Anta Group, WWF team up to invest in green development

Leading sportswear company Anta Group and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on Aug 19 signed a partnership agreement in Xiamen of Fujian province to invest resources on green environmental development so as to drive the sustainability transformation of the textile industry and enhance biodiversity conservation.

Anta Group became WWF's first international partner in China's sportswear and textile industry. With the support and resources provided by WWF's global network and in fulfillment of goals on sustainable development and biodiversity conservation established by the United Nations, Anta Group will start from its daily practices of environmental, social and corporate governance and collaborate with its upstream and downstream partners to promote the transformation and development of the textile industry in terms of water stewardship and packaging.

The group also vows to reduce pressure on natural resources and the environment in the manufacturing process, advocate the principle of "reduce, reuse and recycle", develop and apply degradable raw materials and jointly design sports products in accordance with sustainable development, and engage hundreds of millions of consumers in the global course of biodiversity conservation.

The two sides will jointly promote the factory assessment and improvement system (FAIS), and develop and promulgate innovative solutions for the transformation toward a greener textile industry.

Specific targets include efforts to participate in the improvement of industrial water and energy usage, industrial waste emissions and supply chain management of at least 3,000 textile suppliers.

Ding Shizhong, chairman of the board of directors and CEO of Anta Group, said: "In the face of high uncertainty and volatility in the global environment, we must hold fast to our core values and keep our faith in a community with a shared destiny for humanity, because the sustainability of our living environment and the protection of natural resources matter greatly to every individual and every enterprise."

In recent years, Anta Group has been striving to stimulate its vitality of scientific and technological innovation and develop environmentally friendly products. The group has so far produced 16 million pieces of clothing made with eco-friendly fabrics, 4 million pieces made with fluorine-free water-repellent fabrics, and 2.93 million pieces made with organic cotton.

The company's recently released Corporate Social Responsibility Report (2019-2020) has detailed its responsibilities and commitment concerning consumers, employees, partners, environmental protection and community engagement, and welcomes public scrutiny.