The SASB Index provides sustainability metrics for public companies as an independent standards-setting group. Our disclosures report on relevant indicators from the Apparel, Accessories & Footwear Standard for FY 2022 ending January 28, 2023, unless otherwise noted.
![EXPR – SASB Disclosure 2022 Management of Chemicals Discussion of processes to maintain compliance with restricted substances regulations EXPR’s commitment to chemical management in accordance with regulations is focused on ensuring health and safety to our employees, suppliers and the environment. EXPR provides a product Restricted Substances List (RSL) to suppliers as an appendix to EXPR’s Apparel and Accessories Performance Standards. It is the supplier’s responsibility to ensure the RSL is strictly adhered to. Testing is required by EXPR to ensure all products meet or exceed our performance standards in finished products. EXPR suppliers are accountable to meet all requirements in all products sold and shipped to EXPR. Discussion of processes to assess and manage risks and/or hazards associated with chemicals in products Our Raw Materials & Quality-Production & Sourcing Team works closely with our suppliers to ensure adherence to all performance standards. Textile Summits are held virtually every year with over 300 Mills to present any new information regarding Apparel and Accessories Performance Standards, provide opportunities to review EXPR business updates and expectations, and convey zero tolerance to non-compliance with the RSL as required by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Each Textile Summit offers space for open discussion, to discuss challenges, questions or clarifications. EXPR’s fabric testing process is robust to ensure adherence to apparel standards in alignment with the product RSL. Third party accredited labs BV and Intertek check against performance standards, including the RSL. To ensure compliance, over 6,000 fabric test reports were submitted to EXPR in 2021. Any found non-conformance to standards are sent back for remediation until corrected. Environmental Impacts in the Supply Chain Percentage of Tier 1 suppliers in compliance with wastewater discharge and/or contractual agreement There were a total of 97 audits in 2022 and 6 of them had wastewater permit issues. EXPR is working closely with our top suppliers to reduce water intensity in factories through machinery updates and water recycling systems. In our Denim categories specifically, these updates have resulted in 122M gallons of water saved in 2022, compared to water usage in 2021. Percentage of Tier 1 supplier facilities that have completed the SAC’s Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM) assessment or an equivalent environmental data assessment Express worked with 214 Tier 1 facilities in 2022, out of which 138 (64.5%) have completed the Higg FEM assessment. o If we get the greenlight in time, add that we are onboarding Higg this year to progress our completion rates and onboard the rest of our supply chain Labor Conditions in the Supply Chain Percentage of Tier 1 supplier facilities that have been audited to a labor code of conduct and the percentage of total audits conducted by a third-party auditor In 2022, Express audited 100% of active Tier 1 suppliers against our Code of Conduct, and every audit was conducted by a third-party partner. We audit all proposed facilities prior to placing any purchase orders with them, and once a facility is in our system as an active supplier, we continue auditing them on an annual cycle basis to ensure consistent adherence to our Code of Conduct. Priority non-conformance rate and associated corrective action rate for suppliers’ labor code of conduct results In 2022, 8% of our active factories received a Red scoring on their annual cycle audit. EXPR greatly values building long-term relationships with our production partners, and we work closely with lower-scoring factories to create and monitor their Corrective Action Plans (CAPs). 100% of non-conforming factories need to have a CAP in place within 30 days of the audit, with improvements demonstrated within 90 days. We also monitor for repeated or unaddressed problems, which may lead to business consequences if not corrected. Raw Materials Sourcing (1) Amount of priority raw materials purchased, by material, and (2) amount of each priority raw material that is certified to a third-party environmental and/or social standard, by standard Following are our top 5 priority raw materials: • Generic Blend [67% cotton, 30% poly, 3% spandex]: 1.73m yards • Generic Blend [97% cotton, 3% spandex]: 1.65m yards • Recycled Stretch Satin [97% recycled poly, 3% spandex]: 1.61m yards • EcoVero Rayon [100%]: 1.46m yards • Silky Jersey [91% poly, 9% spandex]: 1.09m yards EXPR is developing new traceability initiatives with our suppliers and other partners to measure raw material usage by volume and certified standards.](/content/dam/express/2023/projects/web/site-experiences/03-march/0315-esg/sasb-lp/032223-DIGITAL-24416-esg-resource-pages-sasb_03.jpg)