Inditex makes the Chinese market a priority for sustainable development

Inditex President Pablo Isla met in Beijing with the Chinese Minister for Environmental Protection, Chen Ji Ning. In the course of the meeting, Pablo Isla reaffirmed the Spanish group's interest in Asian markets and presented the sustainable development plan which the group has decided to implement throughout the world.

A key element of the plan is the deployment of the concept for an eco-efficient store. About this, Pablo Isla informed the minister that China will be the first country where the model is going to be put in operation, both in new stores and in existing ones.

The objective of the eco-efficient store concept is specifically to reduce carbon emissions by 30% and to economise on water consumption by as much as 50% compared to a traditional store. Between now and 2018, Inditex's entire store network in China will have to convert to the new concept.

Since its arrival in Shanghai in 2006, Amancio Ortega's group has never stopped growing in the world's most populous country. There are currently over 500 stores operating under its various retailing brands, across 63 cities.

In terms of raw materials, Pablo Isla made a point of highlighting the importance for China of investing in biological cotton. He also illustrated the Inditex group's policies with regards to renewable energy, logistics and distribution.

Isla finally presented the Recicla2 project, whose objective is the collection and recycling of clothes once their life-cycle is over.