Gildan Activewear (PPAI 250187, S13), the apparel supplier based in Montreal, Quebec, has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The achievement marks the seventh consecutive year for the company. The Index was established in 2005 to track the performance of companies in the U.S. and Canada that lead the field in terms of corporate sustainability. The honor highlights Gildan’s strengths in codes of business conduct, environmental policy and management systems as well as environmental reporting, product stewardship, and corporate citizenship and philanthropy.

“We take great pride in our inclusion on this index once again this year, being one of only two apparel companies on the North American index,” says Claudia Sandoval, vice president, corporate citizenship at Gildan. “We are focused on increasing the transparency of our operations and approaching issues in a holistic way. The company’s vertically-integrated business model allows us to exercise significant control over the vast majority of our supply chain. This provides Gildan with the unique ability to ensure a work environment that supports our employees’ well-being and professional growth. It also allows us to identify environmental and resource efficiencies throughout the lifecycle of our products and support the continued growth and vitality of our neighboring communities.”

Gildan’s framework governing its corporate compliance policies includes the code of ethics, the code of conduct and the anti-corruption policy, amongst others. All Gildan employees are expected to comply with these policies and the company has several processes and training procedures in place to increase awareness and compliance with these codes across the organization. Gildan also expects its business partners to adhere to the same ethical and business conduct standards that it has adopted internally.

The company’s global environment and energy policy guides its day-to-day practices at all operating facilities and applies across all environmental impact areas. Gildan reports that its Environmental Management System (EMS) is based on the ISO 14001 standard and tracks how the environmental policy and environmental procedures are implemented across all of its facilities. The EMS allows the company to evaluate its procedures for managing critical areas such as water use, wastewater discharges, energy generation and consumption, chemical handling and storage, raw materials selection, waste generation, biodiversity protection, emissions and spills control.

In pursuit of the company’s corporate citizenship and philanthropy goals, Gildan’s community engagement programs provide support intended to enrich people’s quality of life by advancing access to education, promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, protecting local environments and fostering entrepreneurship. Gildan partners with community organizations to target and respond to the most pressing needs in the regions where it operates and encourages active involvement from its employees.