To ensure the utmost impartiality of audits: audits are commissioned and paid directly by Moncler and
not by the supplier the certification process is carried out by a qualified
third-party entity, whose auditors are trained by veterinar- ians and zootechnicians of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Milan
the certification authority is in turn audited by another ac- credited external certification body.
In particular, in 2021, despite the limitations caused by the Covid-19 health emergency, 136 third-party onsite audits were carried out, assessing, in this way, all the entities in the supply chain. Where auditors found minor non-compliances, farms were required to take timely corrective action before obtaining certi- fication. No cases of live-plucking of animals or forced-feeding were found during audits at any farm.
To transparently communicate the Company s commitment in this area, a tag indicating DIST-certified down is included in all Moncler s jackets. This important result was achieved by ex- tending down traceability according to DIST Protocol across the entire supply chain, all the way through the finished product.
In order to promote constant improvement and therefore significantly impact animal welfare, Moncler is committed to in- volve and raise awareness throughout its supply chain, including through training activities. In this regard, in 2021 remote training activities on traceability procedure continued for outerwear and knitwear façon manufacturers, with five training courses for a to- tal of approximately 25 hours.
The DIST Protocol is a stringent and innovative document and is intended to remain so. This is why it is constantly evolving and is subject to periodic review through the multi-stakeholder fo- rum. However significant these results may be, Moncler has no in- tention to stop there. Rather, it is determined to continue to strive to promote increasingly ambitious standards, while welcoming the insights provided by stakeholders.
Stone Island is also committed to ensure that the down used in its products is obtained in a manner that is respectful of ani- mal welfare. The Company only purchases duck down certified as per the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) protocol. Pilot social and environmental audits will be carried out on the Stone Island supply chain starting in 2022. In addition, from 2023 all Brand s suppliers must be compliant with the social and environmental re- quirements that will be verified through audits.
With regards to other materials of animal origin, the Moncler Group does not use rabbit, including angora rabbit, and any oth- er material from species at risk of extinction included in the CITES categories. Furthermore, by 2025 the Group is committed to only use merino wool that is certified mulesing free.
MONCLER WILL STOP USING FUR
Moncler announced in January 2022 that it will phase out the use of fur in all its collec- tions, adhering to the Fur-Free Retailer Policy. In 2022 the Company will stop buying fur from animals farmed or captured in the wild exclusively for this purpose. The last collection to feature fur will be Fall/Winter 2023.
This decision is consistent with Moncler s ongoing commitment to responsible busi- ness practices and builds on the Brand s constructive and long-term engagement with the Italian animal rights organisation LAV as a representative of the Fur Free Alliance.
Stone Island, that has not used fur since 2018, has pledged not to use it also in the future.
4.3 DIALOGUE TO GROW TOGETHER
Transparent and constant dialogue is at the base of any relationship built on trust. It is a key element to foster shared growth, fruitful collaboration and mutual satisfaction.
The Group is attentive to dialogue with its suppliers and to share best practices both on technical aspects related to business ac- tivities and on aspects aimed at promoting responsible behaviour. Dialogue is established through various channels, ranging from daily meetings to institutional events.
Daily interactions are held with technicians and inspec- tors from Moncler and Stone Island to oversee various production activities. Meetings with company experts aim to provide spe- cialised support at all stages of production processes to share technical knowledge and resolve any critical issues.
Regarding outerwear, the technical team has been rein- forced over the years to ensure a widespread presence at all façon manufacturers in Italy and abroad, to increase the already high number of quality checks and progress of work in and at the end of the line. Group experts periodically attend company meet- ings in order to analyse samples and share industrialisation stan- dards, the results achieved in the previous season and targets for the next.
During the Covid-19 health emergency all actions taken by the Moncler Group have been guided by the primary objective of protecting the health of all (employees, contractors, suppliers, cli- ents, etc.) and then of maintaining business continuity as much as possible. See also pages 112-113.
The dialogue that has always characterised the relationship with suppliers became even more intense and even more collab- orative during this period with the aim of studying the best solu- tions to be implemented in such a complex, unpredictable and difficult situation for all actors in the supply chain and in the in- dustry. This is the spirit with which Moncler joined the call to ac- tion promoted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to support the garment industry supply chains and continued to comply with payment terms and conditions, launched economic support activities for the most distressed members of the supply chain and monitored, through third-party audits, the compliance with the principles contained in the Supplier Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics relating to human rights, the workers health and safety and respect for the environment.
Due to the Covid-19 health emergency in 2021 it was not possible to offer the traditional training sessions near the sup- pliers production sites. For this reason, sessions were held re- motely. Similarly, Moncler knitwear experts were invited to attend e-learning courses, to learn about production and quality proce- dures and standards.
During these sessions, they were also made aware of oth- er issues relevant to Moncler, including ethical, social, compli- ance and environmental aspects, in order to spread this culture among suppliers. Through the presence of experts at the various suppliers production sites or through online meetings, the know- how shared thus becomes an integral and essential part of the re- lationship with the suppliers.
During 2021 awareness-raising activities on ethical, social and environmental issues continued through video conferences with some suppliers and subcontractors (both façon manufactur- ers and raw materials suppliers), as due to the Covid-19 health emergency it was not possible to visit their production sites. These were in addition to the more than 150 onsite visits carried out in the last three-year period (2018-2020), both in Italy and abroad.
Company guidelines on compliance and sustainability con- tinued to be spread by sharing of technical, chemical and perfor- mance specifications, both during daily activity and through ad hoc video conferences.
Lastly, to offer an additional tool for dialogue and to facili- tate the exchange of information and documentation, a web por- tal entirely dedicated to suppliers has been active since 2017. Through the portal, the supplier can directly access communica- tions and documents, including the Code of Ethics, Supplier Code of Conduct and related guidelines.
A dedicated section with a broad online training offering has also been set up, to which 90% of suppliers has had access over the last three years.
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2021BE FAIR BE FAIR