In a surprising win for fast fashion, H&M Group has emerged as a top performer in the Stand.earth “Fossil-Free Fashion Scorecard 2025”, earning a B+ grade — the highest ever awarded on this scorecard. This marks a significant milestone, especially for a fast fashion brand, a category often criticized for its environmental impact.
What the Report Covers
The scorecard assessed 42 major global fashion companies on their efforts to reduce emissions and move away from fossil fuels. While overall progress across the industry was slow, H&M Group stood out for its strong climate action and leadership in supplier support.
Why H&M Stands Out
1. Climate Commitments & Transparency (A+):
H&M set clear goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions and shared detailed data across its value chain. This contrasts sharply with brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Aritzia, and Columbia, who received F grades for failing to set emissions targets.
2. Support for Cleaner Manufacturing (B+):
H&M is the only brand offering non-debt financial help to suppliers for emission-reduction projects—going beyond basic training. Most other brands haven’t provided such funding.
3. Advocacy for Renewable Energy (A):
H&M is actively working with governments to increase renewable energy use in countries like Vietnam. Its leadership in policy advocacy outpaces brands like Patagonia and Eileen Fisher.
4. Materials & Circularity (C):
Though fast fashion brands still struggle in this area, H&M is among the best in its category alongside Inditex and Bestseller, with investments in recycled and next-gen fibers. Eileen Fisher, however, remains the leader here with an A-.
5. Greener Shipping (C):
H&M is making efforts to cut shipping emissions and improve last-mile delivery. While there’s room to improve, the brand is ahead of many others like Hugo Boss, Asics, Mango, and Prada.
“We are pleased to see that our efforts to meet our ambitious climate targets – through clear roadmaps, investments in renewable energy and supplier financing to speed up decarbonisation, together with our advocacy work – are being recognised by Stand.earth. Though there is still more to do, this recognition reinforces our direction and determination to drive meaningful change and we remain committed to delivering on our ambitious climate agenda to reduce our absolute greenhouse gas emissions,” said Henrik Sundberg, Climate Impact Lead, H&M Group.
How Other Brands Compare
Fast Fashion Rivals:
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Inditex (Zara) scored a C, lagging behind in supplier support and advocacy.
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SHEIN was called the “Biggest Polluter” with emissions up 170% in just two years.
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Other fast fashion brands like Next, Boohoo, and Aritzia also received F grades.
Luxury Brands:
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Kering (C+) led the luxury segment but trailed on renewable energy adoption.
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Transparency remained a concern for names like Prada and Armani.
Sportswear & Outdoor:
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Patagonia and PUMA showed relatively strong intent but lacked recent, verifiable data.
The Bigger Picture
The report’s most sobering finding? Only three brands — Eileen Fisher, Burberry, and Prada — are currently reducing emissions in line with the 1.5°C target. Seventeen brands have actually increased their emissions since setting climate baselines. And while supplier decarbonization is essential to systemic change, very few brands are willing to take on the financial or logistical burden.
Final Takeaway
H&M Group’s leadership shows that even fast fashion brands can make real progress in sustainability — if they invest in real change. But the report makes it clear: the fashion industry has a long road ahead to fully decarbonize and support a fair energy transition.
