With solar power installations on factory roofs in Bangladesh, BESTSELLER will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in textile factories producing clothes and shoes for the fashion industry. The initiative will contribute to lowering the Danish company's overall carbon footprint and lead the way for the entire industry. 

In recent years, BESTSELLER reduced its direct greenhouse gas emissions by 82 percent. This corresponds to 79,000 tonnes less GHG emitted in 2021 compared to 2018. 

Now the fashion company wants to strengthen and intensify its focus on indirect emissions, which occurs in the extended value chain, and therefore also counts in the clothing company's overall carbon footprint. This will be done with an ambitious initiative, where BESTSELLER will help establish solar power plants at textile factories in Bangladesh and thus integrate renewable energy into the production of its goods. 

“We’re very aware that the majority of our total climate footprint is from our indirect value chain. It’s crucial that the factories we collaborate with also have better opportunities to use renewable energy. With this initiative, we want to strengthen our suppliers' opportunity to invest in more sustainable solutions for the benefit of their own companies, their local communities, our business, and the entire green transition. This is one of many steps on a large journey and we’re look forward to collaborating with our close suppliers and gain new experiences in relation to how BESTSELLER can contribute to spreading a sustainability focus in all parts of the fashion industry,” says Anders Holch Povlsen, CEO and owner of BESTSELLER. 

A global contribution 

The indirect greenhouse gas emissions from, for example, material production and suppliers make up 95 percent of BESTSELLER's total emissions. In line with BESTSELLER's growth, and thus increased production, the share of greenhouse gas emissions from the extended value chain has grown, which negatively influences BESTSELLER’s overall carbon footprint. Among other initiatives, the planned solar power plants and renewable electricity generated will contribute to turning this around. The solar power plants will be established through financing by BESTSELLER's parent group HEARTLAND, which will facilitate and enable textile manufacturers to invest in and build solar power plants at their factories. 

“At HEARTLAND, we believe that a global, green transition is crucial and necessary. And while we see large, significant initiatives, not least in Denmark, it is also clear that we can do more to contribute to the green transition also taking place in countries where the prerequisites are more difficult. At HEARTLAND, we are very interested in contributing to green projects that can make a difference globally - and the establishment of solar power plants in Bangladesh is a good example of that,” says Lise Kaae, CEO in HEARTLAND. 

A partnership for change 

The installation of solar plants in Bangladesh will begin in 2023, when BESTSELLER's long-standing supplier Body Fashion Limited, located in Gazipur in central Bangladesh, will become the first factory to participate in the initiative. The solar panels will be installed by Green Garments Initiative, a company established by BESTSELLER’s parent company HEARTLAND and the cleantech company SOLshare, which is contributing to a general restructuring of the energy grid in Bangladesh. 

“The project is the first joint venture between an international fashion brand and a climate technology company in Bangladesh. We look forward to building solar plants across BESTSELLER's suppliers via a close collaboration based on dialogue and fast and reliable execution,” says Dr. Sebastian Groh, Managing Director and Co-founder of SOLshare