What is clear is that the company did not meet its 2011 target of having 20 percent of its factories at that level in 2011. The company is targeting having 40 percent of its factories at GSCP Level 2 in 2012 and 100 percent by 2015.

To improve performance in this metric, Timberland has pledged to clarify goals and offer financial incentives for factories that failed to attain the target in 2011.

Last year, 47 percent of the company’s factories did not meet its minimum standards of responsible sourcing, beating the 2011 target by 1 percentage point. It hopes to get this figure down to 43.5 percent in 2012 and down further to 30 percent by 2015.

For the 58.6 percent of Timberland footwear monitored in 2011, over half of materials were recycled, organic or renewable, the report says. In 2011, five percent of Timberland’s products were rated under the Green Index system. Timberland’s goal is to have Green Index ratings on 100 percent of its footwear line by the end of 2012.

Timberland uses solvents, many of which contain volatile organic compounds, in its shoe-making operations. In 2011, the company produced 61.6 grams of VOCs per pair of shoes., down from 63.1 grams in 2010. Its target for 2015 is 42 grams of VOCs per pair of shoe.

In December, Timberland was named the third best company for climate responsibility, in the Climate Counts 2011 review. The apparel brand jumped from fourth place in 2010, as Nike moved from the top spot to fourth. Timberland was also named in Ethisphere’s 2012 list of most ethical companies.