River Island joins Global Transparency Movement

UK fashion retailer River Island has signed onto a global effort to be more transparent to consumers about the factories that produce its products.

River Island’s decision to join the Global Transparency Movement is a boost for the rights of apparel workers. Over the past few years, consumers have made it clear to brands that expect transparency about sustainable materials and workers rights.

In December 2019, Human Rights Watch, together with the Clean Clothes Campaign, launched a campaign that asked apparel brands to '#GoTransparent' by signing the Transparency Pledge. Since the launch, River Island has changed its stance on transparency, joining 39 other companies that have.

The pledge was created in 2016 by a coalition of nine organisations and global unions, including Human Rights Watch in an effort to standardise supply chain disclosure.

River Island is currently in the process of uploading a list of all approved Tier 1 factories, which is due to be finished by end March 2020. The list will be updated every 6 months to ensure that it remains accurate.

In a statement River Island said: "This is an important step in driving greater Transparency in the fashion industry, in order to ensure fair and safe working conditions in factories worldwide. It also enables industry collaboration to prevent serious global issues such as Modern Slavery."

In December 2019, H&M launched a similar scheme, offering customer transparency on sustainable products by offering detailed information on each products production and location of origin.