Gildan Included on the 2021 Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the Ninth Consecutive Year

MONTREAL, Nov. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL: TSX and NYSE) is pleased to announce that it has been included on the 2021 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), one of the world’s leading ESG performance rankings for publicly traded companies. This marks Gildan’s ninth consecutive year of inclusion since the Company first made the index in 2013. The results released on November 12^th, 2021, highlight that Gildan continues to be a leader ranking in the 95^th percentile of all companies in the Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods industry, and also the only apparel manufacturer on the North American index. The DJSI North America index comprises North American sustainability leaders representing the top 20% of the largest 600 North American companies in the S&P Global BMI based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria.

“We are pleased to be included on the DJSI for North America once more, with scores that continue to reflect Gildan’s distinct commitment to strong Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices,” said Glenn Chamandy, President and CEO of Gildan. “Our ninth consecutive inclusion in the index is the result of more than 20 years dedicated to developing, integrating, and standardizing ethical and sustainable practices throughout our supply chain. This, in combination with our unique vertically-integrated business model, which provides us with complete control over our operations, has allowed Gildan to be a leader in responsible apparel manufacturing,” he continued. “As we look to the future, we are eager to continue our ESG journey and deepen our sustainability practices with our Next Generation ESG strategy and targets which will be announced early in the new year.”

“We congratulate Gildan for being included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America. A DJSI distinction is a reflection of being a sustainability leader in your industry. The record number of companies participating in the 2021 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment is a testament to the growing movement for ESG disclosure and transparency,” says Manjit Jus, Global Head of ESG Research, S&P Global.

Created jointly by S&P Dow Jones Indices and SAM, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index family is a best-in-class benchmark for evaluating sustainable business practices. The DJSI Index applies a transparent, rules-based component selection process based on the companies’ Total Sustainability Scores resulting from the annual S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). Only the top-ranked companies within each industry are selected for inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index family. This year, more than 10,000 publicly traded companies were invited to participate in the S&P Global CSA.

About Gildan

Gildan is a leading manufacturer of everyday basic apparel which markets its products in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, under a diversified portfolio of Company-owned brands, including Gildan^®, American Apparel®, Comfort Colors^®, Gildan^® Hammer™, Prim + Preux^®, GOLDTOE^®, Anvil^® by Gildan^®, Alstyle^®, Secret^®, Silks^®, Secret Silky^®, Therapy Plus^®, Peds^® and MediPeds^®, and under the Under Armour^® brand through a sock licensing agreement providing exclusive distribution rights in the United States and Canada. Our product offering includes activewear, underwear, socks, hosiery, and legwear products sold to a broad range of customers, including wholesale distributors, screenprinters or embellishers, as well as to retailers that sell to consumers through their physical stores and/or e-commerce platforms, and to global lifestyle brand companies.

Gildan owns and operates vertically-integrated, large-scale manufacturing facilities which are primarily located in Central America, the Caribbean, North America, and Bangladesh. With approximately 46,000 employees worldwide, Gildan operates with a strong commitment to industry-leading labour, environmental and governance practices throughout its supply chain in accordance with its comprehensive ESG program embedded in the Company’s long-term business strategy. More information about the Company and its ESG practices and initiatives can be found at www.gildancorp.com and www.genuineresponsibility.com, respectively.