Abercrombie & Fitch

At a Glance

Industry

Retail and Apparel

Project Types

Goals/Targets, Data Analysis, Supply Chain, Sustainability and Energy Management Strategy

Year

2019

Location

Columbus, OH

Summary

Aditya Dosapati addressed energy and emissions reductions at Abercrombie & Fitch’s stores and supply chain.

Goals 

Abercrombie & Fitch Co., a leading, global specialty retailer of apparel and accessories for Men, Women and Kids through three renowned brands, Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, and Hollister, enlisted EDF Climate Corps fellow Aditya Dospatati to baseline its Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions as well as finding opportunities to reduce emissions. The company’s network includes its headquarters, distribution centers, more than 850 global brick and mortar stores, and produces in more than 100 vendor owned factories across 17 countries worldwide.  Abercrombie and Fitch Co. was also interested in comparing its environmental performance to industry benchmarks and improve performance.

Solutions

To calculate the baseline for Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions Aditya aggregated the data available through various channels and developed a plan to track down the missing data either by reaching out to a specific entity or by making calculated approximations.

After collecting all emissions data, he compared the results with industry benchmarks. In order to get a granular picture, he compiled each store’s source emissions, and identified opportunities for emissions reductions. To evaluate potential reductions for each store he proposed exploring alternative utility providers with better generation mix, upgrading outdated HVAC equipment, and installing occupancy sensors.

The Scope 3 emissions data revealed that the heavy usage of petrol and diesel for power generation in the factories created the largest emissions footprint. To reduce emissions Aditya suggested a list of best practices for the cut and sew factories to improve its environmental performance, beginning with energy audits at key facilities.

Potential Impact

The brick and mortar energy efficiency recommendations could deliver annual monetary in energy costs per store depending on the recommendation implemented. The best practices and energy efficiency measures suggested for factories could translate into an annual savings of up to $175,000 in energy and fuel costs per site.


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