Clarks
Footwear
Founded in England in 1825 by Cyrus and James Clark. Clarks ended shoe manufacturing in England in 2005, moving production to India, Brazil, Cambodia, China, and Vietnam. Private equity firm LionRock Capital Partners bought a controlling stake in 2021, ending 195 years of family ownership. In 2022 LionRock sold its stake to Viva China. Brand Collective owns the license for Clarks in Australia.

Overall

Owned HKG
Rating F
About the Ratings

Company Ownership

C&J Clark International Ltd
UK
Viva Goods Company Ltd
owns 51% of C&J Clark International Ltd
HKG
Apparel and footwear
In 2010 former Olympian Mr Li Ning became the shareholder of Coolpoint Energy Ltd and renamed the company as Viva China, and later to Viva Goods.

Company Assessment

(Last updated Aug 2024)
C&J Clark International Ltd
Praise
Transparency Pledge
The Apparel and Footwear Supply Chain Transparency Pledge (Transparency Pledge) helps demonstrate apparel and footwear companies' commitment towards greater transparency in their manufacturing supply chain. Transparency of a company's manufacturing supply chain better enables a company to collaborate with civil society in identifying, assessing, and avoiding actual or potential adverse human rights impacts. This is a critical step that strengthens a company's human rights due diligence. This company is fully aligned with the Transparency Pledge, thereby committing to regularly publish on its website a list naming all sites that manufacture its products.
Criticism
Supply chain practices in China
The Green Supply Chain Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI) evaluates consumer-facing companies that have a sizeable supply chain in China. The evaluation uses government supervision data and public information to assess the environmental management of their supply chains in China. This company received a score of 6.06/100 (retrieved 24 Nov 2023).
Source: IPE (2023)
2/100 in What Fuels Fashion?
What Fuels Fashion? is a single-issue, special edition of the Fashion Transparency Index. The 2024 report ranked 250 of the world's largest fashion brands and retailers according to their level of disclosure on climate and energy-related data in their own operations and supply chains. Brands owned by this company scored 2%. The average score was 18% and the highest score was 75%.
21.1% in Forest 500 Rankings
Forest 500 identifies the 350 companies and 150 financial institutions with the greatest exposure to tropical deforestation risk, and annually assesses them on the strength and implementation of their deforestation and human rights commitments. This company received a score of 21.1%.
17/100 in Fashion Transparency Index
The 2023 Fashion Transparency Index reviewed 250 of the world's largest fashion brands and retailers and ranked them according to how much they disclose about their human rights and environmental policies, practices and impacts. Brands owned by this company scored 17%, signifying it is doing a bit more than the others when it comes to having policies and commitments in place and auditing and reporting activities, but could be doing more. The average score was 26% and the highest score was 83%.
Information
Materials sourcing
The Material Change Index (MCI) is a voluntary benchmark that tracks the apparel and textiles sector's progress toward more sustainable materials sourcing (cotton, polyester, nylon, manmade cellulosics, wool, down and leather), as well as alignment with global efforts like the Sustainable Development Goals and the transition to a circular economy. This company was rated "Establishing", the second lowest performance band.
Use of non-mulesed wool
Brands owned by this company are listed in Human Society International Australia's Better Wool Guide as using 100% non-mulesed wool from a robust certification scheme, or has a time-bound commitment to do so. Mulesing is the controversial practice of removing strips of the skin of a lamb's rear and is often done without pain relief. In Australia, the only country where mulesing still occurs, an estimated 10 million merino lambs are subjected to mulesing each year - equivalent to 19 lambs per minute.
Leather Working Group member
This company is a member of the Leather Working Group, a multi-stakeholder group who's objective is to develop and maintain a protocol that assesses the compliance and environmental performance of tanners and promotes sustainable and appropriate environmental business practices within the leather industry.
Better Cotton Initiative member
This company is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, a voluntary program which encourages the adoption of better management practices in cotton cultivation to achieve measurable reductions in key environmental impacts, while improving social and economic benefits for cotton farmers, small and large, worldwide.
Sustainability claims
This company has sustainability claims on its website under three main headings: Protecting the Planet, Championing People and Inspiring for Change.
Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
BHRRC company profile
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.
Viva Goods Company Ltd
Information
Sustainability claims
This company has sustainability claims on its website, mainly in the areas of Environment and Employees. They have published ESG reports since 2016.

Company Details

Type:
Private company
Founded:
1825

Contact Details

Address:
Street, Somerset, United Kingdom
Website:
www.clarks.co.uk

Products / Brands


Other related products

Brand Collective / Clarks (brand owner)
Clarks School Shoes
Clarks Mens Shoes
Clarks Womens Shoes