19 pandemic that hit India in 2021. Our agent is
keeping us updated on the current situation and its effect on
the factories and their workers. For our part, we tried not to
burden the producers too much by asking for information
that is needed to make a start with the training sessions
within the Factory Support Programme and the research for
the living wage project.
Living wage pilot in Tamil Nadu India
In 2020, we started the pilot by having talks with our agent
and the relevant factory about starting a living wage pilot
project. The factory is well organised and medium-sized
in terms of the number of employees, which makes it
manageable to start the pilot project and learn as much as
possible from it. In 2020, in collaboration with Modint, we
calculated the difference between the actual salary paid
and the living wage at the factory (see illustration). This
calculation was made based on average prices for fabric,
finishing, margins, packaging and working hours.
The result of the calculation is that € 0.50 more must be paid
per article to the supplier in order to pay the factory workers
a living wage.
For 2021, the intention was to conduct research with four tier
1 producers to roll out a living wage. This included how we
would bridge the difference of €0.50 per article and ensure
that this extra money would reach the factory workers.
We would also contact the other three producers in 2021 to
discuss a living wage as a first step in expanding the pilot.
Unfortunately, it was not possible to implement the steps
before 2021. As indicated for the project mentioned above,
the main reason for not achieving the goals is the COVID-19
pandemic. Producers in India had a very difficult time with the
crisis and as a result, many project activities were cancelled,
which delayed the roll-out of the living wage pilot. When
project activities did take place, priority was given to training
programmes to improve working conditions.
To increase the number of valid social audits, it is important
that the women's, men's and Babyface teams encourage
producers to accept Amfori BSCI's invitations. Hereto we will
have to convey the urgency to the producers through our
agents. Concerning the producers for whom EK Fashion can
initiate audits, we also have to keep a close eye on when
audits expire and when producers' factories reopen to
receive auditors.
Worker Committee
A worker committee is a group of elected workers'
representatives who are not members of any of the
registered trade unions in the sector and who deal with
workers' rights and working conditions (see ILO
Convention 135 for a detailed definition).
WAGE LADDER
Living Wage WI:
Lower bound
typical family
Minimum
Wage (SER):
Living Wage (source: WageIndicator)
Minimum Wage (source: SER)
Lowest paid Wage factory (BSCI audit)
Lowest paid
Wage factory
(BSCI)
In addition, communications with the selected producer for
the living wage project in 2021 have been more difficult.
Whereas there was a great deal of enthusiasm for the project
in the beginning, that enthusiasm declined in the second half
of 2021. A partial explanation is again the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic, as a result of which maintaining the
company has received priority to the living wage project.
Next steps
Babyface’s agent in India is making every effort to maintain
contact with the producers about the Factory Support
Programme and the living wage project. Babyface also has
regular meetings with SAVE, Arisa and Top Notch to keep
updated about the developments of both projects and to
find out how Babyface can support all parties in the best
possible way. The balance between stimulating and not
asking too much is very important. In this way, we hope to
reach our goal to have all four producers participate in the
training programme in 2022.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021
8
training courses for senior and middle management.
4
training courses for factory workers.
14
training sessions for worker committees.
42 43

GOALS
Common targets for reducing water, energy and chemical
consumption have been set for all production teams.
Chemical Testing
2022 At least two shipment samples from each
tier 1 manufacturer were tested.
Overarching goals
2023 Multi-Year Policy on Wet Processes and Chemicals Use and
Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) have been
drafted.
2024 There are no harmful chemicals in our finished products.
2025 CO 2
-neutral in transport and packaging.
4. RESPECTING THE ENVIRONMENT BY REDUCING WATER, ENERGY
AND CHEMICALS
EK Fashion intends to look after a sustainable planet. The climate on earth is changing due to the excessive
emission of greenhouse gases, use of water and chemicals by societies. For example, a lot of water,
energy and chemicals are used in the production of clothing. Dyeing and finishing textiles accounts for
17% to 20% of all industrial water pollution (source: globalfashionagenda.com). Growing cotton also
requires a lot of water.
EK Fashion has taken the first steps in reducing chemicals
by drawing up a Restricted Substances List (RSL) in 2019.
An RSL is a list of chemicals that we do not want to find in
clothing. To make sure that this is the case with regard to the
most vulnerable people, Babyface's baby products comply
with Oeko-tex and REACH standards.
REACH
REACH (EC 1907/2006) aims to improve the protection
of people and the environment by identifying chemical
substances more accurately and at an earlier stage.
This way, we can ensure that products are free of
harmful substances that pose a health risk.
Oeko-tex standard 100
Products with this certificate are free of hazardous
substances. The substances tested are: illegal
substances, legally regulated substances, known
harmful substances and health care parameters.
ACHIEVEMENT
Although we have not set any targets for 2021 for reducing
CO 2
, water, energy and chemicals, we have been working on
many projects. EK Fashion's new ESG specialist participated
in an introductory training course on 'Wet Processing and
Chemical Management' at Modint. In addition, we have
made contact with Modint to find out how the testing of
shipment samples is done.
In addition, we have updated the 2019 RSL in 2021 to reflect
new insights on chemicals.
Next steps
In early May 2022, EK Fashion and Modint will analyse
the Babyface shipment samples for the risk of harmful
chemicals. We will select several high-risk products per
producer and have them tested. The aim is to do the same
for the men's and women's collections in 2022.
In addition, we will draw up a long-term plan with Modint on
how we can improve the wet processes and the use of
chemicals in the production of our clothing together with the
producer. Part of this will be the drafting of an MRSL.
Besides water, energy and chemicals, emissions also have a
negative impact on the environment. We are currently having
talks with several organisations that can help us calculate the
CO 2
emissions of our premises, vehicle fleet and products
(throughout the supply chain). This baseline measurement
will help us set priorities for reducing emissions and set
SMART goals.
We are aware that we are asking a great deal from our
producers, especially Babyface producers for our two social
projects with Arisa and SAVE. Follow-up steps to reduce
CO 2
, water, energy and chemicals, where our producers
are much needed, will be taken after these projects are
completed. We have chosen to do this to maintain a realistic
outlook on what we can expect from our producers and
ourselves in terms of workload.
A Manufacturing Restricted Substances focuses on all
chemical substances used in the manufacturing
process of a garment.
A Restricted Substances List only takes into account
the chemicals that end up on the finished garment.
ACHIEVEMENT IN 2021
Updated Restricted
Manufacturing List
44 45

5. HELPING RETAILERS AND BRANDS MAKE MORE CONSCIOUS CHOICES BY
PROVIDING INSIGHT INTO ESG PERFORMANCE
8 CRITERIA
In addition to the services that EK Fashion offers to its retailers with regard to private labels and Babyface,
EK Fashion also intends to be of added value to brands and retailers to make their business more
sustainable and consequently future proof.
Sustainability Movement Monitor (SMM)
In order to help retailers and brands make more conscious
choices, we started a partnership with Cube Retail and
Bureau Brems in December 2020. In the initial months of
2021, we developed a pilot version of a tool for multibrand
fashion retail to measure and communicate the commitment,
degree and progress of ESG of brands. The Sustainability
Movement Monitor aims to provide retailers and brands with
a reliable outline of both the degree and progress of brands'
ESG efforts. To this end, we use a broad set of measurable
criteria and targets according to scientific and international
industry standards, such as the Higg Index, the past
Covenant on Sustainable Apparel and Textiles, Good on You
and Life Cycle Assessment methods. Every year, brands
complete the Sustainability Movement Monitor questionnaire,
which is translated into eight criteria. We store this
information in a database and suppliers receive their own
ESG progress profile compared to the industry average.
The goal is to give retailers insight into the sustainability of
their assortment and opportunities to improve it over the
coming years.
Adding ESG information to online shops
We want to help retailers and their customers make better
choices by providing information on their online shops about
the material composition of products and ESG issues of
products such as working conditions and CO 2
emissions.
Based on this information, a product on an online shop can
be given the label ’more sustainably’. In addition, from 2023,
we want to run a pilot in which a customer is offered more
sustainable alternatives when he looks at a product in an
online shop. For example, if a customer looks at a T-shirt
made of conventional cotton, a T-shirt made of organic
cotton will be suggested in the online shop. The ultimate goal
is that through machine learning, this more sustainable
alternative becomes gradually more accurate and is
automatically shown in the webshop.
Policy &
organisation
Processes
Materials
Transparency
Social
responsibility
Transport &
packaging
Machine learning is a form of artificial intelligence
aimed at building systems that can learn from
processed data or use data to perform better. The goal
of Machine Learning is to ensure that the machine
makes increasingly better predictions.
Animal
welfare
Circularity
46 47

GOALS
Affiliated Brands SMM
Affiliated Retailers SMM
2022 50 -
2023 150 50
2025 500 200
All products on the webshops contain
info on material composition Info about ESG proposed more sustainable
alternative
2022 50% 10% -
2023 70% 30% 5%
2025 100% 60% 30%
ACHIEVEMENTS
Sustainability Movement Monitor (SMM)
In June 2021, the first 50 brands were contacted by email
to participate in the pilot. Unfortunately, only six brands
responded by completing the questionnaire. We learned
from this that it is important to seek personal contact with
brands to explain the relevance and functions of the SMM.
In cooperation with EK Fashion's ESG team, the account
management team plays an essential role in this. We also
tried to lower the threshold for completing the questionnaire
by switching from an Excel sheet to an online questionnaire.
After reaching an agreement with Cube Retail and Bureau
Brems, EK Fashion became the owner of the SMM in the
summer of 2022. Nevertheless, the cooperation with Cube
Retail and Bureau Brems is of great significance in the
further development of the questionnaire and associated
scoring from Q4 2021 to Q2 2022. In further developing the
questionnaire, we also requested stakeholder feedback
from TOMO, Rainbow Collection, Modint, Amfori, the past
Sustainable Clothing and Textiles Covenant and Four Paws
Netherlands, among others.
Adding ESG information to online shops
The greatest challenge for adding information on material
composition and ESG is the accessibility of the information.
Brands need to add this information to databases such as
Fashion Cloud, to enable EK Fashion to retrieve this information.
Two employees (1.9 FTE) of EK Fashion are working
weekly to complete product information, because brands do
not provide complete product information. It will therefore be
quite a challenge to get additional and more complex
information on ESG available in addition to the regular
information such as size and colour.
NEXT STEPS
Sustainability Movement Monitor
The necessary next steps include the establishment of
terms of use of the SMM, especially for brands, which
specify how the shared information will be handled.
Additionally, a manual must be drawn up for brands with
tools and instructions for completing the questionnaire.
The Business Intelligence team and the Omnichannel team
are also working hard on the conversion model for the
retrieved data and visualisation in a dashboard. To combine
the various data that EK Fashion collects from various
sources, EK Fashion switched from storing data in 'silos' to
storing data in a 'lake'. This technical development is not only
promising for SMM but also for other data-driven services
such as demand-driven production, which you can learn
more about in the next pillar.
In addition to the technical aspects of the SMM, EK Fashion
is analysing the willingness of brands to complete the
questionnaire. The importance of personal contact with the
brands about the SMM became clear in the pilot and will be
taken into account when contacting the brands. Finally, one
of the most important follow-up steps is of course to obtain
completed questionnaires to achieve the target of 50 brands
in 2022.
Adding ESG information to online shops
As more and more (online) retailers are asking for ESG
information, for example, Bijenkorf and Zalando, we expect
this information to become more readily available. In
addition, EK Fashion also plays a role in putting pressure on
brands to supply this information. EK Fashion is moreover
actively working on applying artificial intelligence to
automatically extract product information from photos of
products. The aim is to use this application to find out at
least the material composition, which in turn releases many
man-hours to obtain other more complex ESG information
from brands.
48 49

WASTE LESS
One of the major problems in the clothing industry is the
huge surplus of clothes. If we continue to produce at
this rate, we will reach the point where not enough
resources will be available to meet demand. The linear
economy, with its 'take-make-waste' system must give
way to a circular economy.
6. PRODUCING ON DEMAND
EK Fashion wants to use our developments in the field of data management to better predict the demand
for certain products. This will enable an even better match between supply and demand, which will prevent
overproduction. Producing according to demand is one of our main goals for the coming years.
GOALS
2022 New cooperation with 2 production sites in Europe that meet our minimum ESG standards.
2023 Reduction of private label sample collections by 20%.
ACHIEVEMENT
New production sites
In 2020, the women's private label department of
EK/Euretco Fashion started an investigation to find new
production channels that:
1. being able to produce with short production times, mainly
in Europe;
2. produce at a high-quality level (to enable longer life
spans);
3. can work according to our sustainable production
standards (as described in the RBC).
We are currently having talks with several producers in
Portugal, Greece, Morocco and the Netherlands and have
visited some of them. Together with the women’s private
label department, we have also categorised the current
producers based on future viability of our cooperation with
them. Some producers were categorised as promising to
take the ESG course with them and others as having less
potential. For the less potential ones, we see opportunities
to shift production to the new producers.
Sample Collections
For the reduction of the sample collections, targets were
initially set for 2021. Even in the ESG report for 2020, it was
indicated that these goals would not be achieved within the
target. This proved to be the case. Due to the growth of the
private labels, which is reflected in more collaborations and
expansion of collections, the sample collections of men's,
women's and children's have also grown. For Babyface this
specifically concerns an increase of 3.6% in pieces in 2021
compared to 2020.
In other words, because EK Fashion calculates the reduction
of sample collections in an absolute manner, it is an extra
great challenge to achieve the targets. If we would calculate
the number of samples relatively, i.e. the number of samples
in relation to the number of styles in a collection, we might
already have reached the set targets. However, we as
EK Fashion want to make a real effort to reduce the absolute
number of sample collections and have therefore chosen
to push the target forward instead of adapting the target to
a relative way of measuring.
NEXT STEPS
Sample collections
To reduce the number of samples, the women’s and men's
departments, in cooperation with students from TMO, are
investigating how we could start working with 3D samples.
The technique for 3D sampling is already a fact of
life in fashion, but it is only applied on a small scale.
For EK Fashion, a considerable development will therefore
be required to apply this on a larger scale to reduce the
sample collections.
New production sites
The next steps for the women’s private label department in
cooperation with the ESG team consist first of all of reducing
the number of producers. Analogously, production will have
to be relocated from production sites that are less relevant to
women's production, to new sites in Europe.
50 51

7. CIRCULAR BUSINESS
We believe that transforming the current business model in the fashion industry into a circular model can
only be achieved through intensive cooperation throughout the supply chain.
In December 2020, we made the first start with this. We are investigating possibilities to process waste from
the Dutch textile waste in the private label collections of the women’s and men's departments. Because of
the temporary shop closures at the end of December due to COVID-19, we decided at that time to reduce
the number of styles in the collections for winter 2021. This has moved back the possible capsule collection
with recycled material from the Dutch textile waste belt.
GOALS
2021 Each CSR ESG representative within the
production teams has completed a course on
circular design and/or circular business
models.
2022 5% of materials in men's and women's
collections are recycled materials.
10% of the polyester used in the Babyface
jacket collection is recycled PET.
10 retailers have a textile collection machine
or box and sell products made of
recycled materials.
2023 10% of materials in men's and women's
collections are recycled materials.
50% of the polyester used in the Babyface
jacket collection is recycled PET.
50 retailers have a textile collection machine
or box and sell products made from
recycled materials.
2025 A circular business model is integrated alongside
the current (linear) business model.
100 retailers have a textile collection machine
or box and sell products made from
recycled materials.
ACHIEVEMENT
The goal for 2021 was to have all ESG representatives within
the production departments take a course on circular
design and/or circular business models. Two Babyface
employees have effectively followed a three-day training
in June 2021. The other two CSR responsible persons have
not yet done so.
As one of the first steps towards achieving the percentages
of recycled materials in the men's collection, women's
collection and Babyface collections, EK Fashion has
been certified for the Global Recycled Standard since
January 2022.
We also contacted Drop & Loop and Wolkat who are jointly
capable of facilitating the entire chain of recycling and
production for the private labels and Babyface. After the
initial talks, we are very excited about possible cooperation!
Green Deal Circular Textiles
Sustainability Manager of EK, Mariska Schennink, joined the
steering committee of the Green Deal circular textiles in
2021. The Green Deal Circular Textiles was signed by more
than 40 companies in 2020. They agree that the Amsterdam
Economic Board in collaboration with the City of Amsterdam,
the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam Bureau and the
signatories will work for the next three years on making
textile circular. EK Fashion will contribute to the described
ambitions by making its member retailers part of the circular
challenges and by making the opportunities for retailers in
this area visible.
Business Intelligence
EK Fashion helps the retailer with a balanced purchasing
budget that is customised together with the retailer.
We use the data from the EK Retail Monitor (ERM) for this.
For example, the ratio between pre-purchase and open-tobuy
budget and the distribution of deliveries are analysed
and discussed with the retailer. In the ERM dashboard,
individual performance at brand, article group and
lifestyle segment levels can be tracked and benchmarked
on a weekly basis. This enables the retailer to make
well-considered choices and to have the right articles
delivered at the right time to sell them to the consumer.
These tools contribute to a higher return for the retailer
and minimise overproduction.
NEXT STEPS
A next step for the production teams is to purchase products
with higher percentages of recycled materials such as
recycled wool, polyester and cotton.
Collaboration Drop & Loop and Wolkat
In addition, we will continue to discuss with Drop & Loop and
Wolkat the development of products from recycled materials
for the private label and Babyface collections. In collaboration
with Drop & Loop and Wolkat, we have established two
'tracks' on which we will collaborate at product level. On the
one hand, the production departments of EK Fashion will
purchase products from Wolkat's current catalogue, such as
fashion and home accessories. However, these products are
not the core of the production departments' collections, but
rather are special additions on a small scale or to give away
as promotional gifts. On the other hand, a commitment has
been made to jointly develop clothing that will become part
of the core collections of the private labels and Babyface.
This is where EK Fashion's expertise in fashion design and
the needs of retailers and Wolkat's expertise in developing
recycled fabrics converge.
A third part of this cooperation includes encouraging
retailers that are affiliated with EK sales to place a collection
machine or collection box in their shop. At the EK Fashion
festival in 2022, special attention will be paid to this and after
the event, the collection machine and collection box of Drop
& Loop will be shown in the Showrooms of EK Fashion. In
this way, EK Fashion wants to enthuse retailers for collecting
textiles and selling products from recycled textiles in their
own shops by using the collection machine or collection box
from Drop & Loop and Wolkat. In this way, EK Fashion makes
an actual commitment to complete the recycling loop.
The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is an international, voluntary standard that sets
requirements for the certification of recycled raw materials and the third-party chain of
custody. GRS includes the following targets:
• Alignment of recycled definitions across multiple applications.
• Verification of recycled content in products.
• Provide consumers (both brands and end users) with a tool to make informed decisions.
• Reducing the harmful impact of production on people and the environment.
• Providing assurance that products are processed in a more sustainable way.
• Encourage higher percentages of recycled material in products.
52 53

8. EFFICIENCY IN TRANSPORT AND PACKAGING
The collections of EK Fashion are mainly produced in Asia. This means that a long way has to be travelled
to transport the items to the Netherlands. In addition, also transport takes place to points of sale. To protect
the products during transport, plastic bags (polybags) and boxes are put around the products. EK Fashion
is committed to reducing the negative impact of these processes.
In May 2022, EK Fashion switched to Hartevelt as its new logistics partner. We are enthusiastic about the
cooperation because sustainability is also Hartevelt’s priority item.
GOALS
ACHIEVEMENT
NEXT STEPS
2021 Drawing up a sustainable logistics policy.
80% of Babyface's polybags are made of
recycled plastic.
10% reduction in CO 2
emissions from
transport.
2023 100% of Babyface's polybags are made of
recycled plastic.
10% Reduction of impact of packaging
material of private labels.
Partly because our priority was the materials of the products
and EK Fashion has a new logistics partner, not much has
been achieved in this area. However, EK Fashion has been
working on various pilots and we have asked external
stakeholders for advice to make progress in the areas of
transport and packaging.
Packaging private labels and Babyface
The men's private label department conducted a test in 2021
to investigate whether alternative materials to plastic are
suitable as packaging materials. In this first test, paper bags
were used instead of polybags and this was a positive
experience! In addition, Babyface has partially purchased
polybags made of recycled plastic for the collections in
2022. The ESG team has also asked Modint for advice on
packaging materials.
Sustainable logistics policy
In 2022, EK Fashion, together with our new logistics partner
Hartevelt and other stakeholders, intends to draw up a plan
on how EK Fashion can make the transport of products more
sustainable. Modint is also an important stakeholder in this,
because Modint can provide more information about the
footprint of products with their newly launched collaboration
with bAwear. EK Fashion has had initial talks with Modint on
this and is planning to conduct a pilot with at least one
product in 2022.
Part of the logistics policy will involve measuring current
emissions. Hartevelt has already taken various steps to map
out the impact of logistic processes. EK Fashion would
therefore like to enter into a conversation with Hartevelt on
how we can outline and reduce our impact.
Packaging private labels and Babyface
The goal for the men's private label division is to scale up the
use of paper instead of plastic as packaging material.
Babyface will also scale up by using recycled polybags.
Hartevelt can play a role in this process if it is possible for
polybags and/or hangers made of recycled material to be
used in their processes. Naturally, we aim to share the
findings of pilots and upscaling between production
departments.
54 55

EMPOWER LOCAL HEROES
EK Fashion believes in the power of independent fashion retailers who use
their expertise and with personal attention and an eye for quality to help the
consumer to make conscious choices: not more, but better. With the distinctive
position of the independent retailer, the retailer is able to make a considerable
contribution to making the fashion industry more sustainable. We give him full
support to be successful.
9. INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL
Creating awareness is the first step in mobilising people to become more sustainable. Subsequently, we
offer tools to take action. EK Fashion wants to do this in two ways: the EK Fashion Academy and offering
POS materials to raise consumer awareness.
In 2020, we established the EK Fashion Academy (EFA). The EK Fashion Academy offers physical
training courses and a website with both online learning modules and a knowledge base for the fields
of sustainability, marketing and business intelligence. The academy is intended for retail owners, buyers,
fashion consultants on the shop floor and our own employees.
In addition, in their contact with brands and retailers, account managers give personal advice on
sustainability and refer to the ESG team of EK Fashion or external partners of EK Fashion.
GOALS
ACHIEVEMENT
Specifically, the following sessions took place:
• Drawing up the ESG policy with the owners of Van
Tilburg and Berden in cooperation with Rainbow
Collection and EK Fashion.
The joint first physical session laid the foundation for
Van Tilburg's ESG policy and Berden's ESG policy.
In an online session, both companies were given the
opportunity to receive feedback on their plans from
Rainbow Collection and EK Fashion. The final session
in which both companies will pitch their ESG policy will
take place in Q2 of 2022.
• Two physical training sessions at Van Tilburg with
twelve buyers about more sustainable purchases
under the guidance of Rethink Rebels and EK Fashion.
The buyers learned more about what sustainability
means in clothing, which questions they can ask brands
about sustainability and what the most important
sustainability labels are for clothing.
• Various awareness sessions at EK Fashion retailer
groups.
EK Fashion's ESG team visited five retailer groups in
2021 to give an introductory presentation on sustainability
and to talk with retailers they would like to engage with
on sustainability. Due to COVID-19, it was not possible
for the ESG team to give more presentations.
All in all, in 2021 the ESG team mainly realised that
awareness is still lacking among many retailers, which
is why, among other things, the EFA is still little used.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic may also
have contributed to the sparse use of the EFA;
retailers prioritised survival of this short-term crisis
over sustainability.
2022 25 retailers have taken an online or offline
training from the EFA.
2023 100 retailers have taken an online or offline
training from the EFA.
30 retailers purchase POS materials for
consumer awareness.
2025 200 retailers have taken an online or offline
training from the EFA.
100 retailers purchase POS materials for
consumer awareness.
Since the launch of the EK Fashion Academy, around ten
external participants and around eighty internal EK Fashion
employees have joined. The launch included five lessons on
sustainability and a new lesson on circular business models
will be added in 2021.
The German part of EK Fashion also started building a
German version of the EFA in 2021. The current content was
taken as a starting point and the German colleagues entered
into a partnership with Staff Solutions to bring the EFA to an
even higher level.
In addition to the activities of the online Academy, there have
been several physical meetings to create awareness within
retailer groups, work on retailers' ESG policies and train
shop staff.
NEXT STEPS
One of the most important next steps for EK Fashion is to
offer physical training sessions to retailers who have shown
an interest following the awareness sessions. One of the
account managers is in contact with various retailers about
this. In addition, one new training module or one knowledge
base item will be published on the EK Fashion Academy
website per month.
Promotion of the full width of EFA will be conducted by the
account management and marketing team. All channels
will be used, such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn,
newsletters and personal contact.
POS material
EK Fashion's marketing team will need to develop POS
materials, leaving room for incorporating retailers' branding.
Several requests were made by retailers in 2021 to develop
POS materials for ESG initiatives in their businesses.
The marketing team can build on this.
56 57

10. REWARDS FOR SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS
To encourage a movement towards sustainability in the Dutch retail landscape, it may help to put
frontrunners in ESG in the spotlight. Therefore, starting in 2023, we want to highlight and reward
a retailer and a brand on EK Fashion's social channels every month.
We also want to fully integrate ESG in all communications and events of EK Fashion, both in the
Netherlands and in Germany. This could include a new standard section in a newsletter and inviting
more sustainable brands to trade fairs. Specifically for the Brand Guide of EK Fashion, we want to integrate
more sustainable brands per style segment. The Sustainable Movement Monitor can help to determine
such more sustainable brands.
ACHIEVEMENT
GreenChange Pop-up
The first GreenChange Pop-up opened at May Fashion.
Brands like Greenbomb, Alma&Lovis and Feuervogl are
included in this pop-up. Also, at Kaufhaus Sämann in
Vaihingen, a GreenChange Pop-up was opened and the
sales staff received training on the sustainable history of
these brands and products in the pop-up. In the branches of
Kaufhaus Woha, even two pop-ups have been opened! The
GreenChange Pop-up was the subject of a great article in
the German magazine Textilwirtschaft. Definitely worth
reading! (Read the English version here).
NEXT STEPS
The marketing teams in the Netherlands and Germany will
have to create marketing content in cooperation with the ESG
team to be able to highlight and reward retailers. This will
require visits to retailers and interviews with retailers. In
addition, the account managers will have to strengthen the
relationships with more sustainable brands and possibly
include new more sustainable brands in the EK Fashion
brand portfolio. In addition to the defined goals for expanding
the number of more sustainable brands in the brand portfolio
of EK Fashion, even more specific goals will be set for
highlighting more sustainable brands in 2022.
GreenChange Pop-up
One of the most specific forms of highlighting brands is the
GreenChange Pop-up store, accomplished by EK Fashion
Germany. The shop-in-shop concept with a surface area of
25m2 offers a defined and eye-catching stage in the shop
for more sustainable brands.
Together with KOHLSCHEIN from Viersen, Germany, a
cardboard modular pop-up concept was created. When the
module is no longer needed, it can be returned to the normal
paper recycling cycle.
New plastic was completely dispensed with for the coat
hangers. Grass hangers from the company Cortec from
Wald-Michelbach were used. The hangers are made from
regional grass fibres and recycled plastic, most of which
come from old coat hangers. This reduces the carbon
footprint by up to 64% and the grass hangers can be
recycled at Cortec itself. The metal parts are recycled
separately by a recycler and are also returned to the metal
production process. Again, a perfect recycling cycle has
been thought out.
GOALS
2022 1 highlighting and rewarding retailers for
sustainable performance.
1 highlighting and rewarding brands for
sustained performance.
5 more sustainable brands added to the
brand portfolio.
5 GreenChange Pop-up stores set up.
2023 12 retailers highlighted and rewarded for
sustainable performance.
12 highlighting and rewarding brands for
sustained performance.
5 more sustainable brands added to the
brand portfolio.
12 GreenChange Pop-up stores set up.
2025 12 retailer uitlichten en belonen om duurzame
prestatie.
12 highlighting and rewarding brands for
sustained performance.
5 more sustainable brands added to the
brand portfolio.
23 GreenChange Pop-up stores set up
58 59

11. INCREASING EMPLOYEE VITALITY
When our employees enjoy going to work, this will have a positive influence on our customers.
We believe it is vital that every employee feels good about himself, both physically and mentally.
That a job feels safe and comfortable, and also provides enough challenge for the employee and
the organisation for further development.
ACHIEVEMENT
In May 2021, we took the first step towards a policy for
sustainable employability for the Fashion division. A survey
among all Fashion employees showed that work-life balance
and career development opportunities are considered the
most important pillars for which employee and employer are
jointly responsible. Physical health is regarded by the
employees as a more personal responsibility.
NEXT STEPS
The HR department has various plans to make sustainable
employability a pillar for the entire EK. In this way,
EK Fashion benefits from the joint activities. In 2022, goals
will be set for sustainable employability.
In 2021, employees worked a great deal from home, due to
the measures taken during COVID-19. The work-life balance
has become an even more important item as a result.
Some employees believe their work-life balance has
improved because of working from home, whereas others
have deteriorated. Now that we are working more hours at
the office again, a plan has been set up for hybrid working
to promote structure and cooperation. In addition, the
workspace in Hoevelaken will be thoroughly restyled
in the coming weeks to improve cooperation, promote
creativity and adapt the office spaces to the various
activities of the day.
60 61

Appendix: Responsible Business Conduct EK Fashion
Appendix: Responsible Business Conduct EK Fashion
EK Fashion, May 2021
As a major retail service organisation in
Europe, it’s our job to pursue a profitable
and sustainable retail industry. We care for
our collections, the materials and the full
supply chain related to our carefully
selected garments. We aim for long term
relations with our business partners to
co-create the most beautiful product, but
also to take care of the people involved. We
want to get insight in the social and
environmental impact of our products and
work on improvement where needed.
Transparency of production places and
circumstances are of great importance.
EK Fashion has a responsible purchasing
policy based on social and environmental
criteria for the supply chain based on
international standards, conventions and
guidelines. Working in compliance with all
applicable laws and regulations on human
rights, the environment and product safety
is of great importance, but international
standards are leading if they are more
stringent.
We ask all our suppliers and
subcontractors, from raw material to end
product, to support us in our corporate
responsibility program and to work
according the standards below.
1. Our common responsibility – Due
diligence
Under the UNGPs 1 and OECD Guidelines 2 ,
enterprises bear a responsibility for
preventing and reducing any adverse
impact on people and the environment by
their own operation or business
relationships in the production or supply
chain. This means acting in an ethical and
transparent way that contributes to the
health and welfare of society. This is the
baseline for our Due Diligence policy
integrated in our corporate responsibility
program.
EK Fashion supports the Conventions of
the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
and expects suppliers to act in accordance
with the conventions of the ILO. These
conventions are, along with the relevant UN
Declarations and the OECD guidelines, the
basis for our responsible business conduct.
We have identified nine specific themes by
mutual agreement and in discussion with
stakeholders which currently merit the
priority attention of enterprises in the
garment and textile sector operating in the
Netherlands in terms of international
responsible business conduct (RBC).
These themes are, in no particular order:
1. Discrimination and gender;
2. Child labour;
3. Forced labour;
4. Freedom of association;
5. Living wage;
6. Safety and health in the workplace;
7. Raw materials;
8. Water pollution and use of chemicals,
water and energy;
9. Animal welfare.
We added, based on the ILO and OECD
guidelines for the garment and footwear
industry:
• Working hours
• Ethical trade, no bribery and corruption
• No Sexual harassment and sexual and
gender-based violence (SGBV) in the
workplace
• Grievance mechanism
We will do our due diligence and give
particular attention on these themes and we
expect this as well from our suppliers. This
means that, with regard to these themes,
suppliers will identify any possible adverse
impact in the supply chain, set specific
objectives and take measures which are
suitable in the light of the insights resulting
from their due diligence process.
We ask you to inform us about any possible
risk regarding human rights violation, animal
abuse and environmental hazards related to
our products to cooperate to minimizing
these risks. To identify these risks, we
prepared a questionnaire and kindly ask
you to fill out and send back to us.
Our buying behaviour
We are part of the value chain and
therefore we want to take our responsibility
regarding sourcing and buying. It is very
important to inform us when our buying
behaviour does not support the
international social and environmental
standards set below. We work according to
the following buying strategy:
Forecasting:
We will particularly ask for long-term
contracts to increase predictability and
stability. This will also enable suppliers to
plan for investments in machinery,
equipment and human resources.
We will:
• work on a stable planning.
• Share forecast and purchasing plan
with our supplier and, if possible book,
capacity.
• Allow to start production early for
NOOS styles
• Communicate changes in your forecast/
purchasing plan on time.
Product development:
• provide clear technical specs and
requirements
• Ask our supplier for feedback on new
developments
• Review our sampling process with
efficiency in mind
• Work with photo’s/online video when
possible or consider virtual prototyping
• Supply a target price for the product
Price negotiation:
• Get insight in price calculations and the
production process
• Calculate in cooperation with our
supplier and getting help to get the
best quality for the best price.
• Consider material cost, labour,
transport, testing, audits and the profit
for the supplier
Payment conditions:
• Pay on time
• Pay what we agreed on Order
placement, production, lead time
• We have a time & action plan with
1
The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are a set of guidelines for States and companies to prevent, address and remedy human rights
abuses committed in business operations. http://www.ungpreporting.org/
2
The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are recommendations addressed by governments to multinational enterprises operating in or from
adhering countries. They provide non-binding principles and standards for responsible business conduct in a global context consistent with applicable laws
and internationally recognized standards. http://www.oecd.org/corporate/mne/
deadlines for all contributors (buyer and
supplier)
• We agree on realistic lead time
• We make an agreement on late style/
order changes
• We work on understanding the local
and cultural differences
2. Social & Environmental Compliancy
The responsible business conduct aims to
attain compliance with certain standards.
Supplier companies, in addition, must
ensure that the responsible business
conduct is also observed by subcontractors
involved in production processes of final
manufacturing stages. Within the scope of
options for action and appropriate
measures, supplier companies have to aim
at the implementation and reporting of the
following criteria in a development
approach. EK Fashion declares that we will
only work directly with subcontractors 3 that
are prequalified through the same rigorous
processes to those used for direct
contractors. Approved subcontracts may
be reviewed on a semi-regular (e.g. annual)
basis to remain approved. Workers of those
sub-contractors should have access to
grievance mechanisms, similar to those of
direct contractors. We ask for transparency
to know where our products are made and
to be able to ask questions regarding social
and environmental conditions.
2.1 Social Compliancy
Below written the most important ILO
conventions related to human rights at the
work floor.
Prohibition Child Labour and working
conditions of young workers ILO
Conventions 10, 79, 138, 142 and 182 and
Recommendation 146.
There shall be no use of child labour. “The
age for admission to employment shall not
be less than the age of completion of
compulsory schooling and, in any case, not
less than 15 years.” “There shall be no
forms of slavery or practices similar to
slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of
children, debt bondage and serfdom and
forced or compulsory labour. [...] Young
workers [in the age of 15-18] shall not
perform work which, by its nature or the
circumstances in which it is carried out, is
likely to harm their health, safety or morals.”
Children and young persons under 18 shall
not be employed at night or in hazardous
conditions.
Where young workers are employed,
business partners should ensure that the
kind of work is not likely to be harmful to
their health or development; their working
hours do not prejudice their attendance at
school, their participation in vocational
orientation approved by the competent
authority or their capacity to benefit from
training or instruction programs.
Business partners shall set the necessary
mechanisms to prevent, identify and
mitigate harm to young workers; with
special attention to the access young
workers shall have to effective grievance
mechanisms and to Occupational Health
and Safety trainings schemes and
programmes.
Child Labour Due Diligence Bill
By signing this RBC you take part in our
Due Diligence Policy and you approve that
you will do anything you can to identify,
prevent and if necessary address the issue
of child labour in our supply chain.
We need to comply with the Dutch Law on
Child labour Due Diligence on combating
child labour in global supply chains, that
comes into force as of January 2020. Dutch
companies and their supply chain business
partners will have to declare that they have
addressed the issue of child labour in their
supply chains. This law requires companies
to identify, prevent and if necessary
address the issue of child labour in their
supply chains. We ask our suppliers to
cooperate and be transparent about subcontractors
and sub-suppliers and possible
risks within the supply chain of our products
so we can cooperate in combating child
labour. Risk studies show that the severe
risks are mainly at cotton farming and wet
processing (like spinning mill) stage.
EK Fashion’s ESG Manager, needs to be
informed in high risk situations, for example
when cotton comes from countries or
facilities where forced labour is required
and so the risks on child labour occurs. Ask
your suppliers about their social
management systems, latest audit reports
or certifications like WRAP, SA 8000, Fair
Trade, GOTS, Better Cotton or Organic
Content Standard, or any other standard
that entails Child labour.
Prohibition of Forced and compulsory
Labour and Disciplinary Measures ILO
Conventions 29 and 105.
There shall be no use of forced, including
bonded or prison, labour. All forms of
forced labour, such as lodging deposits or
the retention of identity documents from
personnel upon commencing employment,
are forbidden as is prisoner labour that
violates basic human rights.
Prohibition of Discrimination ILO
Conventions 100, 111, 143, 158, 159, 169
and 183.
No discrimination shall be tolerated in hiring,
remuneration, access to training, promotion,
termination or retirement based on gender,
age, religion, race, caste, birth, social
background, disability, ethnic and national
origin, nationality, membership in workers’
organisations including unions, political
affiliation or opinions, sexual orientation,
family responsibilities, marital status, or any
other condition that could give rise to
discrimination.
No Sexual harassment and sexual and
gender-based violence (SGBV) in the
workplace
Our business partners are encouraged to
adopt a zero-tolerance policy on sexual and
gender-based violence and strict measures
against sexual harassment in its own
operations. The enterprise should articulate
its expectations of suppliers and other
business partners to likewise adopt a policy
3
Subcontracting to third parties is a fairly common practice at many stages of the garment supply chain. Subcontracting enables an enterprise to respond
quickly to short lead times and changes in orders, to specialize in certain tasks. Outsourcing, however, can also decrease transparency in the supply chain
and has been demonstrated to increase the risk of human rights and labour abuses and environmental impacts in higher-risk contexts. Therefore the due
diligence measures that EK Fashion should take to mitigate these risks should be increased. Source: OECD due diligence guide
62 63

Appendix: Responsible Business Conduct EK Fashion
on sexual harassment and sexual and
gender-based violence. Enterprises are
encouraged to include the following in their
internal policies
• a commitment to foster an environment
at work free from harassment, bullying
and violence
• clear consequences for breaking the
enterprise’s standards
• a commitment to hear grievances, to
provide a “reprisal-free” complaints
mechanism (e.g. operational-levelgrievance
mechanism) and to maintain
the confidentiality of workers or
employees who raise complaints
Freedom of Association and the Right to
Collective Bargaining ILO Conventions 11,
87, 98, 135 and 154
The right of all workers to form and join
trade unions and bargain collectively shall
be recognised. The company shall, in those
situations in which the right to freedom of
association and collective bargaining are
restricted under law, facilitate parallel
means of independent and free association
and bargaining for all workers. Workers’
representatives shall not be the subject of
discrimination and shall have access to all
workplaces necessary to carry out their
representation functions.
Payment of a living wage ILO Conventions
26 and 131
Wages and benefits paid for a standard
working week shall meet at least legal or
industry minimum standards and always be
sufficient to meet basic needs of workers
and their families and to provide some
discretionary income. Deductions from
wages for disciplinary measures shall not
be permitted nor shall any deductions from
wages not provided for by national law be
permitted. Deductions shall never constitute
an amount that will lead the employee to
receive less than the minimum wage.
Employees shall be adequately and clearly
informed about the specifications of their
wages including wage rates and pay period.
EK Fashion works with its suppliers to make
salaries transparent and to establish living
wages that are paid to employees to provide
for the basic needs of the employee and his
family. Together, we formulate measurable
goals and draw up an action plan.
Working Hours ILO Conventions 1 and 14
and ILO Recommendation 116.
Hours of work shall comply with applicable
laws and industry standards. In any event,
workers shall not on a regular basis be
required to work in excess of 48 hours per
week and shall be provided with at least
one day off for every seven-day period.
Overtime shall be voluntary, shall not
exceed 12 hours per week, shall not be
demanded on a regular basis and shall
always be compensated at a premium rate.
Safe and healthy working conditions ILO
Convention 155
A safe and hygienic working environment
shall be provided, and best occupational
health and safety practice shall be
promoted, bearing in mind the prevailing
knowledge of the industry and of any
specific hazards. Appropriate attention shall
be paid to occupational hazards specific to
this branch of the industry and assure that
a safe and hygienic work environment is
provided for. Effective regulations shall be
implemented to prevent accidents and
minimise health risks as much as possible.
Physical abuse, threats of physical abuse,
unusual punishments or discipline, sexual
and other harassment, and intimidation by
the employer is strictly prohibited.
No Sandblasting
EK Fashion does not accept the sandblasting
process being used for our products, since
this is affecting the health of workers.
Legally binding employment relations
Obligations to employees under labour or
social security laws and regulations arising
from the regular employment relationship
shall not be avoided through the use of
labour-only contracting arrangements, or
through apprenticeship schemes where
there is no real intent to impart skills or
provide regular employment. Younger
workers shall be given the opportunity to
participate in education and training
programmes.
Ethical trade: no bribery and corruption
Enterprises should consider the good
practices put forth in the OECD Good
Practice Guidance on Internal Controls,
Ethics and Compliance, which includes:
• Strong, explicit and visible support and
commitment from senior management
to the company’s internal controls,
ethics and compliance programmes or
measures for preventing and detecting
bribery, including the bribery of foreign
public officials;
• A clearly articulated and visible
corporate policy prohibiting bribery,
including the bribery of foreign public
officials; and
• Oversight of ethics and compliance
programmes or measures regarding
bribery, including the bribery of foreign
public officials, including the authority to
report matters directly to independent
monitoring bodies such as internal audit
committees of boards of directors or of
supervisory boards, is the duty of one
or more senior corporate officers, with
an adequate level of autonomy from
management, resources and authority.
Grievance mechanism
EK Fashion needs a commitment to hear
grievances from workers, to provide a
“reprisal-free” complaints mechanism (e.g.
operational-level-grievance mechanism)
and to maintain the confidentiality of
workers or employees who raise complaints.
For example Amfori has an online grievance
mechanism at their website. It provides a
platform for individuals and organizations to
submit a grievance if they feel they have
been negatively affected by amfori’s
activities. The amfori secretariat will review
the External Grievance Mechanism process
where necessary to continuously improve
the grievance handling procedure. We ask
Amfori to remind workers of their rights and
this online grievance mechanism. 4
2.2 Environmental Responsibility
Suppliers should assess significant
environmental impact of operations and
establish effective policies and procedures
that reflect their environmental responsibility.
They will see to implement adequate
measures to prevent or minimise adverse
effects on the community, natural resources
and the overall environment.
EK Fashion asks suppliers to have
procedures and standards for the use of
water and energy, handling and disposure
of chemicals and other dangerous
materials, waste management, emissions
and effluent treatment. The procedures and
standards must meet at least the minimum
legal requirements.
No use of energy of non-renewable
sources and minimizing Green house Gas
(GHG) emissions
Suppliers shall keep records of the current
energy sources and emissions and reduce
the use of energy of non-renewable
sources. Targets will be set to work with
green energy sources and thus reduce
emissions to air.
The consumption of energy of nonrenewable
origin is one of the main causes
of greenhouse gas emissions. The
production of textile and garments is an
energy intensive process. Measuring GHG
emissions is a critical first step to reducing
the carbon footprint of an enterprise’s
activities. It helps an enterprise to assess its
impact on the climate and to design
cost-effective emission reduction plans.
• Establish an energy management plan
at the site-level that includes companywide
coordinated measures for energy
management. We ask our suppliers to
measure, report and minimize their
energy consumption and GHG
wherever possible.
• Also, we do encourage our suppliers to
make use of renewable energy sources
like wind- and solar energy. We ask our
supplier to research and use
technologies which use less energy, like
LED lightning.
• Implement best available techniques
(BAT) as defined by Best Available
Techniques Reference Documents for
the sector or sub-sector 3 5 .
Implement energy efficiency measures (e.g.
energy conservation technology,
optimization of steam generation and
pressurized air, waste heat recovery
from waste water and waste gas,
process optimization, etc.)
• Implement energy conservation
measures (e.g. implementation of
energy saving through improvements in
the process and reaction conditions)
• Increase efficiencies and quality so as
to reduce need for re-processing due
to failures
• Install and operate accurate meters
and/or measuring software as a
fundamental step to benchmarking
performance and to initiating efficiency
improvement
Limitations to water use and clean waste
water
The supplier shall measure water use and
determine whether it can source from water
stressed areas responsibly – for example,
by promoting water efficiency and/or
reducing process dependence on fresh
water amongst its suppliers. Waste water
must be treated and tested before releasing
to the environment. The supplier shall
comply to national waste water legislation.
Throughout the production of textiles, a lot
of water is used. In general, most water is
used for cotton cultivation (2/3 or more of
the total volume). Textile processing uses
far less water but causes most water
pollution. This puts great pressure on the
availability and the quality of water in areas
where cultivation and processing take
place. Water use, the source and waste
water in the wet processing also deserves
serious attention, because of the local
pollution impact.
• We ask our suppliers to deliver a
(waste) water policy, testing procedure
and/or a copy of one of the standards.
We ask our suppliers to provide, (LCA)
data on water, energy and chemicals
and emissions. Use the ZDHC (Waste
Water) guidelines and the Unido water
calculator: https://watercalculator.dnvgl.
com/Home/Form.
• We want to be informed about the water
source (rain, groundwater, lake, etc)
• We would like to offer suppliers more
information on a cleaner production
process through the ZDHC, OECD
guidance or MODINT Factsheets which
we could provide to you.
No hazardous Chemicals
No hazardous chemicals shall be used in
processing stage and released in water or
air. Employees shall be protected and
equipped with the right safety measures
and appropriate training. Chemicals shall
be stored and labeled accurately.
Chemicals are used everywhere in the
production of goods. Apart from the
pesticides and fertilizers in the natural fiber
production, the ‘big’ issue, mainly in the
textile chain, is the use of chemicals in
bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing
and how it effects workers, water and air
effluents.
• Design phase: The base of the use of
chemicals use lies in the design choices.
We ask our business partners to inform
us if any design decision leads to the
use of hazardous chemicals.
• Manage and report production phase:
From there it is important for our
company to know which specific
chemicals are used (chemical
inventory) and how they are used in the
processing. The use of harmful chemicals
during these stages of production
could be harmful for the environment
and the workers and may leave traces
in the final product and thus appear to
the consumer.
• Make a Chemical Risk assessment: An
environmental or human health risk
assessment includes hazard
identification, hazard characterization,
exposure assessment and risk
characterization.
The first two steps are regarded as the
process of hazard assessment. The
methodology of the environmental risk
assessment should align with OECD
guidance. See OECD Environmental
Risk Assessment Toolkit 6 .
The methodology of the health risk
assessment should align with the World
Health Organization guidance. See
International Programme on Chemical
Safety, WHO Human Health Risk
Assessment Toolkit: Chemical Hazards 7 .
Health risks are also addressed in Module 5,
Occupational Health and Safety.
4
https://www.amfori.org/sites/default/files/amfori%20External%20Grievance%20Mechanism%20policy-.pdf
5
https://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference/
64 65

Appendix: Responsible Business Conduct EK Fashion
Restricted Substances List (RSL)/
Manufacturing Restricted Substances List
(MRSL)
The restricted substances list (RSL) in annex
1 is intended to inform our suppliers on
international (upcoming) regulations
restricting or banning the use of chemicals
in apparel products including accessories
attached to garments for example zip
fasteners, buttons, etc. and packaging
materials. The RSL takes most of the world’s
regulations into account (incl. REACH, POP),
as well as harmful chemicals listed by NGO’s.
• We ask our suppliers to purchase
materials without harmful substances.
Please inform your fabric- or yarn
supplier about the RSL and risk matrix
where chemicals are related to certain
raw materials and processing steps
and inform EK Fashion about test
results based on risk assessments.
• If the supplier buys directly from
chemical agencies make sure it are
firms with a CR management system.
• Make use of the (ZDHC)MRSL (https://
www.roadmaptozero.com/mrsl_online).
It is there to provide suppliers with a
harmonized approach to managing
chemicals during the processing of raw
materials into the readymade fabric
within our supply chain. The MRSL
achieves this by providing a clear list of
priority chemicals and specifying the
maximum concentration limit of each
substance within commercial chemical
formulations.
• We ask our suppliers to inform us about
wet processing management (of sub
suppliers) to eliminate hazardous
chemicals from our products, to keep a
chemical inventory and to work with
Material Safety Data Sheets for workers.
Inform us when you/sub suppliers
cooperates with ZDHC, SAC (Higg
Index) or Amfori BEPI.
• Implement best available techniques
(BAT) as defined by Best Available
Techniques Reference Documents for
the sector or subsector. See Integrated
Pollution Prevention and Control, Best
Available Techniques Reference
Document for the Textiles Industry,
2003) 8 .
Valid Processing standards
A valid health OEKO-TEX® Standard 100
product certificate covers most of legal
requirements of this RSL. Processing
standards are of higher value, like: GOTS,
Blue Sign or Step (or similar). These
standards, in the annex, make sure that that
no harmful chemicals are used in
processing.
• When commercially acceptable, we ask
our suppliers to work as much as
possible with one of the following or
similar standards and to provide us with
a copy of the scope and transaction
certificates.
• It is important to work with accredited
audit organisations ( e.g. by textile
exchange.)
Raw Material Policy
EK Fashion wants to lower the impact of her
raw materials. Cotton is one of the most
polluting fibres and very important for our
collections, therefore we want to work with
the better, low impact options.
• We ask our suppliers to keep records
on the content and source of our raw
materials
• To source for sustainable or preferred
raw materials (indicated in annex 3) and
offer alternatives to conventional
materials.
• It is important to measure, reduce and
reuse material waste where possible.
In annex 4 we listed standards and
certifications, related to sustainable raw
materials like organic- or recycled cotton,
which aims to reduce the impact during
cultivation and/or processing of textile
fibres. The standards and certifications
cover the fibre production phase which
impacts water-, chemical- and energy use,
effluents and possibly labour conditions.
They do not cover the finishing substances
used, e.g. dyes that are included in the
processing standards.
• We ask our suppliers to offer available
sustainable raw materials and to use/
ask for one of the following or similar
standards and to provide us with a copy
of the scope and transaction
certificates or other proof of compliancy.
Valid raw material certifications
In annex 4 we listed standards and
certifications, related to sustainable raw
materials like organic cotton, aim to reduce
the impact during cultivation and
processing of textile fibres. The standards
and certifications cover the fibre production
phase that has impact on water, chemical
and energy use and labour conditions. They
do not cover the finishing substances used,
e.g. dyes that are included in the
processing standards.
• We ask our suppliers to use one of the
following or similar standards and to
provide us with a copy of the scopeand
transaction certificates.
Animal welfare
We ask suppliers of wool, silk, leather,
down and feathers and any other animal
derived fibre:
• To prevent, reduce and eradicate
animal suffering in the production or
supply chain.
• To provide animal welfare guarantees
when products of animal origin are
used.
• To follow below provision guidelines
where animals are concerned in our
supply chain:
1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst - by
ready access to fresh water and a diet
to maintain full health and vigour.
2. Freedom from Discomfort - by providing
an appropriate environment including
shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease -
by prevention or rapid diagnosis and
treatment.
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour -
by providing sufficient space, proper
facilities and company of the animal’s
own kind.
5. Freedom from Fear and Distress - by
ensuring conditions and treatment
which avoid mental suffering.
Endangered Species Policy
EK Fashion does not accept any raw
materials from any endangered species as
listed on the IUCN Red List 9 , as critical
endangered, near threatened, endangered,
extinct in the wild, or vulnerable on the
IUCN Red List. Therefore, suppliers must
provide animal welfare guarantees when
products of animal origin are used.
EK Fashion does not accept Real exotic
animal skins (incl. snake, alligator, crocodile,
lizard and ostrich).
Fur -EK Fashion does not accept animal fur
Silk - EK Fashion does not accept silk from
moth that have been boiled alive.
Animal hair (e.g. Cashmere, Angora,
Mohair) - EK Fashion does NOT permit that
hairs are collected from animals in an
animal-unfriendly manner (see guideline
above).
• We ask our suppliers to provide a third
party certificate that proofs good
animal husbandry.
Leather - Real leather and suede from
sheep, pigs, goats and cattle reared for
meat production & synthetic leather are
accepted. All other leather variations are
NOT permitted!
• We prefer leather processed through
facilities rate by Gold, Silver, Bronze by
the Leather Working Group or facilities
STeP by OEKO-TEX certified.
Down Feathers Policy - EK Fashion does
not accept Down/Feathers from live-plucked
birds and from force fed birds. EK Fashion
only accepts Down/Feathers from meat
production and prefers Down/Feathers that
are certified to the Textile Exchange
Responsible Down Standard.
• Our business partners must submit a
declaration or certificate guarantee that
all Down filled garment/items are
Non-live plucked down.
Wool & Mulesing Policy - We endorse the
IWTO- standards for animal welfare and
demand that the Five Freedoms for Animal
Welfare must be respected. Mulesing is a
surgical procedure carried out on (mainly
Merino) sheep to prevent flystrike.
• EK Fashion only accepts wool from
sheep that have not been mulesed and
prefers wool that is certified to the textile
Exchange Responsible Wool Standard.
Recycled wool, certified according to
the recycled wool standard could be a
solution to prevent mulesing.
Man-made Cellulosic Fibres Policy - EK
Fashion does not accept products (Viscose,
Rayon, Modal and Lyocell) deriving from
illegally logged sources, ancient and
endangered forests, as listed in the IUCN
Red list as critical endangered, near
threatened, endangered, extinct in the wild,
or vulnerable. EK Fashion prefers
sustainably certified wood products (e.g.
FSC)
Packaging - Since plastic is nonbiodegradable,
recycling is a part of global
efforts to reduce plastic in the waste stream,
especially the approximately eight million
metric tonnes of waste plastic that enter the
earth’s ocean every year. Soft Plastics are
also recycled such as polyethylene film and
bags.
• We ask our supplier to actively research
and offer options which are a better
choice for the environment: Reusable,
recycled and/or reduction of packing
materials.
Plastic - We ask our suppliers to use
preferred plastics for our products and
packaging like recycled plastics and
biodegradable plastics (see GRS
certification) of e.g. PLA (corn sugars).
Cardboard - We ask our suppliers to use
recycled or FSC/PEFC certified cardboard.
We aim to only use cardboard and paper
packaging which consists of 100%
recycled paper fibre.
Waste reduction - We ask our suppliers to
reduce (raw) material wase as much as
possible and preferably join a recycling
program (packaging waste, material cutting
waste etc.)
3. Management System, Monitoring,
documentation, verification
The supplier company shall define and
implement a management system to ensure
that the requirements of the Responsible
Business Conduct can be met.
Management is responsible for the correct
implementation and continuous
improvement by taking corrective measures,
as well as the communication of the
requirements of the RBC to all employees
and subcontractors. It shall also address
employees’ concerns of non-compliance
with this Code of Conduct. EK Fashion will
be informed about non-compliances and
follow up.
• If the buying behaviour of EK Fashion
impacts the compliancy to this RBC we
will be informed immediately.
In our accompanied questionnaire we will
ask you to provide us with sufficient
information to prove the origin and
sustainability of our products. If you have
any questions please let us know.
The requirements in the Responsible
Business Conduct are requirements that we
want to achieve together. These are our
common goals. We are open for discussion
if suppliers are not capable to meet these
requirements. We are certain that many of
our suppliers have even higher demands of
themselves. Therefore, we want you to
provide us with the relevant certifications
and reports to confirm this. By signing this
RBC statement, you commit yourself to it.
The undersigned hereby confirms that:
We have read the Responsible Business
Conduct (RBC) and accept the terms
required of us as suppliers and will inform
and cooperate with our subcontractors and
sub suppliers working on products of EK
Fashion. We will inform EK Fashion and
discuss non- compliances and the issues
involved in their product’s supply chain.
6
https://www.oecd.org/env/ehs/risk-assessment/environmental-risk-assessment-toolkit.htm 7 https://www.who.int/ipcs/methods/harmonization/areas/ra_toolkit/en/
8
https://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference/BREF/txt_bref_0703.pdf
9
IUCN Red List: Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on
the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species. See https://www.iucnredlist.org/
66 67

EK Fashion wants to communicate the steps we take towards a more
sustainable world and how we progress in doing so in a transparent
way. We hope that this annual report contributes to that. If you want to
receive more information on the services we offer and about our
journey to sustainable entrepreneurship, then please do not hesitate to
contact us.
EK Fashion
Koninginneweg 1, 3871 JZ Hoevelaken, The Netherlands
Contact: sustainability@ek-retail.com
EK Fashion is a trade name of Euretco B.V.
Copyright: Nothing from this publication may be multiplied and/or published through photocopies, film, or in any other fashion,
without the prior consent given by Euretco B.V. Euretco B.V. cannot be held responsible for any errors that this report may contain.