Governance
Biodiversity protection and afforestation at Gildan is governed by our Management of Biodiversity and Land Use Guidelines, our Global Energy and Environment Policy, and our Environmental Management System (EMS). As part of our EMS, we carry out an environmental impact assessment at each Gildan-operated facility before initially starting operations. This analysis allows us to understand potential risks to wildlife and ecosystems in locations where we operate and take steps to prevent or address any adverse impacts.
Everywhere we operate, Gildan fosters compliance with applicable biodiversity laws and regulations. In addition, we do not operate in protected or restored habitats, or lands adjacent to protected natural areas.
In Honduras and the Dominican Republic, we operate facilities in rural areas of more than 10 hectares. At these facilities, we work with an external consultant to conduct a biotic assessment at least every two years to understand whether there are any locally threatened or endangered species included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, migratory species, or native species impacted by our operations and the local natural environment in general.
Gildan’s operations do not have any significant biodiversity impact that would require the execution of special conservation or protection measures beyond the continuous fauna and flora monitoring conducted in the natural areas of our Biotop wastewater treatment lagoon systems.
As we maintain existing and develop new sites and facilities, we follow EMS practices to help protect biodiversity. We seek to promote green spaces where we operate, including investing in green zones, wooded areas, forestry, and strategic sustainability alliances with local communities.
