Dive Brief:
- Nonprofit Fair Wear will launch a human rights due diligence platform called HRDD Academy on Oct. 9, according to a press release sent to ESG Dive’s sister publication, Fashion Dive.
- The HRDD Academy is an online platform meant to help brands navigate their human rights due diligence practices in compliance with European Union legislation. The program aims to help global garment and footwear brands meet the demands of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and other frameworks, per the release.
- Training modules in the HRDD Academy will focus on living wage, social dialogue and transparency, according to a Fair Wear spokesperson.
Dive Insight:
The CSDDD was formally adopted by the EU in May. It requires large companies to watch for and remedy negative impacts to the environment and human rights caused by their own activities, as well as those of their business partners across the supply chain. It also makes companies liable for the impacts of these activities.
The HRDD Academy is ongoing, so participants can complete the training at their own pace. It offers guidance from Fair Wear’s experience in garment supply chains and tools on risk scoping. The release said it also offers networking opportunities for brands to connect and “work on actions together,” according to the release.
Fair Wear launched a pilot program of the Academy in 2023 that ended this March. Participants in the pilot included 16 companies, some of which are in Fair Wear’s member base, such as Workfashion, Swiss Post and Picture Organic Clothing.
There are currently seven full participants in the HRDD Academy, according to the spokesperson.
“Fair Wear has always been a visionary in improving labour conditions in the garment industry,” Rachel Chuang, social responsibility manager of fashion brand Ganni, said in the release. “We join the HRDD Academy to deepen our understanding of HRDD and living wage contexts.”
Once launched, the program will have various access levels, according to the spokesperson.
Fair Wear works with industry leaders and other stakeholders to promote human rights for garment workers. It specifically focuses on supply chain responsibility and promotes “safe, dignified and properly paid employment” for garment workers. Its membership totals 130 brands, per the release.
