L Brands scores 0.5 out of 100 points in this ranking (up from 0 in 2017) showing no significant performance, and has therefore not yet started the journey towards cotton sustainability.
L Brands has no public policy on sustainable cotton in place and makes no mention of any intention to reduce harmful impacts of conventional cotton production on its website. Issues regarding water use, pesticide use and biodiversity in cotton cultivation remain unaddressed. The company has a commitment to not source cotton from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan following reports documenting the systemic use of forced and child labor in the harvest of cotton. In addition to this policy it is not clear what the company is doing in order to address labour/human rights violations in relation to cotton cultivation. The company requires its business partners to adhere to their L Brands Supplier Code of Conduct. It is not clear how this applies to cotton cultivation.
L Brands does not publish any information about volumes of sustainable cotton sourced, either in percentage or absolute terms.
L Brands does not publish information on the absolute volume and origin of the cotton used in its products. The company does not provide information on its suppliers (finished product, fabric manufacturers, yarn spinners).
