Fast Retailing Recognized for Social and Environmental Efforts

Kelly Wetherille
·2 min read

TOKYO—Uniqlo’s parent company has been included in two indices that recognize companies for their environmental and social efforts, areas on which Fast Retailing has placed increasing importance in recent years.

For the first time ever, the company was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) World Index, one of the world’s foremost environmental, social and governance (ESG) indices. For the fifth year in a row, it was also included in the Asia-Pacific version of the same index.

In addition, Fast Retailing was for the first time selected for inclusion in the MSCI Japan ESG Select Leaders Index, an index for institutional investors such as Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) to make environmental, social and governance investments in Japanese companies that are recognized for emphasizing the importance of sustainability and governance.

Over the past few years, Fast Retailing has stepped up its ESG efforts. These include transparency measures such as the regular disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions and publishing details of its community investments. Its human resource and human rights initiatives include increasing the proportion of female managers and strengthening measures to prevent workplace accidents.

“In the manufacture and sale of apparel, Fast Retailing recognizes the importance of such issues as factory work environment, respect for human rights, and environmental conservation, and actively engages in efforts for the All-Product Recycling Initiative, as well as promoting the active participation of women, employing persons with disabilities, and providing support for refugees,” the company said in a release.

In September, Uniqlo launched its Re. Uniqlo initiative, which creates new garments from recycled apparel. The first product is a unisex jacket made from 100 percent recycled down.

For the three consecutive years starting from 2018, the company has also been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series, another global index for ESG investments, as well as the FTSE Blossom Japan Index for Japan’s GPIF to make ESG investments in companies that emphasize the environment and governance.

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