About You, Yoox Net-A-Porter and Zalando expanding successful climate change initiative

About You, Yoox Net-A-Porter and Zalando joined forces last year on a "unique collaboration" to form the 'Fashion Leap For Climate' initiative. This July, the companies are expanding their climate learning platform, inviting 250 of their brand partners to take part.

Launched in 2022, the Fashion Leap For Climate platform supports fashion brands in measuring their own carbon footprints and setting targets that align with climate science.

Brand partners of the three online retailers reported a boost in confidence, with an 85% increase in their understanding of science-based targets after completing the programme.

All participating brand partners reported they would recommend the programme and 91% highlighted that they valued the collaboration opportunities of the platform, such as exchanging ideas with peers.

Alison Loehnis, Interim CEO at Yoox Net-A-Porter, commented: "At Yoox Net-A-Porter we are committed to ambitious goals to lower our impact on the environment. Our brand partners are the most sought-after in luxury fashion and we take pride in supporting them to navigate this complex topic and reduce our collective carbon footprint.

"Following promising results from Fashion Leap For Climate’s first year, we are thrilled to be launching year two in partnership with About You and Zalando. This initiative represents the potential of industry-wide collaboration, harnessing a shared ambition to create a more sustainable future for fashion."

For the second year, About You, Yoox Net-a-porter and Zalando are aiming to bring greater value and flexibility to a wider selection of brand partners throughout 2023. Participants will now be able to join a live eight-week course (consisting of eight hours across four modules) through an engagement track providing bespoke support.

In terms of the programme's future growth, the three  retailers see the potential to scale its reach to become available to every fashion brand partner and the wider industry.

Hannes Wiese, Co-CEO at About You, added: "At About You, we believe that collaboration and transparency are key to sustainable change across the industry. This creates accountability, but also comparability between businesses and leads to positive change within the fashion sector.

"We are proud of last year's strong results of Fashion Leap For Climate and are excited - together with Zalando and Yoox Net-A-Porter - to start its second year. The successful completion of the learning journeys by our initial partner brands marks a crucial initial stride in the right direction. We are convinced that it will take collective initiatives from the entire industry to create sustainable change."