Anti-modern slavery charity Know The Chain has assessed big-name fashion firms on the actions they are taking to remove forced labor from their supply chain and avoid human rights breaches in garment factories. Brands were assessed based on their contribution to social sustainability across seven key areas: commitment and governance; traceability and risk assessment; purchasing practices; recruitment practices; listening to worker voices; supply chain monitoring and remedial policies for breaches of human rights laws. They were then given an overall score out of 100.

Sportswear giant Adidas topped the rankings for the second year running, achieving an overall score of 92 per cent. Canadian athletic wear brand Lululemon, meanwhile, scored 89 per cent to rank second. The top five was completed by Gap, Primark and Inditex, which owns brands such as Zara, Barshka and Pull & Bear.

Nonetheless, progress from the wider fashion sector has remained slow. Brands are proving particularly slow to act in regards to their recruitment processes, worker voice policies and supply chain traceability. Of the companies listed, only Adidas and Lululemon could provide evidence that workers below the first tier of their supply chains had used their grievance mechanisms during 2018. Fashion is one of the largest industries in the world, producing 100 billion garments a year.