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Clarks

OVERALL

Owned
HKG
Rating
Criticism, some praise

Footwear

Founded in England in 1825 by Cyrus and James Clark. Clarks ended shoe manufacturing in England in 2005, moving production to India, Brazil, Cambodia, China, and Vietnam. Private equity firm LionRock Capital Partners bought a controlling stake in 2021, ending 195 years of family ownership. In 2022 LionRock sold its stake to Viva China. Brand Collective owns the license for Clarks in Australia.

Company Ownership

C&J Clark International Ltd   UK     website   email      
  Viva China Holdings Ltd   
   owns 51% of C&J Clark International Ltd  
HKG     website   email      

Apparel and footwear

In 2010 former Olympian Mr. Li Ning became the shareholder of Coolpoint Energy Ltd and renamed the company as Viva China.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
C&J Clark International Ltd
Business Ethics Transparency Pledge
The Apparel and Footwear Supply Chain Transparency Pledge (Transparency Pledge) helps demonstrate apparel and footwear companies' commitment towards greater transparency in their manufacturing supply chain. Transparency of a company's manufacturing supply chain better enables a company to collaborate with civil society in identifying, assessing, and avoiding actual or potential adverse human rights impacts. This is a critical step that strengthens a company's human rights due diligence. This company is fully aligned with the Transparency Pledge, thereby committing to regularly publish on its website a list naming all sites that manufacture its products.
Source: Transparency Pledge (2019)
Environment Supply chain practices in China
This company received a score of 3.5/100 (retrieved 10-Oct-2020) in the Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI), a system for evaluating supply chain practices in China, particularly in regards to environmental management and water pollution. Scores are calculated using government compliance data, online monitoring data, and third-party environmental audits, as well as trends in the environmental performance of factories in the company's supply chains.
Source: IPE (2020)
Environment 23% in Forest 500 Rankings
Forest 500 identifies the 350 companies and 150 financial institutions with the greatest exposure to tropical deforestation risk, and annually assesses them on the strength and implementation of their deforestation and human rights commitments. This company received a score of 23%.
Source: Forest 500 (2021)
Business Ethics Materials sourcing
The Material Change Index (MCI) is a voluntary benchmark that tracks the apparel and textiles sector's progress toward more sustainable materials sourcing (cotton, polyester, nylon, manmade cellulosics, wool, down and leather), as well as alignment with global efforts like the Sustainable Development Goals and the transition to a circular economy. This company was rated "Establishing", the second lowest performance band.
Source: Textile Exchange (2020)
Business Ethics Better Cotton Initiative member
This company is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, a voluntary program which encourages the adoption of better management practices in cotton cultivation to achieve measurable reductions in key environmental impacts, while improving social and economic benefits for cotton farmers, small and large, worldwide.
Source: Better Cotton Initiative (2022)
Business Ethics Leather Working Group member
This company is a member of the Leather Working Group, a multi-stakeholder group who's objective is to develop and maintain a protocol that assesses the compliance and environmental performance of tanners and promotes sustainable and appropriate environmental business practices within the leather industry.
Source: Leather Working Group (2022)
Business Ethics Sustainability claims
This company has sustainability claims on its website under three main headings: Protecting the Planet, Championing People and Inspiring for Change.
Source: company website (2022)
Social Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: company website (2018)
Social BHRRC company profile
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.
Source: BHRRC (2022)
Business Ethics 26/100 in Fashion Transparency Index
The 2022 Fashion Transparency Index reviewed 250 of the world's largest fashion brands and retailers and ranked them according to how much they disclose about their human rights and environmental policies, practices and impacts. Brands owned by this company scored 26%, signifying it is doing a bit more than the others when it comes to having policies and commitments in place and auditing and reporting activities, but could be doing more. The average score was 24% and the highest score was 78%.
Source: Fashion Revolution (2022)
Viva China Holdings Ltd
Business Ethics Sustainability claims
This company has sustainability claims on its website, mainly in the areas of Environment and Employees. They have published ESG reports since 2016.
Source: company website (2022)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Private company
Founded 1825

Contact Details

Address Street, Somerset, United Kingdom
Email customercare@clarks.com
Website www.clarks.co.uk

Products / Brands


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