The REP Wrap: Komar tackles coal in supply chains

Your weekly summary of corporate sustainability news.

Apparel company Komar has eliminated on-site coal use across all its Tier 1 suppliers, and will not onboard new suppliers that use it. According to its new climate transition plan, the firm is now working with Tier 2 and upstream suppliers to eliminate coal by 2028. Coal elimination will extend to Tier 3 and 4 suppliers once traceability improves, with a bill-of-materials system already in development. 

Jeffrey Hogue has left Levi Strauss to become Gap’s top sustainability executive, reporting to chief supply chain and transformation officer Sally Gilligan. He succeeds Daniel Fibiger, who departed in May after three years in the role. Hogue brings extensive fashion sustainability experience, having previously led sustainability at C&A and held roles at McDonald’s, Danisco and Genencor. 

Corporate climate targets are consistent with 3.2°C of global warming by 2100, according to new research from CDP and WWF. Based on the short-, medium- and long-term commitments of listed companies, the report found that firms in North America are furthest from aligning with the goals of the Paris Agreement in developed markets, with five-year targets corresponding to 3.1°C and 2050 targets to 3.3°C. Companies in the consumer discretionary, energy and financial sectors are the biggest laggards, the research claims. 

Taiwan plans to ease corporate sustainability reporting requirements and introduce anti-greenwashing guidelines by the end of 2026, according to reports in Eco Business. Responding to business concerns over compliance costs, the government will harmonise carbon accounting rules, reduce duplicative requirements, and delay mandatory Scope 3 disclosure for smaller listed companies. Separately, new anti-greenwashing guidance will target exaggerated environmental claims.

The UN’s working group on business and human rights has presented a report on the food industry to the UN Human Rights Council. The document says “states, businesses, investors and other stakeholders in the food and agribusiness sector must design and implement sustainable and rights-based food security programmes that address food fraud and advance food justice”. It sets out practical recommendations to strengthen food security through a human rights-based approach, and advises governments to treat corporate activities in the food sector as a public policy issue “with direct implications for the rights to food, nutrition and equality”.