Program on the Environment

Corporate social responsibility in the fashion industry is growing in importance due to the wide implications that retail business has on people and the planet. Many retailers use sustainability reports to publicly demonstrate their commitments to the environment and society, but less emphasis is placed on the internal use of these kinds of reports. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the opportunities for internal uses of sustainability reporting with the overall goal being to achieve better sustainability communication, management, accountability, and performance. To accomplish this task, I interned at Nordstrom where I helped work on projects related to sustainability reporting and conducted research on feedback loops that result from the process of internal communication. I also interviewed corporate social responsibility professionals to gain a better understanding of the value of sharing sustainability information. My findings show that using sustainability reports internally broadcasts company culture and ethics at every level of the organization, helps to recruit and retain top candidates that align with the same values, and can encourage innovation within a company. For these reasons, it is important for retailers to instill the value of environmental and social sustainability not just to their public stakeholders, but throughout the entire organization. Leveraging sustainability information that is shared publicly for internal applicability will allow for a more efficient and robust sustainability strategy, and will create an enhanced level of accountability to all of a company’s stakeholders – internal and external – with the end goal being a better sustainability performance.