It’s been proven that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace improves the environmental impact of a company. As the Co-founder and CEO of Maison de Mode, the world’s leading ethical fashion retail, consulting, and communications company, I often think about how diverse teams are more innovative and better prepared to take bold actions.

At Maison de Mode, we define sustainable fashion as anything that has a social, environmental or economic impact greater than the aesthetic value of an item and because the fashion industry is built on the need of clothing, driven forward by consumers evolving taste, it’s not so obvious that diversity, equity and inclusion are the missing links to all sustainability efforts.

It’s impossible to talk about sustainability without mentioning the humans who are often BIPOC and overlooked and the living conditions of these workers who are in charge of producing many of our fashion garments. We need to look at the whole production system when engaging in ethical practices and that includes the humans who make our clothes.

I have always said that a leader who values inclusivity possess higher cultural intelligence and skills to manage diversity within a brand and a diverse team helps build better global business strategies. With that in mind, I’ve outlined two ways in which a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace improves the social and economic impact of a company.

A diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace improves the ethical or social impact of a company. How it can be achieved:

1. Promoting Equity in the company, ensures that everyone has access to the same opportunities and treatment. It also enables each individual to participate fully in the company’s sustainability efforts.
2. Inclusion leads to conscious decision making.
3. Inclusive workplaces have better psychological safety.
4. Diversity and Inclusion help the company reach a wider audience and avoid discriminatory pitfalls.

A diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace improves the economic impact of a company. How it can be achieved:

1. Diversity and inclusion are profitable for the business on a social impact scale.
2. Inclusive organizations promote transparency.
3. Teams with higher empathy are better equipped to deal with conflict of interests and confrontations.
4. Diverse and inclusive teams promote a trustworthy brand image.