“A lot of people in several countries have taken the chance to vote and we are very happy about that. This shows that there is a great commitment among our employees and customers. The three issues which received the most votes are Clean water, Education and Strengthening women”, says Karl-Johan Persson, CEO at H&M and board member of the H&M Conscious Foundation.
The H&M Conscious Foundation wants to thank everyone who visited the site and placed their vote to make a difference!
Most visits were from Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands.
Now, the H&M Conscious Foundation will partner with three world-renowned organisations to globally address these three issues and promote many important initiatives in countries where H&M operates. These partnerships are expected to be in place at the beginning of next year. Additionally, the H&M Conscious Foundation will initiate local programs with other organizations related to the three selected issues in countries where H&M operates.
Follow the H&M Conscious Foundation’s future work and read more: hm.com/consciousfoundation.
Background
Voting: Everyone was able to vote at makeadifference.hm.com between 22-29 October.
Five topics: H&M employees and customers could vote for one of these five topics: Clean water, strengthening women, safeguarding natural resources, education and reduction of poverty through self-empowerment.
The experts that were consulted about which global challenges they find most immediate are: Archbishop Desmond Tutu – Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, Nobel Peace Laureate and Honorary Elder, Prof Jeffrey D. Sachs – Director, Earth Institute, Columbia University and Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals, Ela Bhatt – Founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), Founder Chair of the Cooperative Bank of SEWA and member of The Elders, Sir Richard Branson – Founder and Chairman of the Virgin Group, Prof Johan Rockström – Professor in Environmental Science at Stockholm University and Director of Stockholm Resilience Centre, Alek Wek – Supermodel and member of the US Committee for Refugees’ Advisory Council, José María Figueres Olsen – Minister of State and elected President of Costa Rica (1994-1998) and President of Carbon War Room.
Funding: Thanks to the Stefan Persson family’s substantial donation of SEK 500 million in 2013, it is possible for the H&M Conscious Foundation to make real impact for people and communities.
