M&S has become one of the first companies to sign the Call to Action on human rights abuses formally: Brand Commitment to Exit the Uyghur Region. This is in line with the company’s long-term focus on ensuring its supply chains are sustainable and ethical, where workers are treated fairly, and their human rights are respected. M&S utilizes 100% sustainable cotton for lothing is sustainably and it is one of the few retailers that does not work with any supplier in or source from Xinjiang.
Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated as M&S) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in London, England, specializing in selling clothing, home products, and food products, most of its own label. M&S was founded in 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds. The brand is well known for its sustainability efforts.
Jasmine O’Connor OBE, CEO at Anti-Slavery International, said, “We welcome the leadership shown by Marks & Spencer today to commit publicly to the Call to Action, assuring its consumers that M&S products will not be linked to the abuses of Uyghurs. The Call to Action sets out a clear path of action for brands to follow in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and we call upon other major brands to follow suit with M&S and commit to the Call to Action urgently.”
Richard Price, M&S Clothing & Home MD, said, “At M&S, sourcing ethically and sustainably is core to how we do business and the promise we make to our customers, that’s why we do not source cotton from Xinjiang. 100% of the cotton for our clothing is more sustainably sourced—from the organic cotton in our baby clothes to our Good Move gym leggings using cotton sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative. When it comes to sustainable and ethical clothing, we can only achieve real change at scale by working with others, which is why we are proud to be formally supporting the coalition and providing additional assurance to our customers they can purchase from M&S with confidence.”
