Email/social media templates for taking action

Living Wage 

#1: Hey! I’m keen to know - are workers in your supply chain paid a living wage? #fairwages #livingwage 

#2: Hey! I see you’ve committed to paying a living wage! What’s the update on how you’re going with that? #fairwages #livingwage 

#3: Hey there! I don’t see anywhere that you’ve made a public commitment to pay workers a living wage. Why’s that? This is a really important issue to me and workers everywhere. Thanks for taking the time to reply! 

Climate Action 

#1 Hey!  Would you consider publicly committing to reduce your supply chain emissions? It’s important to me that the shoe brands I buy from are taking action on the climate crisis! #ClimateAction  

#2 Hey! I see you’ve committed to the UN Charter, awesome! What steps are you taking to reduce your carbon footprint? #ClimateAction #UNfashion 

Chromium-tanning in the Leather Industry 

#1 Hey! I love your shoes! But I’ve just learned about a lot of the issues in the leather industry, which were shocking! Do you use chromium-tanned leather?  

#2 Hey! Would you consider phasing out chromium-tanned leather, and replacing it with vegetable-tanned leather, Leather Working Group certified leather, or alternatives like pineapple leathers?  

#3 Hey!  What steps are you taking to make sure your tanning processes don’t affect local eco-systems and communities?  

You could also include something along the lines of, “I’ve just read devastating stories of tannery workers who talk about the conditions in tanneries, including toxic chemicals that have caused increases in cancers, skin conditions, diseases and deathly accidents due to improper health & safety equipment.” and even link our article for the company to read! 

Living Wage  

Dear [insert brand],  

I’m considering buying [this product], but I have a few questions about how [brand] cares for the people who make its footwear: 

[select what you are asking the brand to do in line with what their next step may be] 

I’ve noticed you’ve spoken about living wages on your website. I (and others customers of yours) would love to hear more about what steps you’re taking to guarantee all workers involved in your supply chain receive a fair wage that ensures a decent standard of living.  

[or] 

I noticed that you’ve not made a public commitment to paying workers in your supply chain a living wage. Perhaps I missed this information on your website? If so, please let me know where I can find it. If not, I would really encourage you to consider making a public commitment to living wages and putting a plan in place to achieve this.  

This is an area that is really important to me. I know that minimum wage levels in the majority of countries where shoes are manufactured are so low that workers, and their families, are trapped in a cycle of poverty. There is real urgency to make change for these workers by increasing wages to a living wage.  

I look forward to hearing from you as I continue to support [brand]! 

Thank you,  

[your name] 

Climate Action 

Dear [insert brand],  

I’m considering buying [this product], but I have a few questions about what actions [brand] is taking to address its carbon footprint. 

[select what you are asking the brand to do in line with what their next step may be] 

I’ve noticed you’ve made a climate commitment to reduce your emissions, which is excellent! Can you share more information publicly about what you are doing to achieve this commitment? I’d love to hear about how you’re going in your efforts to reach these targets.   

[or] 

I’ve noticed you’ve not made a public commitment to reduce emissions in your supply chain. Perhaps I missed this information on your website. If so, please let me know where I can find it! If not, I would really encourage you to consider making a public commitment in line with the UN Fashion Charter for Climate Action to reduce your emissions, and put a public plan in place for how you will achieve this.  

This is an area that is really important to me, as the fashion industry contributes around 8% of the world’s total greenhouse gases. I also know that if significant and ambitious action isn’t taken by all companies in the fashion industry, we will be driven closer to a future where millions of people are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. 

I look forward to hearing from you as I continue to support [brand]! 

Thank you,  

[your name] 

Chromium-tanning in the Leather Industry 

Dear [insert brand],  

I’m considering buying [this product], but I have a few questions about what actions [brand] is taking to address the environmental and health implications of chromium-based tanning! As you may already know, this tanning process often has significant and harmful impacts on local ecosystems and the health of workers and local communities. Tearfund interviewed tannery workers in Bangladesh and the stories were haunting! You can read about it here. This is an issue that is really important to me.  

I’ve noticed that you have very little information about what you are doing to address the impacts of this part of your manufacturing. Perhaps I missed this information on your website? If so, please let me know where I can find it! If not, do you use chromium-based tanning? If so, would you to consider phasing out chromium through using an MRSL or monitoring tanneries to ensure all workers have the appropriate health and safety gear, including masks, protective coverings, gloves and high boots? If you’re not already, I’d also really encourage you to collect wastewater quality data at your tanneries and ensure there’s proper wastewater treatment in place so the runoff doesn’t pollute local water sources.  

Super keen to hear about how you’re addressing these issues! 

I look forward to hearing from you as I continue to support [brand].  

Thank you,  

[your name]