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Creation of an ESG Association SL.

Announcing the officially forming an ESG Association SL! As a member of this association, you'll have the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals, contribute to our shared goals, and shape the future of our community.

To help us get started, please take a moment to fill out the attached Google Form. Your information will help us keep in touch, understand your interests, and ensure that our association reflects the needs and aspirations of all its members.
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Brandix, Teejay, Fortude with InterBalance to implement ESG management framework

This initiative seeks to align reporting with the latest International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S1 and S2 and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, reflecting a global trend of integrating sustainability into corporate governance and risk management.

Hirdaramani’s Net-Zero Science Based Targets approved by SBTi

Hirdaramani Apparel is proud to announce that its Net-Zero Science Based Targets have been officially approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Significantly, Hirdaramani is also the first organisation in Sri Lanka to have secured this key milestone.

This achievement underscores the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability as outlined in its ‘Future First’ Sustainability Roadmap 2025 agenda. As part of this commitment, Hirdaramani has set ambitious near-term and net-zero targets applicable to countries within its global footprint, which include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

Star Garments Group steps up efforts in biodiversity restoration

Sri Lanka continues to experience deforestation at the rate of 8,000 hectares of forest area annually and experts warn a mere 10% of the world’s rainforests will be left by 2030. As part of its sustainability strategy, Star Garments Group (“Star”) has stepped up to restore the biodiversity around its factory operations and offices, by committing to restore half of its physical footprint.

Star cemented its commitment towards biodiversity restoration on World Seagrass Day in 2023 with its pledge to regenerate mangroves across 3 hectares, located between Sri Lanka’s major towns of Chilaw and Puttalam, the Anawilundawa Ramsar Wetland Sanctuary, which was barren due to shrimp farming

Leveraging the UK’s DCTS for sustainable growth amidst economic challenges

Sri Lanka’s apparel industry stands at a crucial turning point as it navigates post-pandemic recovery and economic challenges. UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) offers new opportunities with 99% of exports now eligible for zero tariffs, potentially boosting export revenue. However, challenges like rules of origin and SME limitations persist. Success depends on collaboration across the industry, government, and international partners to unlock the full potential of the DCTS and secure a sustainable future for the sector.

Brand Playbook For Financing Decarbonization

Aii’s "Brand Playbook for Financing Decarbonization" outlines 12 financial strategies brands can undertake to encourage producers to invest in carbon reduction projects. It provides real-world examples, assessing the risks and benefits of each approach while recognizing the need for tailored strategies across different brands and retailers.

From Farm to Fashion

Bio-derived materials, which are substances made from biological sources, such as plants, animals, or microbes, are increasingly being sourced to produce a wide range of products, including plastics, chemicals, fuels, and textiles.

Since they are derived from renewable resources, bio-derived materials have the potential to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly, reducing reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels and helping to lower GHG emissions.

EPR for textiles: insights from five focus countries

Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) have created factsheets for five focus countries across the globe, to illustrate what EPR policy design could look like in different jurisdictions. The factsheets share five unique country perspectives: Chile, Ghana, the Netherlands, France and the USA.

Each of the factsheets focuses on one of the countries above and its current state of play in regards to EPR policy, including a snapshot of material flows. We spoke to policymakers in each country to gain direct insight into their work, challenges and opportunities.

Textile Standards & Legislation book launched

The guidebook covers 65 environmental and social standards – along with 33 pages of new and proposed regulations in Europe and the USA that will likely have significant impacts on textile sourcing if they make it on to the statute book – as some already have.

The idea behind this printed guidebook when it was first released in 2009 was to provide readers with an easy reference guide to the new and seemingly ever-growing number of environmental labels. It's even more relevant this year as the updated and revised booklet at 128 pages is nearly 25% larger than our 2023 edition.

Aii and ZDHC plan CO2 and water guidelines

Leading industry bodies Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) and the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) are working on benchmark guidelines for both CO2 emissions and water use in garment and textile manufacturing facilities.

Aii and ZDHC are working on separate but complementary initiatives - which could be up and running next year - which it is hoped will become ‘de facto’ standards to catalyse a step change in global industry eco-efficiency.

ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines

Version 2.2

The ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines is a living document which sets a single, globally unified expectation across the textile, leather and footwear industry supply chain for industrial wastewater and sludge. They define the guidelines for wastewater discharge, sludge quality and disposal pathways. The input of key stakeholders (brands, suppliers, academia, laboratories and certification bodies) and stringent review processes from ZDHC Wastewater Council were used in their creation, adding to their credibility.

Podcast: the impact of due diligence legislation

Alexander Kohnstamm, executive director of Fair Wear Foundation, tells how landmark new European Union (EU) legislation will affect the textile and fashion industry.

The EU's recently agreed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) will make companies legally responsible for environmental and human rights issues in their global supply chains.

Cascale CEO says industry must target hotspots

Cascale's new CEO has today urged more than 600 leaders of the textile, apparel and consumer goods industry to target "industry hotspots" for carbon emissions.

Colin Browne told the nonprofit's on-going annual meeting in Munich that 1,500 manufacturing facilities in nine countries accounted for 80% of the industry’s carbon emissions. It was also revealed in a joint statement on stage from the Apparel Impact Institute, Cascale and RESET Carbon, that CO2 benchmarks for facilities will also be developed.

Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain - A Global Roadmap

UNEP’s report ‘Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain: A Global Roadmap’ outlines what each stakeholder group can do individually and collectively to reach the shared destination of a circular textile sector. To do so, the report identifies the three priorities:

1) shifting consumption patterns;

2) improved practices; and

3) infrastructure investment.

Cascale and BGMEA commit to collaborative work to drive sustainable practices in the consumer goods industry

Cascale, the global nonprofit alliance formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at advancing sustainability and promoting environmental and socially responsible practices within the apparel sector. This announcement took place during Cascale’s Annual Meeting in Munich, where 600 consumer goods industry leaders united to accelerate climate action and catalyze impact at scale through a unified approach to sustainability.

Is Bangladesh ready for Digital Product Passport?

The DPP is a mandatory electronic record, expected to be fully required by 2030, designed under the EU Green Deal legislation. It’s specifically part of the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles and Eco-design, under the European Commission’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

Worldly launches new Scope 3 emissions tool

Technology company Worldly is launching a new tool which it says will enable apparel companies to calculate product-based Scope 3 emissions in minutes.

The 'Product Impact Calculator' is claimed to be the first tool to seamlessly integrate primary supply chain data with product impact models to deliver Scope 3 insights.

Reverse logistics 'key to fashion circularity'

The Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) has released a report on how fashion brands, retailers, value chain partners and logistics providers could leverage reverse logistics to cultivate a more circular fashion industry.

Experts from fashion giants Nike, H&M, Target, Puma and VF Corp, as well as from logistics company Maersk, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Circle Economy Foundation, contributed to the report.

Webinar overview of Aii and Global Efficiency Intelligence's joint report: Low-Carbon Thermal Energy Technologies for the Textile Industry.

Low-Carbon Thermal Energy Technologies for the Textile Industry," commissioned by Aii and authored by Global Efficiency Intelligence, explores the readiness of major textile-producing countries to adopt low-carbon heating technologies, assessing solar thermal; electrification (including electric boilers, heat pumps, and thermal energy storage); sustainable biomass; and natural gas. It provides a detailed evaluation of each technology, focusing on capital and operational costs, technological maturity, market growth outlook, and climate and environmental risks

The Circular Economy: ASEAN Perspectives and Insights on Policy, Practice and Way Forward in the Region

The ASEAN Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform Webinar Series is a collaborative effort between the ASEAN Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component, organised as part of a technical assistance programme. Initiated in November 2023 and concluded in August 2024, the series aimed to promote a dialogue and knowledge exchange on the adoption of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) policies and practices that advance the Circular Economy (CE) among stakeholders in ASEAN.

The series addressed six thematic priorities, each exploring different aspects of CE and their alignment with ASEAN’s regional framework: circular economy for business, green public procurement, the role of tourism in advancing food sustainability in ASEAN through circular practices, circular fashion, just transition to an inclusive circular economy, and localising the circular economy within ASEAN values