New 2026–2030 strategy builds on 25 years of experience to help companies across sectors to manage risk, strengthen resilience and respect workers’ rights
Amsterdam, 10 December 2025. On Human Rights Day and as global supply chains become increasingly volatile, companies are reassessing how to manage environmental and human rights risks. Fair Wear now shared its 2026–2030 strategy, setting out how supply chain due diligence can create lasting impact for companies, the environment and workers by becoming a core part of everyday business practice.
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in the garment, textile and footwear industry, Fair Wear’s strategy responds to a reality many companies now face: reactive approaches to supply chain risks, which are amplified by geopolitical tensions and extreme weather, are proving insufficient for both companies and workers. Fair Wear has seen that responsible and resilient supply chains require due diligence approaches that are informed and validated by affected stakeholders and grounded in how business operates.
That’s why Fair Wear’s new strategic direction focuses on embedding human rights and environmental due diligence into core business practices. It builds on three areas that have consistently delivered results for both companies and workers within a risk-based and gender-responsive approach:
- Equitable sourcing relationships between buyers and their suppliers
- Meaningful engagement with workers and their representatives to inform what is needed
- Access to remedy that addresses harms and informs systemic action
"The multistakeholder collaboration accelerates innovation and problem solving when it comes to human rights risks in supply chains" said Annabel Meurs, Executive Director of Fair Wear. "We have seen companies move from guessing what the risks are to understanding how to address the risks, because they receive crucial information on prevention and remediation from affected stakeholders. Only then can companies prioritise on what is most needed and work towards real improvements for workers. The garment sector is advanced at facilitating these processes. In Fair Wear's 2026-2030 strategy we focus on making Human Rights Due Diligence practical and impactful, and sharing this with other sectors."
From industry practice to broader relevance
While Fair Wear’s work is rooted in the garment sector, the organisation increasingly sees its experience resonating beyond it. Complex supply chains, reliance on outsourced production and exposure to social and environmental risks are common across industries. Fair Wear’s strategy therefore places emphasis on sharing insights from long-term practice. Not as one-size-fits-all solutions, but as tested approaches that can inform due diligence practices in other sectors.
To mark this strategic direction, Fair Wear convened business representatives of brands and suppliers, legal practitioners, worker representatives and civil society organisations at its Symposium on Impactful Supply Chain Due Diligence in Practice. Yesterday’s event, attended by over 160 guests, served as a platform to reflect on what has worked in practice, where companies face further challenges, and how collaborative approaches can help align expectations and reduce fragmentation across industries.
Fair Wear’s 2026–2030 strategy reinforces its roles in collecting evidence of what works, aligning the industry on tested approaches, and facilitating companies towards more consistent, coherent and impactful implementation of due diligence.
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