Fair Wear and the European Outdoor Group (EOG) hope to advance workers’ rights together and tackle significant issues within the outdoor apparel industry.
Under the strategic partnership, the organisations seek to foster sustainable and long-term improvements for workers throughout the outdoor apparel supply chain by using the combined influence of both entities.
Fair Wear brings 25 years of experience in advocating for safe and equitable employment for garment workers, while the EOG represents over 143 organisations from the European outdoor sector.
Over the next year, Fair Wear and EOG will engage in joint activities through both in-person events and digital platforms.
Fair Wear organises collaborative initiatives among EOG members to tackle shared challenges and promote collective efforts toward improving labour conditions. This involves developing and hosting webinars that bring together insights from brands and expert knowledge from Fair Wear on targeted subjects.
The joint objective is to promote significant advancements toward a future where garment workers worldwide can fully exercise their human rights and secure safe, dignified employment with fair compensation. Their collective efforts aim to ensure that the outdoor apparel industry actively contributes to advancing workers' rights.
European Outdoor Group CSR & sustainability head Dr Katy Stevens said: “This partnership is a crucial step forward for the outdoor industry in Europe. As an industry, we are committed to ensuring our supply chains are both responsible and sustainable, and our collaboration with Fair Wear helps us achieve these goals by placing workers' rights at the heart of our industry values."
The partnership will also centre around the introduction of Fair Wear's newly established online platform Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) Academy to EOG members.
This initiative is designed to assist outdoor brands take actionable steps and equip them with the necessary tools to incorporate effective human rights due diligence into their business practices, thereby facilitating industry transformation.
The HRDD Academy, which Fair Wear introduced last week offers a customised learning experience that includes practical resources and expert advice, enabling brands to initiate significant changes within their operations.
Additionally, it prepares brands for compliance with emerging legislation, such as those outlined in the European Union Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EU CSDDD). The EU directive rules will start to apply to companies from 26 July 2027.
Through the HRDD Academy, EOG members will have the opportunity to take part in detailed modules that cover key areas of human rights due diligence, learn from specialists in labour rights and ethical business practices who share their expertise and access continuous learning and resources to stay current with the latest updates in labour standards and due diligence regulations.
Fair Wear HRDD Academy coordinator Victoria Lauer said: “By partnering with EOG we hope to significantly expand the reach of our HRDD Academy and the positive impact on the working conditions in the outdoor industry.”
