New environmental subsidies came into effect in the United States. As of Jan. 1, the government will help cover the cost of household energy improvements, such as heat pumps, rooftop solar, insulation, or electric vehicles. It’s the latest package of environmental reforms: In 2022, Congress passed legislation defining carbon dioxide as a pollutant, allowing the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate it, and ratified the Kigali agreement on the use of planet-warming hydrofluorocarbons. Also, California will ban petrol cars by 2035, Washington will require heat pumps in all new homes, and several states passed net-zero laws.
To stop the possible relocation of innovative European companies to the USA, the European Union is considering a possible revision of state aid rules. The European Commission has expressed its readiness to relax EU state aid rules to support green industries. Indeed, by relying on incentives rather than regulations, as in the United States, European companies will be able to use the best available technology, instead of being constrained by today’s innovations. Climate tech funds are increasing worldwide. Investments in startups that help the environment are a bright spot in a bad year for tech, likely making up more than a quarter of venture funding this year, according to PwC advisors. And startups targeting sectors responsible for 85% of carbon emissions attracted more than half of climate tech investments, compared to 39% last year.
2023 April, 5th update
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has just launched its latest report on the climate crisis. The AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023 finds that, despite progress in policies and legislation around climate mitigation since the previous such report in 2014, it’s “likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century”. Limiting warming to “well below 2°C”, by 2030, as per the Paris Agreement targets, will be hard to achieve, but avoiding 1.5°C is still possible. (Read more)
Kering steps up its fight against carbon emissions. Kering has set itself the goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 40% by 2035. At Gucci, the latest commitment is that of the “Circular Hub”, which makes use of the expertise of the MIL research laboratory in eco-responsible materials. [Kering accentue sa lutte contre les émissions carbone – Les Echos]. (Read more)
New standards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed legal standards on concentrations of man-made “forever chemicals” in Americans’ drinking water. [EPA Proposes Limits for ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water – wsj.com]. (Read more)
Decarbonisation: energy neutrality for wastewater treatment. Updating of the Urban Waste Water Directive (UWWD): raising European purification standards by 2040. The cornerstones are: extension of the perimeter of agglomerations subject to obligations, new limits for the concentration of pollutants and introduction of quaternary treatment obligations. To these are added the Integrated Plans for the management of wastewater, the establishment of producer responsibility for pollutants released by the products introduced and the request for energy neutrality for the treatment of effluents. (Read more)
COP28 talks are off to a rough start. International climate negotiators are divided over key elements of a United Nations fund they’re creating to distribute financial resources from richer nations to low-income countries impacted by climate change. (Read more)
2023 March, 23rd update
Zero-impact technologies. Clean tech moves between 2,500 and 3 trillion euros globally. At the moment, most of these technologies are still far more expensive than their fossil alternatives, as shown by the recent study by the World Economic Forum and BCG “Winning in Green Markets: Scaling Products for a Net Zero World“. While pioneering green markets involves taking a risk, it is likely to pay off as untapped markets emerge and are willing to pay more for sustainable products. (Read more)
WWF asked the leather industry to adopt the DCF (Deforestation/Conversion-Free) impact verification protocol to achieve the zero impact rate on deforestation. All buyers of cowhides or leather anywhere along the value chain – from slaughterhouses to consumers – have a role to play in driving more sustainable production and eliminating deforestation and conversion. Given leather’s status as a luxury good and association with quality, consumer pressure for and awareness of sustainable practices is high. Thus, leather companies and their customers hold a unique lever that can be used to encourage and support sustainable practices. [Leather Also Has a Role to Play in the Fight Against … – WWF]. (Read more)
2023 March, 16th update
On sustainability, fashion always plays in defense and is late in lobbying. Other industries have a long and established history of lobbying, but fashion has lagged behind, Vogue writes, widening the gap between industry players and policymakers. Fashion legislation is increasing. In France, the Greenwashing Act (écoblanchiment); in California, extended producer responsibility (EPR); and the EU’s European Green Deal. But brands and their supply chains stutter, seem unprepared for change and fail to lobby [Fashion has a lobbying gap – Vogue Business]. (Read more)
Bangladesh: assiting the tanneries to get the LWG certification. The Ministry of Industries (MoI) should place a budgetary proposal for the fiscal year (FY) 2023-24 to help the country’s tanneries to be eligible for the Leather Working Group (LWG) certification, said lead researcher of a study on cost-benefit analysis of getting the LWG certification on Wednesday. [MoI should place budgetary bid to help tanneries – thefinancialexpress.com.bd]. (Read more)
2023 March, 9th update
EU wants to crack down on greenwashing with “proportionate” penalties. Draft plan addresses exaggerated claims about product environmental credentials. Companies will have 10 days to justify green claims about their products or face “effective, proportionate and dissuasive” penalties, under a draft EU crackdown on greenwashing seen by the Guardian. [EU to crack down on greenwashing with ‘proportionate’ penalties – Guardian]. (Read more)
Gucci Sustainability Drive and the European Fashion Regulation. Makers of luxury goods, whose products are generally less damaging to the environment than fast fashion, are having to work to make their operations greener. [Gucci Launches Sustainability Drive as European Fashion … – wsj.com]. (Read more)
LWG, SLF and ICEC sign at Lineapelle the COTANCE initiative of Leather Traceability. The Terms of Reference foresee the enlargement of the group to relevant Intergovernmental Organisations, such as UNIDO or UNECE, NGOs and Livestock sector organisations. The next meeting of the “Leather Traceability Cluster”, as the working group has been named, is scheduled for the 16th of March. [by MPASTYLE on FEBRUARY 28, 2023 in NEWS]. (Read more)
2023 March, 3rd update
Destroying PFAS by grinding it up with a new additive. For their non -stick properties, stain -resistant and waterproofing, PFAS perfluoroalchilics are used very much in the finishing of textile and tanning products. Researchers of the ACS Environmental Science & Technology Letters destroy PFAS found in soils by grinding them with metal balls and boron nitride, thanks to a new type additive for “ball milling” that completely breaks down PFAS at ambient temperature and pressure. [Abschied “für immer” – Zerstörung von PFAS durch Zerkleinerung mit einem neuen Zusatzstoff – Chemie.de]. (Read more)
2023 February, 10th update
ECB develops statistical indicators to develop green finance. The European Central Bank (ECB) has published a first set of climate-related statistical indicators today to better assess the impact of climate-related risks on the financial sector and to monitor the development of sustainable and green finance, fulfilling another of the commitments of its climate action plan. (Read more)
2023 January, 26th update
In a constant push towards binding legislation on climate and social impact, is the fashion industry ready for the future? The fashion industry is moving from self-regulation and the blah-blah of non-legally binding pactsto meaningful sustainability legislation, as evidenced by activity in France that’s pushing the agenda forward more so than other countries. The French government’s proactive stance is a sign of things to come in Europe and beyond, says Lisa Lang, Director Policy & EU Affairs Orchestrator, at the innovation catalyst Climate-KIC, co-funded by the European Union. (Read more)
France, rules on advertising to avoid greenwashing in line with the “Loi Climat et résilience”. As part of its legislative arsenal to combat climate change, the French government has now introduced the next stage of its anti-greenwashing legislation, effective January 1, 2023. The new rules are a major step in controlling advertising claims on carbon offsetting and carbon neutrality, following laws that came into effect in the summer of 2022. [CSR & Sustainability – Sporting Goods Intelligence Europe – sgieurope.com]. (Read more)
2023 January, 26th update
A startup’s direct air capture plant in Iceland is the only major operational carbon removal project in the world. Startup Climeworks says it has come up with a way of making carbon credits more credible. It said today that it now uses a third-party verification process to certify its service of sucking carbon dioxide from the air and storing it underground. It’s the first time a company has achieved that on a meaningful scale using an outside auditor, The Wall Street Journal reported. (Read more)
POLESTAR’S head of sustainability, Fredrika Klarén, has called out “greenwashing” techniques employed in the automotive industry, including so-called ‘vegan’ interiors and carbon offset schemes. The Chinese-owned electric car brand publishes a Total Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to calculate the carbon emissions of materials used in the construction of its cars. PVC-based finishes are “the worst of the worst”. Leather is more environmentally friendly because it is a by-product of the meat industry. But Polestar does not want to help increase meat production. Buy leather only if its value is less than 1% of the value of the whole cattle. [Polestar slams industry ‘greenwashing’ – GoAuto]. (Read more)
2023 January, 19th update
“If the optimists are right, 2023 is going to be a busy year for sustainability in fashion”. This is a statement contained in “Supply chain emissions, recycled textiles: Fashion’s 2023 sustainability predictions”, a Vogue report that describes the progress promised and achieved by the fashion industry in reducing environmental impact. According to the magazine, the fashion industry is still a long way from a 1.5°C target, but there are some encouraging signs. (Read more)
2023 January, 10th update
Indian tycoons eye green dollars. India’s biggest and most powerful conglomerates are more aggressively expanding into new industries. Mukesh Ambani’s behemoth Reliance Industries is making a clean energy push, producing batteries, green hydrogen, and solar power in the coming years. [India’s new corporate chiefs are thinking bigger and more boldly – asia.nikkei.com]. (Read more)
2023 January, 5th update
The European Parliament and Member States have reached an agreement on the reform of the CO2 market and to reduce the impact of greenhouse gases. The agreement achieves the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 55% by the end of the decade. A new Emissions Trading System (ETS) and a Social Climate Fund (SCF). Power generators and heavy polluters covered by the ETS will have to reduce their pollution by 62% by the end of the decade, 1% more than initially proposed by the European Commission. Waste will be covered by the scheme from 2028, with potential derogations until 2030. [EU reaches deal on critical climate policy after marathon talks – Politico]. (Read more)
2022 December, 27th update
EU Green Tariff. In the early hours of Tuesday morning the EU became the first big economy to legislate for a “green tariff” on imports, to be levied on goods that are produced with high carbon dioxide emissions. [EU becomes first leading economy to legislate for ‘green tariff’ on imports – Guardian]. (Read more)
2022 December, 16th update
Extreme weather, high rates. Climate change may mean that inflation remains high, central bankers said. More extreme weather patterns both affect workers’ abilities to do their jobs and supply chains’ dependability, forcing prices higher. (Read more)
2022 December, 12th update
India focuses on renewables. A major investment in renewable energy helped India get through its highest-demand electricity season without major blackouts. Hydro, wind, and solar power provided 25.4% of electricity needs in October, compared to 22.8% the October before. That, together with improved coal stocks, resulted in a 5% supply shortfall, compared to 11% last year, despite comparable demand. “Massive deployment of renewables is beginning to slow the growth in demand for coal-fired generation” in India, Reuters reports. (Read more)
America’s greener power. Renewable energy in the U.S. will overtake coal power by the end of the year. Growth in solar and wind power has slowed in America, partly because of supply chain issues and reduced trade with China, but it is still trending up. Power from coal has been falling, and the two are expected to cross over this year, says Scientific American. Through the first nine months of this year, the United States installed 11 GW of wind and solar (Climatewire, Nov. 3). (Read more)
FDRA Report: Shoe Industry Has Made Some Progress in Sustainability, But More Work Is Needed. At over 95% of the entire industry, the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) is the largest and most respected footwear trade association in the U.S. It represents and serves the entire footwear industry from small family owned footwear businesses to global footwear companies, as well as domestic manufacturers, importers, and retailers. FDRA 2022 Shoe Sustainability Benchmark & Progress Report. (Read more)
2022 December, 2nd update
Time to deliver on the promise of traceability. Fashion brands have a new problem: committing to sourcing leather from verified “deforestation-free” supply chains by 2030, if not sooner. In this Sourcing Journal report, as Textile Exchange and the Leather Working Group (LWG) launched this challenge on Thursday 17/11 at the 2022 Conference in Colorado Springs. [Textile Exchange Wants Fashion to Take a Second Look at … – SJ]. (Read more)
COP27: 1.5° climate target is dead but climate finance agreement allows us to focus again on cutting emissions.
The COP27 conference agreed that rich nations will pay poorer ones compensation for the damage caused by climate change. That was seen as a breakthrough, but many nations were left frustrated by the lack of progress on cutting carbon emissions. The summit came close to collapse after host Egypt refused to allow discussion of phasing out fossil fuels, and European Union ministers threatened to walk out. More fights await: Not least over whether China, now the biggest greenhouse gas emitter, contributes to the fund. [UN climate summit ends in discord after agreeing help for poor nations (FT)] [Climate target of 1.5C died at COP27 – but hope must not – Guardian]. (Read more)
2022 November, 26th update
Sustainability was also on the ballot in U.S. midterm elections. Two significant climate bills were proposed in the US midterm elections, though only one passed. Experts are looking for more policy action that specifically addresses fashion. [Climate wins at US midterms fail to address fashion’s impact – voguebusiness.com]. (Read more)
Carbon-negative certification for Brazilian tannin producer TANAC. The certification body Bureau Veritas has certified plant-based tannin producer Tanac as a carbon-negative company. Leatherbiz explains that a forestry expansion programme and an increase specifically in its planting of black wattle trees has meant that for every tonne of CO2-equivalent of greenhouse gas that Tanac emits, its forests are removing seven tonnes.. [Bureau Veritas Certification Holding SAS – Tanac]. (Read more)
Efforts to avoid catastrophic climate change are failing, as COP27 climate summit reports show. What it means for fashion. The world has no credible path to avoid climate catastrophe, and greenhouse gases will exceed agreed limits by 2030. Extreme weather, high temperatures and rising sea levels threaten raw material production, workers’ rights, and supply chains. Some of the largest fashion manufacturing centers, including Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, are among the countries most vulnerable to climate deterioration [What Are Fashion’s Climate Risks| BoF]. (Read more)
2022 November, 18th update
World leaders are racing to fund the shift to clean energy and reduce developing countries’ dependence on fossil fuels. The United States wants major businesses to help fund developing nations’ efforts to decarbonize. President Joe Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry hopes to unveil the carbon-credit program at COP27 this week, the @FinancialTimes reports. (Read more)
Taiwanese Footgearmex fires workers in Vietnam blamingf “draining up of orders and financial issues”. Taiwanese shoemaker Footgearmex Footwear Co Ltd is preparing to lay off two-thirds of the workforce at its Ho Chi Minh City plant, @reuters announced, citing a company announcement to employees, blaming a “drying up of orders and financial issues”. [Taiwan’s Footgearmex Footwear to lay off workers at Vietnam … – Reuters]. (Read more)
2022 November, 3rd update
Indonesia’s energy boost to decarbonize value chains. Jakarta hopes a new financing mechanism can help Indonesia reach net zero ahead of schedule. According to @NikkeiAsia, the Asian Development Bank would bring outside investment to pay for the purchase and decommissioning of coal plants, and their replacement with renewable sources. [Indonesia’s new SOE scheme puts focus on coal phasedown– Nikkey]. (Read more)
Eco-labelling in fashion is not adequate. In the ecological controversy that emerges from the sustainability indices in calculating the PEF (Poduct Environmetal Footprint), the absence of three important indicators plays a key role improperly against leather and natural textile fibers: microplastic release, plastic waste and circularity. The Sourcing Journal explains. [After Higg Came Under Fire for Greenwashing, Now This …– SJ]. (Read more)
2022 October, 28th update
Egypt announces ambitious hydrogen strategy COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh from 7 to 18 November. Egypt will present a new energy vision for green hydrogen at the upcoming climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh this November. Its diversified approach could strengthen Egypt’s geopolitical position and EU attempts to push for more steel production with green hydrogen could provide new opportunities for H2 projects in Egypt [Egypt to announce ambitious hydrogen strategy – DW]. (Read more)
2022 October, 21st update
It’s hard for fashion to get rid of plastic. Big brands, from Adidas to Patagonia, are on track to eliminate virgin polyester from their products, but almost all the recycled polyester available on the market today comes from plastic bottles, not old clothes. And once it’s turned into textiles, that plastic is much harder to keep in circulation than if it were left a bottle that could be recycled again and again. [Fashion’s Plastic Addiction Is Harder to Shake Than it Seems – BoF]. (Read more)
2022 October, 3rd update
Marine microorganisms found to feast on new polyurethane materials used in sustainable shoes. Plastics, now ubiquitous in the modern world, have become a rising threat to human and environmental health. Around the planet, evidence of plastic pollution stretches from grocery bags in the deep sea to microplastics in our food supplies and even in our blood. Shoes make up a large percentage of plastic waste that ends up in the world’s oceans and landfills. [A Sea Change for Plastic Pollution: New Material Biodegrades in Ocean Water – ucsd.edu]. (Read more)
2022 September, 26th update
It is Plastic not “Vegan Leather”. Fuzzy definitions and bad data have left fashion consumers facing an array of claims and counterclaims as new and established materials jostle to market their sustainability credentials. [Vegan Leather’ or Plastic? A Materials Marketing Battle Heats Up – BoF]. (Read more)
2022 September, 23th update
Climate change: new rules for EU companies to help limit global deforestation. To fight global climate change and biodiversity loss, Parliament demands companies ensure that products sold in the EU do not come from deforested or degraded land. .[Press Release by @Europarl_EN]. (Read more)
Traceability for sustainable garment and footwear. Improving transparency and traceability has become a priority for the garment and footwear industry to increase its ability to manage the value chains more effectively. [Managing Risk for Post-Pandemic Trade: UNECE and ITC launch a Guide for Border Regulators – Recommendation n°46: Enhancing traceability and transparency of sustainable value chains in the garment and footwear sector (ECE/TRADE/463) English]. (Read more)
2022 September, 5th update
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and sustainable production are the ingredients of Vietnamese export success. Leather and footwear exports +13%, to over $14 billion in 7 months, thanks to FTAs and the increase in the localization rate of industries (from 40-45% to 55%) which, thanks to ecological innovation, are now able to supply almost 80% of components for footwear nationwide. These are the conclusions of the survey of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vietnam (VCCI), carried out by Huong Ly. [Opportunities for Sustainable Exports from New-generation FTAs – Vietnam Business Forum-VCCI] . (Read more)
2022 August, 25th update
Ecological transparency of industries: what the EU is doing. The EU may be forced to water down its ambitions for corporate transparency on climate change to keep the U.S. on board with a global deal. The idea is to require large companies to disclose green information with the same rigor and external checks as they do for financial disclosures. [EU’s ambitions on climate disclosures run up against US wall – Politico]. (Read more)
Energy and ecological transition: high-quality, reliable and comparable gauges are needed to avoid greenwashing. Climate change is transforming the global investment landscape, creating new risks and opportunities. For this it is important to know if a company’s resources are physically vulnerable, the volume of greenhouse gases it emits and its plans to reduce emissions. @IMFNews proposes the Network for Greening the Financial System directory that assesses available climate data, identifies gaps and offers practical and concrete ways to fill these gaps. [Achieving Net-Zero Emissions Requires Closing a Data Deficit – IMF]. (Read more)
2022 August, 2nd update
Zalando, Yoox Net-a-Porter and About You launch climate platform for brands. Working with sustainability consultancy Quantis, the three online fashion retailers will offer a free service to help brands they stock measure greenhouse emissions, set reduction targets and submit them to the Science Based Targets (SBTi) for approval. (Read more)
2022 July, 27th update
U.S. legislation to limit PFAS in industrial wastewater will broaden the very definition of PFAS. The American Chemical Society, @C&EN, argues that plastic manufacturers will be among the first industries to meet PFAS pollution limits in wastewater under legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Textiles and makers of electrical and electronic components follow, then paint formulators, companies that mold plastics and leather tanneries. The measure will increase the number of chemicals for which manufacturers must supply data to the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency. (Read more)
Review on the “Heat Apocalypse“. The “Heat Apocalypse” is sweeping Europe and the UK. [Europe’s heatwave moves north… – Guardian]. In Gironde, an area equal to the extent of the whole of Paris has gone up in smoke. [En Gironde, la surface de Paris partie en fumée… – Libération]. The west of France hit by completely new temperatures. [Au pic de la canicule, l’ouest de la France… – Le Monde]. The fierce heat in Europe heads north. [Heatwave: Ferocious European heat heads north – BBC]. Because Europe is becoming an epicenter for heat waves. [Why Europe Is Becoming a Heat Wave Hot Spot – NYT]. (Read more)
2022 June, 29th update
Water scarcity is the most serious problem we have: it is an epochal challenge for agriculture and livestock and therefore for textiles and leather. An unprecedented water crisis is underway in Italy: (As Po dries up, Italy’s food and energy supplies are at risk – WP). Agricultural water scarcity is expected to increase in more than 80% of the world’s cropland by 2050. For the “future of water” (see Report) the agricultural techniques that retain rainwater in the soils and the reduction of consumption in industry are relevant. A single cotton shirt requires over 2500 liters of water. Leather, for bags and shoes, needs 160 liters per kilo. Machine and plant engineering suppliers can play a key role as producers of sustainable energy and water systems (i.e. Green Label). (Read more)
2022 June, 23rd update
Behind the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI) hides a large Greenwashing operation. The Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, introduced in the New York State Assembly in October 2021, obliges all fashion companies that generate more than $100 million to track at least 50% of value chains and disclose environmental impacts. However, the Higg MSI index used seems to favor the use of low-cost net fibers derived from fossil fuels. [industry-linked sustainability standard allows clothing giants to ramp up emissions – The Intercept.com]. (Read more)
2022 June, 8th update
Namibia, public tenders to invest in green industrial programs downstream of agriculture and livestock. Namibia, as stated by the Minister of Agriculture Calle Schlettwein has chosen to offer investment opportunities in 11 green project schemes in the agricultural and livestock sectors to local and international investors through a process of assignment by public tenders. Opportunities also abound in the activities of the livestock value chain, such as meat processing and the leather subsector, tannery and leather products. (Read more)
2022 May, 30th update
Growing Urgency of Transparency in the Fashion Industry. The Roadmap to Net Zero report, published by the World Resources Institute and the Apparel Impact Institute, commented by Material Exchange. One of the main takeaways of the report is the estimated emissions produced by the fashion sector. (Read more)
REPowerEU. The European Commission has today presented the REPowerEU Plan, a plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and fast forward the green transition. It is the response to the hardships and global energy market disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Read more)
2022 May, 18th update
Overcoming environmental risks and human rights violations in value chains. A proposal for a European directive obliges large companies to introduce systems to identify and prevent environmental risks and violations of workers’ human rights along the supply chain. It is a breakthrough that fills a regulatory gap. [Nelle filiere globali arriva l’obbligo di due diligence sui diritti umani – lavoce.info]. (Read more)
2022 May, 9th update
Fashion’s sustainable journey on Fall/Winter 22-23 by eco design. A new report by retail analytics firm Edited examined the steps designers took to lessen their environmental footprint, from using botanical dyes (Gabriela Hearst) and biodegradable materials (Stine Goya) to repurposing sets like Prada, which plans to resell the carpeting it used. [On the Runway, Innovation Trails Upcycling Deadstock Fabrics – Sourcing Journal]. (Read more)
2022 May, 4th update
AAFA does join the “Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action” to bring emissions to net zero by 2050. The fashion industry has engaged in and remains fully committed to enhancing sustainability and social responsibility within the apparel, accessories, and footwear industry’s supply chains, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) said in a statement published on Earth Day (Friday 22 April). [AAFA says apparel sector must align with global efforts on climate change – Just Style]. (Read more)
2022 April, 27th update
Takapas, a registered trademark that recycles safety shoes. Vincent Bia, manager of Bia Supplies in Calais, a company specialized in the sale of personal protective equipment, has registered the Takapas brand, specialized in the recycling of safety shoes. In France it is the only one to have faced this market. [Takapas, une marque déposée qui recycle les chaussures de sécurité – La Gazette Nord-Pas de Calais]. (Read more)
2022 April, 11th update
Tougher rules for fashion industry under new EU strategy. The Commission is presenting the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles aimed at making textiles more durable, repairable, reusable and recyclable, to tackle fast fashion, waste and the destruction of unsolds, and ensure their production takes place in full respect of social rights. Here the link to the “Press statement by Commissioner Sinkevicius on the adoption Circular Economy package (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products and Textiles)”. (Read more)
EU Circular Fashion Directive would harm Cambodia’s clothing-footwear sector. According to the Khmer Times, the new EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles harms Cambodia’s largest export sector, Garment Footwear and Travel Goods (GFT). (Read more)
2022 March, 29th update
Relocation of tanneries in the Sialkot Tannery Zone (Pakistan) is under implementation. Sialkot: Tanneries have begun to move from the city to the tannery industrial zone, which should greatly reduce environmental pollution. [Tanneries shifting to Sialkot tannery zone to help improve environment’- app.com]. (Read more)
2022 March, 23rd update
KEEN Footwear’s new slip-on line is made with recycled leather car seats. The fashion industry is notoriously polluting. KEEN makes shoes with recycled leather from car seats. This is reported by Green Matters. In addition to upcycling waste, KEEN operates with Gold Certified tanneries from the Leather Working Group.” Fashion is increasingly rich in recycling. Clothing with recycled deadstock and shoes with recycled plastic. (Read more)
2022 March, 21st update
Fashion isn’t becoming more sustainable, but next-generation materials can help. Using data from the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and Textile Exchange, the World Resources Institute (WRI) has estimated that emissions from the garment industry will be 1,025 gigatons of CO2e in 2019, or 2% of global emissions. On Forbes, fashion insider Brooke Roberts-Islam presents an overview of next-generation materials to reduce the environmental impact of textile and leather. (Read more)
2022 March, 8th update
Promoting circularity in the Tamil Nadu leather clusters for solid waste management. SDGS (Sustainable Development Goals): Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation, Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth, Goal 9: Industry innovation infrastructure, Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production. Key partners: (i) Solidaridad Regional Competence Centre, India (ii) PISIE, Italy [Promoting circularity in the Tamil Nadu leather clusters for solid waste management – SWITCH-Asia -European Union]. (Read more)
OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Apparel and Footwear Sector. OECD Deputy Secretary-General Yoshiki Takeuchi explained from Paris how the fashion, apparel and footwear industry can recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in a way that protects the environment and vulnerable workers in the supply chain. (Read more)
2022 February, 26th update
Argentina, 30 tanneries will be transferred from Riachuelo so that they do not continue to pollute They are about half of those dedicated to activity in the basin. They are taken to a new industrial area that is almost finished in Villa Jardín, Lanús. [Medium environment. Sacan a 30 curtiembres del Riachuelo para que no sigan contaminando – Clarìn]. (Read more)
2022 February, 9th update
Thanks to Fashion Act Fashion is increasingly turning its gaze to legislation on restricted substances and more, as the news focuses on environmental and human rights. “A number of countries around the world are increasingly sensitive to ‘greenwashing’ and want transparency in the supply chain,” Neri Karra Sillaman told WWD. These criteria are applicable to each “priority” sector, including tanneries and textile industries. (Read more)
2022 February, 3rd update
New York targets the fashion industry with a proposed legislation on sustainability and social responsibility, the Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, presented in The National Law Review on January 24, 2022. (Read more)
The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), has planned to build three leather industrial areas, according to The Business Standard. These include complementary areas for mechanics, with the aim of creating more than four million jobs over the next five years. (Read more)
