Corporate Social Responsibility in the Global Garment Supply Chain: Analysing German approaches towards CSR

Oldopp, Marie Therese Paula

4. Term

Urban, Energy and Environmental Planning, Master

2015

2015-06-10

58

Produktion af tøj foregår i mange led med stort forbrug af kemikalier, pesticider og vand, og risikoen for forurening er høj. Forskelle i nationale arbejdslove gør det svært at anvende fælles standarder på tværs af lande. Europæiske købere stiller ofte strengere krav end lokal lovgivning i produktionslandene, og det er vanskeligt at dokumentere leverandørers efterlevelse. Derfor må virksomheder håndtere miljø- og sociale forhold med gennemsigtige systemer for overvågning. I de seneste årtier er virksomheders samfundsansvar (CSR) – virksomheders frivillige indsats for at styre sociale og miljømæssige påvirkninger – blevet centralt i debatten om, hvordan globalisering bør reguleres. Myndigheder, NGO'er og virksomheder søger måder at fremme ansvarlig praksis, der modvirker udnyttelse af tekstilarbejdere og miljøskader. Virksomheder har udviklet forskellige CSR-strategier. Denne rapport analyserer tre tyske tøjvirksomheder for at sammenligne deres tilgange ud fra centrale elementer i CSR og i forhold til relevante offentlige og ikke-statslige initiativer. Undersøgelsen peger på, at kollektive tilgange kan gavne ved at dele erfaring og viden. Mængden af certificeringer og begrænset gennemsigtighed i CSR-overvågning får virksomheder til at tilslutte sig multi-stakeholder-initiativer, som kan styrke pålidelighed og tillid og give et bredere perspektiv for udvikling af nye strategier, produkter og systemer.

Clothing is produced through many steps that use large amounts of chemicals, pesticides and water, creating a high risk of pollution. Different national labor laws make it hard to apply a common standard across countries. European buyers often set stricter requirements than local laws in production countries, and it is difficult to verify whether suppliers comply. Companies therefore need to address environmental and social issues with transparent monitoring systems. In recent decades, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)—companies' voluntary efforts to manage social and environmental impacts—has become central to debates about how to govern globalization. Governments, non-governmental organizations and firms are looking for ways to encourage responsible practices that tackle worker exploitation and environmental harm in the textile industry. Companies have adopted different CSR strategies. This report analyzes three German garment companies to compare their approaches against key elements of CSR and in relation to relevant governmental and NGO initiatives. The study finds that collective approaches can help by sharing experience and knowledge. The proliferation of certifications and limited transparency in CSR monitoring push companies to join multi-stakeholder initiatives, which can improve reliability and trust and offer a broader perspective for developing new strategies, products and systems.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

Corporate Social Responsibility, Apparel, Supply Chain Management, Multi-stakeholder initiatives, environmental impacts, social impacts, Creating shared value, partnerships

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