Corporate sustainability reporting in the apparel industry An analysis of indicators disclosed Anika Kozlowski, Cory Searcy and Michal Bardecki Department of Environmental Applied Science and Management, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the reported indicators in corporate sustainability reports, other documents and the web sites of 14 apparel brands belonging to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis of the corporate sustainability reports, other documents and web sites of the 14 SAC apparel brands was conducted to identify indicators related to sustainability. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected on all reported sustainability initiatives, actions, and indicators. A normative business model was developed for the categorization of the indicators and a cross-case analysis of the apparel brand’s sustainability reporting was conducted. Findings – In total, 87 reported corporate sustainability indicators were identified. The study finds that there is a lack of consistency among them. The majority of the indicators dealt with performance in supply-chain sustainability while the least frequently reported indicators addressed business innovation and consumer engagement. Originality/value – This paper provides one of the first in-depth reviews of the indicators reported by apparel brands within their web sites and other forms of corporate sustainability reporting. Keywords CSR reporting, Sustainability reporting, Global reporting initiative, Sustainability indicators, Sustainable apparel, Sustainable fashion Paper type Research paper 1. Introduction The apparel industry has experienced considerable growth and success over the last two decades. This has led to an intense scrutiny over economic, environmental, and social impacts within the industry. A number of concerns have been raised regarding environmental issues, such as the use of hazardous chemicals and non-renewable resources, and the significant issues with the generation of waste (Allwood et al., 2006; Fletcher, 2008). Labour practices and conditions in apparel supply-chains have been heavily criticized, particularly following high-profile events such as the April 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh. Movement of supply chains to offshore contract suppliers has shifted environmental and social due diligence platforms associated with textile and apparel manufacturing (Abernathy et al., 1999). The ability to produce apparel at extremely low cost has allowed the apparel industry to grow into a trillion dollar industry, now one of the largest globally (Allwood et al., 2006; DEFRA, 2011). Trapped in its own success, the industry is marked with inflexibility towards major change, especially with circumstances that have been externalized outside of the organization’s direct responsibilities. Apparel brands, however, have begun to consider International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management Vol. 64 No. 3, 2015 pp. 377-397 © Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1741-0401 DOI 10.1108/IJPPM-10-2014-0152 Received 6 October 2014 Revised 6 October 2014 Accepted 23 October 2014 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/1741-0401.htm An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2014 PMA Conference in Aarhus, Denmark. The authors would like to thank the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for supporting this research. 377 Corporate sustainability reporting