Last year, ultra-fast-fashion giant Shein generated more planet-warming emissions than any of fashionâs largest public companies for the first time.
The companyâs carbon footprint of 16.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent is big enough to rival several countries. Itâs nearly tripled in the last three years, an increase that has outpaced even Sheinâs staggering rate of sales growth.
In 2023, Sheinâs carbon footprint nudged past that of Zara-owner Inditex, previously the biggest emitter among fashionâs biggest players. It was roughly double those of Nike, H&M Group and LVMH.
To be sure, such comparisons are imperfect. Companies calculate their emissions in different ways and disclose varying amounts of information. Still, Sheinâs hefty environmental impact is one of several sticky controversies that have plagued its ambitions to go public. Tackling emissions is âparticularly criticalâ CEO Sky Xu said in Sheinâs latest sustainability report, which was published last week.
The companyâs efforts so far include moves to support suppliers in improving manufacturing efficiency and shift some production closer to key consumer markets. In July, it launched a â¬200 million ($222 million) circularity fund focused on promoting textile-to-textile recycling. Itâs also in the process of validating its target to reduce emissions 25 percent by 2030 with the Science Based Targets Initiative, the leading global arbiter of corporate climate goals. However, savings to date have been dwarfed by the companyâs breakneck growth.
Dive into the numbers below:
