It wasn't too long ago that clothing brand Gap Inc faced naked protesters and country wide boycotts over their questionable treatment of factory workers across the world, and although the boycotts didn't manage to shut the company down, it seems that Gap have started taking Corporate Social Responsibility a little more seriously. As well as improving conditions for factory workers and investing in local communities, a key part of their CSR strategy is to reduce their impact on the environment.

Recently Gap Inc revealed that they will host a one megawatt solar power system at its West Coast distribution center in Fresno, California. The system, slated for completion next year, is expected to generate approximately 1.9 million kilowatt-hours annually - equivalent to the electricity required to power approximately 350 homes.

The solar system, which Gap is developing as a long term solution to their energy needs, will occupy five acres of land and incorporate 5000 panels on a mounted track, which follows the sun across the sky to maximize efficiency - but this move isn't all about the environment of course, as the Gap is also keen to 'shield themselves from rising energy costs'.

According to their CSR report energy reduction is one of three areas where Gap are focusing their environmental efforts, the others being sustainable product design and waste reduction. So far this has involved the introduction of organic cotton, organic wool and alternative fibers such as hemp in some of their garments and the recycling of waste at their stores. These are hardly groundbreaking initiatives and unlikely to make Gap any more popular with ethical consumers, but it is a step in the right direction perhaps, and evidence that those naked protesters, who would 'rather wear nothing than wear Gap' may have helped Gap to face up to their responsibilities as a manufacturer.