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Victoria's Secret & sustainability


Victoria's Secret

5 out of 16

Sustainability summary

Brand owner: Limited Brands, Inc.
Head office: Columbus, OH, USA
Sector: Lingerie & underwear
Categories : Female
Free Tags: Victoria's Secret, Bags, Caps, Shirts, Pullover, Suits, Jackets, Jeans, Dress, Shoes, Boots

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Victoria's Secret sustainability score report

Last edited: 7 April 2013 by Mario
Last reviewed: 7 April 2013 by Mario

Questions about Climate Change/ Carbon Emissions

3 out of 4
1. Is there a policy for the brand to minimize, reduce or compensate carbon emissions? Limited Brands (brand owner) has several policy measures to reduce CO2 emissions, such as using more efficient lighting technology in stores and increasing sea freight shipping. Source
2. Has the brand (company) disclosed the annual absolute carbon footprint of its 'own operations' (Scope 1 & 2) and has the brand already reduced or compensated 10% of these emissions in the last 5 years? Limited Brands participates in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). For 2012: Total Emissions is 334,605 metric tonnes CO2e (see link, page 48). For 2008, see CDP 2008 USA S&P 500 Report, page 102: Total Emissions is 422,672 metric tonnes CO2e. So a reduction of 21% is achieved. Source
3. Has the brand (company) set a target to reduce its absolute ‘own operations’ carbon emissions by at least 20% within the next 5 years? Limited Brands has set a target to reduce its overall Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 3% from 2007 to 2014. Source
4. Does the brand (company) also have a policy to reduce/compensate carbon emissions generated from the product supply chain that is beyond own operations (Scope 3)? Limited Brands has partnered with the US EPA SmartWay Transport program to improve transportation logistics and thus reduce GHG emissions. Source

Questions about Environmental Policy

1 out of 4
1. Does the brand (company) use environmentally 'preferred' raw materials for more than 5% of its volume? Limited Brands purchases organic cotton produced by the National Union of Cotton Producers of Burkina Faso (UNPCB). It is however not clear what percentage of the total volume this represents. Source
2. Does the brand (company) use environmentally 'preferred' raw materials for more than 10% of its volume? See remark for environmental policy question 1. Source
3. Does the brand (company) use environmentally 'preferred' raw materials for more than 25% of its volume? See remark for environmental policy question 1. Source
4. Does the brand (company) have an environmental policy related to the ‘wet processes’ within the production cycle, like bleaching and dying of fabrics? Limited Brands, brand owner of Victoria´s Secret, has signed the Greenpeace Zero-Discharge Commitment. Companies that signed this document promise to 'eliminate all hazardous chemicals from the whole lifecycle and all production procedures that are associated with the making and using of company's products, by 2020'. Source

Questions about Labour Conditions/ Fair Trade

1 out of 8
1. Does the brand (company) have a supplier Code of Conduct (CoC) which includes the following standards: No forced or slave labor, no child labor, no discrimination of any kind and a safe and hygienic workplace? All standards are mentioned in Limited Brands' Sourcing and Labour Standards (see link). Source
2. Does this CoC include at least two of the following workers rights: 1. to have a formally registered employment relationship 2. to have a maximum working week of 48 hours with voluntary and paid overtime of 12 hours maximum 3. to have a sufficient living wage? 1. Not found; 2. Maximum working week is 60 hours, but hours of overtime is not specified and it is not clear whether overtime is voluntary; 3. No, mentioning of minimum wage, not living wage. Source
3. Does this Code of Conduct include the right for workers to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; and in those situations where these rights are restricted under law, the right to facilitate parallel means of independent and free association and bargaining? Freedom of association is mentioned, but nothing found about situations in which this right is restricted by law. Source
4. Does the brand (company) have a published list of direct suppliers, that have collectively contributed to more than 90% of the purchase volume? Neither Victoria's Secret nor Limited Brands provides a llist of direct suppliers on its website. Source
5. Is the brand (company) a member of a collective initiative that aims to improve labor conditions, or does the brand (company) purchase its supplies from accredited factories with improved labor conditions? Limited Brands is a member of the multi-stakeholder initiative Business Council for Global Development (BCGD), but this is not a well-known collective initiative. Source
6. Do independent civil society organizations like NGO's and labor unions have a decisive voice in this collective initiative or in these certification schemes? See remark for labour conditions question 5. Source
7. Does the brand (company) annually report on the results of its labor conditions policy? Limited Brands mentions that it has implemented a "strategic internal audit process", but does not provide further details or results. Source
8. Has the brand’s labor conditions policy resulted in a ‘compliance level’ of at least 30% of the purchase volume, or a ‘monitored level' of at least 80%? See remark for labour conditions question 7. Source