According to its own statements, the fashion company has been investing in power-purchase-agreements from photovoltaic and wind farms for years. In 2021, H&M announced a partnership with solar farm developer Lightsource bp. In October 2024, Ulrika Leverenz, Head of Green Investment at H&M Group, explained: “Considering fashion’s environmental impact, we see great value in moving away from just using certificates to contributing to more clean energy. By partnering with solar and wind farm developers, we can more actively help build renewable electricity capacity in power grids around the world”.
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Fashion invests in storage
In June last year, the fashion platform "fashionunited.de" reported that the Swedish H&M Group would not only cooperate with the battery manufacturer Rondo Energy but would also invest in the company. As stated in the article dated June 2024, H&M is joining the strategic advisory board for investors to "further support the manufacturer Rondo in providing clean, affordable heat for textile factories around the world" (quote fashionunited.de). The fashion industry is considered "difficult to decarbonize." 10 percent of global CO2 emissions are attributed to the fashion industry. In addition, the industry has a tarnished image due to inhumane working conditions and low wages, including child labour. The investment in Rondo is said to be the first of its kind at H&M.
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Poland in focus
Against this background, the power purchase agreement between R.Power and the H&M Group seems logical. It is interesting that the contract was concluded with a Polish company, which indicates growing attention to the Polish PV industry and the increasing importance of Polish companies in this area. After all, Poland ranks fifth in Europe in terms of PV installations, and this number is rising. For the H&M Group, it is the first power-purchase-agreement in Poland, explains Ulrika Leverenz, Head of Green Investments at the H&M Group: "For several years, the H&M Group has been exploring opportunities worldwide to contribute to decarbonization through power purchase agreements from renewable electricity generation. We are pleased to sign our first agreement in Poland with R.Power. Given the environmental impact of the fashion industry, it is very important to us to contribute to the production of clean energy."
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The Polish companion to more sustainable fashion
R.Power is a Polish solar energy producer based in Warsaw with operations in Romania, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Germany. The company covers the entire value chain of the solar energy sector, from Engineering, Procurement & Construction, Operations & Maintenance and Independent Power Production.
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