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JAAF Sustainability Newsletter
January Edition
Ramesh De Silva
January 31, 2026
Dear Reader,
Thank you for being a part of JAAF’s sustainability newsletter. This newsletter is a part of JAAF’s efforts to respond to and serve Sri Lanka Apparel’s evolving needs especially through bridging the knowledge gap that exists in the Environment, Social and Governance Space.
So Welcome! to the January JAAF Sustainability Newsletter, featuring a selection of the latest developments in the sustainability space as it relates to the apparel industry in Sri Lanka. Through this information bridge JAAF aims to curate and communicate the latest developments in sustainability from across the apparel and textile sectors.
We look forward to your ongoing support and encourage you to engage with us by sharing this newsletter with your colleagues and peers in Sri Lanka and afar. You can also subscribe to this newsletter directly by clicking the link below.
Don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] if you would like to partner or better yet share the developments in sustainability with our community.
Events
Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) are developing a flagship publication examining the financial implications of sustainability and how CFOs can help companies navigate costs, capture financial benefits, and ensure long-term resilience. To inform this work, we are gathering insights from fashion CFOs on their experiences, challenges, and practices in integrating sustainability into financial governance. Your support in sharing the survey with your CFO will help shape practical, industry-relevant guidance for the fashion sector.
Join us on March 30-April 1! Join 500+ manufacturers, suppliers, brands, and industry partners for two days of learning, capability building, and collaboration at the Cascale Forum: Colombo — the region’s leading platform for Higg Index knowledge and advancing practical sustainability solutions for textile and apparel.
JAAF Insights
JAAF, together with many manufacturers, participated in the Awareness and Stakeholder Consultation on Energy Benchmarking Assessment for the Apparel and Textile Sectors, organized by the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) in collaboration with the GIZ PEEB Cool Program. The consultation was held on 27 January.
The session aimed to raise awareness and engage key stakeholders on energy benchmarking practices, regulatory requirements, and implementation approaches relevant to the apparel and textile industries.
Key outcomes of the program included:
Improved knowledge of energy benchmarking concepts and methodologies applicable to the apparel and textile sectors
A clearer understanding of energy efficiency opportunities within apparel and textile manufacturing operations
An introduction to the proposed energy benchmarking regulations and the implementation process
Insights into data collection, analysis, and reporting requirements for energy benchmarking
Enhanced industry-level expertise to support energy performance improvement initiatives
Keeping the GRI standards ahead of the curve and globally relevant is crucial because GRI’s strategic focus is to lead and shape a streamlined reporting system with transparency for impacts as the foundation, unlocking higher-quality reporting and decision-making that benefits companies, people and planet.
We’re pleased to share that we’ve launched the GRI Standards Quarterly Update — a new way to bring together key developments across GRI’s standard-setting work in a single, regular snapshot.. That includes the latest revisions to standards on labour, economic impacts, biodiversity and The update highlights what’s new, what’s open for consultation, and how stakeholders can engage, offering a clearer and more connected view of standards in progress.
You may provide your feedback to Dr. Aditi Haldar, Director GRI South Asia [email protected] on the various standards update, which will provide GRI to move ahead towards its mission of streamlining the Sustainability Reporting System.
Sustainability In Sri Lanka
Rebuilding for resilience: Can impact investing work in Sri Lanka? - Proponents argue that impact investing can mobilise private capital toward climate resilience, inclusive growth, and essential services, precisely the areas now under strain.
So, the question deserves to be asked plainly: would impact investing actually work in Sri Lanka, or is it another well-intentioned idea that struggles to translate into real capital when the country needs it most?
Global Fashion Regulations
Unlocking Equity in Innovation: Balancing the Scales in Supply Chain Partnerships
New research from Transformers Foundation highlights how misaligned expectations, uneven distribution of risk, and inconsistent industry commitment keep innovation stuck in pilot mode, and outline practical solutions for a fairer, more collaborative future.
Based on more than 30 interviews with experts across the global apparel value chain, this study explores why so many climate innovations stall before reaching scale – and what it will take to change the system.
Speakers included:
Megan Doyle, Report Author and Sustainable Fashion Journalist
Tricia Carey, Transformers Foundation Board Member, CCO, Avalo Inc
Saqib Shahzad, Head of Sustainability, Diamond Fabrics Limited by Sapphire
Priyanka Khanna, Innovation Director - Scaling, Fashion for Good
Melinda Tually, Intelligence Director, Transformers Foundation
New UN climate requirements may impact brands - Under the Paris Agreement, all countries must regularly report their emissions and climate actions through new ‘Biennial Transparency Reports’ (BTRs).
The UNFCCC says many key garment-producing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America need technical and financial help to do this properly.
New Report Finds Apparel Decarbonization Progress Off-Track - Cascale’s State of the Industry 2026 report shares new analysis of verified facility data, shows emissions rising as coal dependence and limited renewable energy adoption slow progress.
UK EPR scheme for textiles blueprint published - The Blueprint for a UK Textiles EPR Scheme, published by WRAP on behalf of the UK Textiles Pact, contains 10 recommendations developed through consultation with brands, retailers, trade associations, charities and waste companies.
UK Regulator Warns Retailers They Could Be on the Hook for Greenwashing by Suppliers - The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced the release of new guidance aimed at helping businesses including retailers, brands and manufacturers to understand supply chain responsibility for making accurate green claims. The guidance indicates that businesses may be liable for misleading environmental claims, even if they are only passing along information provided farther up the value chain.
Neighborhood Watch
Pakistan mill earns Oritain Gold Membership - Karachi, Pakistan-headquartered Yunus Textile Mills has become the first company to achieve Gold Member status of the Oritain Membership programme.
Indonesia repositions textile industry amid global sourcing shifts, rising sustainability demands - Indonesia’s textile sector is at a critical turning point in early 2026. Global sourcing increasingly moves away from China, influenced by United States (US) tariffs, European Union (EU) regulatory pressures, and rising sustainability expectations.
India sets legally binding CO2 goals for textiles - India has brought its textile industry under mandatory greenhouse gas reduction rules for the first time, in a move that will tighten carbon constraints on hundreds of mills and processing units across the country.
The new targets form part of India’s nascent carbon market and are expected to shape how spinners, dyers and fabric makers invest in energy and process upgrades over the next two years.
Navigating EU circular economy legislation’s impact on India’s textile industry - As Europe prepares to meet its 2030 circularity targets, its €376 billion fashion market is rushing to change how it procures. India’s textile exports market, 20 per cent of which is reliant on the European Union market, now faces regulatory challenges and, at the same time, an opportunity to move towards formalisation and cleaner production although with not much time and support in hand.
TIE launches to drive innovation in Bangladesh’s textile sector - Industry groups such as BGMEA, BKMEA, and BTMA have identified challenges facing the sector, including increased compliance costs, energy disruptions, and economic pressures as competition intensifies and traditional cost advantages diminish. These organisations have underscored the need for greater innovation to maintain competitiveness.
General
Marks & Spencer reaffirms ‘Trusted Value’ strategy to guide fashion through 2026 - Marks & Spencer has reiterated its focus on “Trusted Value” as part of its ongoing strategy in fashion, home and beauty, outlining how the approach will guide the business this year.
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