LONDON–More than 90% of chief executive officers believe that sustainability issues will be critical to the future success of their business, according to a report.

Quoting the 2010 UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study in its MADE-BY 2010 Annual Report, Nico Roozen, CEO of Made-By founder, Solidaridad, said that despite the recession and recent financial crises, sustainability was set to play a hugely important role in the future of business.

The survey of more than 800 global companies found that even though there was prevailing uncertainty in the economic market, the vast majority of those interviewed believed that a good corporate responsibility programme was instrumental to gain consumer trust and prepare their companies for the years ahead.

Also encouraging were the report’s findings of improvements in factory social conditions across Made-By’s partner brands. In 2010 over 2,750,000 garments were manufactured in Class A certified factories; those in low risk countries or meeting respected standards such as SA8000 certification, an increase of 39% compared to 2009.

However, even with the apparent buoyancy of sustainability issues, the report also highlighted some disappointing effects of the recent financial squeeze. The effects of increased cotton prices throughout 2010 are still being widely felt in the clothing and textile with Made-By reports that it has seen a 26% decrease in organic cotton usage amongst its partner brands compared with 2009.

The organisation said it was actively working with brands in the long term on a dedicated 3-5 year cotton strategy to address this reduction.

The Made-By Annual Report shows the progress being made by brands, year on year, in the field of sustainable fashion. The report includes interviews with key stakeholders alongside twenty four partner brand. It also includes scorecards, communicating their transparency and progress made in both social and environmental standards.