When it comes to getting greener, HanesBrands (asi/59528) is going in the right direction.

The Winston-Salem, NC-headquartered global apparel maker, whose products sell extensively in the North American promotional products market, just received an A- score in two key areas of environmental impact – climate change and water security – from CDP.

It’s no small feat.

CDP is a worldwide nonprofit that runs a global environmental disclosure system that assesses companies, cities, states and regions. Its annual environmental disclosure and scoring process – through which HanesBrands and more than 18,000 other companies were evaluated – is widely recognized as the gold standard of corporate environmental transparency.

CDP analyzes companies across eleven categories, including risk assessment and opportunities, targets and goals, governance, strategy and mitigation efforts, and response performance.

HanesBrands achieved the A- score for the coordinated action it has taken in its operations to combat climate change and water security issues. The fact that HanesBrands owns a majority of its manufacturing and supply chain operations helps the company advance sustainability initiatives because of the direct oversight such a structure affords, executives said.

HanesBrands noted that the A- score for water security is the highest the apparel manufacturer has received from CDP in that category. The company ranked in the top 11% of companies assessed in climate change and top 12% for water security.

By 2030, HanesBrands plans to reduce its total water usage by 25% in its owned operations. By 2025, the corporation aims to have established wastewater practices that align with Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals standards.

“We are honored to be recognized as a leader in our sustainability efforts with superior, A- CDP ratings,” said Steve Bratspies, CEO of HanesBrands. “Consumers around the world know our iconic brands for comfort, quality and style, and they trust our responsible and sustainable supply chain. This achievement is the result of our worldwide associates who work tirelessly to achieve ambitious sustainability goals.”

While operating in an industry (apparel) whose operations have typically had an outsized impact on the planet, HanesBrands has made an ongoing concerted effort to be a market leader on getting greener. The company has been named one of the 100 most sustainable companies in the nation multiple times by Barron’s. It’s also the only apparel company to earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award.

Other promo industry suppliers have been making significant strides on the sustainability front too, including SanMar (asi/84863), Gemline (asi/56070), Gildan and Koozie Group (asi/40480).

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