We believe that business can be a force for good. And we want to do our part to contribute positively and reduce negative impacts. To this end, we are pursuing a comprehensive sustainability strategy, in which we have clearly defined environmental and social goals. They form the foundation for our activities, which aim to minimize our environmental impact, push for more sustainable materials and circular fashion, and ensure decent working conditions and transparency. C&A Europe reports progress annually and discloses data and information specific to C&A’s European retail market and operations.

The UN Global Compact (UNGC) principles, UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the OECD Due Diligence guidelines provide the frameworks for our global reporting. In addition, C&A retail markets might report against other standards to comply with local requirements and address local stakeholder interests. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) legislation has been used as the overall guide for our 2025 reporting. We use this transition as an early start and phased approach to prepare for full compliance

→ Over 90% of our core materials met C&A’s more sustainable material criteria

→ 93% of nominated paper packaging suppliers have moved to FSC-certified materials

→ A new circularity target was adopted: 60% of designs to be circular by 2030, under a revised, more stringent definition

→ Our updated Science Based Targets were validated with a revised 2023 baseline

→ 94% MRSL (Manufacturing Restricted Substances List) chemical conformance across wet-processing production facilities

→ 1,200 on-site visits conducted by C&A’s Sustainable Supply Chain and Environmental Specialists at supplier facilities for monitoring standards

→ To support prevention of negative impacts for value chain workers, 480 employees completed the new mandatory responsible purchasing practices training