boohoo Group plc (LON:BOO) has announced today the publication of its international factory list, meeting its transparency pledge to publish it within twelve months of the Independent Review produced by Alison Levitt QC (the “Independent Review”). The international factory list details around 1,100 factories following an extensive period of mapping and auditing which initially began in 2020.
The 17 recommendations from the Independent Review were broken down into 34 deliverables as part of the Agenda for Change. To date the programme has completed 28 of these items, which are governed by a KPMG review cycle. The remainder are expected to be completed in the coming months.
Sir Brian Leveson PC, who is providing independent oversight of the Agenda for Change programme, has submitted his fourth report to the Board and, in line with the Group’s ongoing commitment to transparency, this has today been published on the Group’s website. Sir Brian acknowledges the progress that has been made in relation to both the Independent Review and also the wider ethical programme upon which the Group has embarked, embedding the Agenda for Change into business as usual. Sir Brian states: “I continue to applaud the enthusiasm that all at boohoo have demonstrated for the Agenda for Change Programme and chart the very real progress that has been made in relation both to the recommendations set out in the Review and also the wider ethical programme upon which the Group has embarked. It marks the movement of A4C into business as usual which is not, of course, the beginning of the end of the process, but merely the end of the beginning.”
The Group has also announced that it intends to sign the International Accord for Health and Safety. The legally binding agreement is a replacement for the Bangladesh Accord which has delivered significant improvements to working conditions for garment workers in the country.
John Lyttle, boohoo Group CEO, commented:
“The Agenda for Change programme was designed to ensure that the changes we made to our business are sustainable and embedded into our culture as we look to the future. The dedication of our teams to delivering real change has meant we have been able to achieve the challenging targets we set ourselves and I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in this, both inside boohoo group and all of the external partners we have worked with, for their commitment.”
