AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, and OAKLAND, Calif., September 13, 2024 /3BL/ – Global nonprofit alliance Cascale, formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, centered their recent Annual Meeting in Munich on a call to action: Attendees must become bold advocates for change within their organizations and throughout the industry.
This was the first Annual Meeting since the organization rebranded in February 2024, and it marks a major milestone in the organization’s evolution. Themed “A New Era of Unified Impact,” the event united over 600 attendees from around the world, who heard from more than 80 global industry experts.
The tone was set during the opening session as Cascale CEO Colin Browne presented new analysis from Cascale’s partner, RESET Carbon, which used data from Cascale’s Higg Index, exclusively available on Worldly, to show that 1,500 manufacturing facilities in nine countries account for over 80% of the whole industry’s carbon emissions. “The reality is that the textile and apparel industry is not doing enough to combat climate change. With new data demonstrating a stark concentration of climate impact, we must direct action to where it matters most. We have to focus on the Industry Strategic Supplier hotspots. There is no path to achieving our 45 percent reduction target that doesn’t involve these 1,500 facilities,” Browne said.
He concluded the address by sharing a targeted strategy for critical mitigation that included a direct challenge to brands and retailers: “Cascale data shows there is a long road ahead. We found that within our membership, 33 percent of brands and 54 percent of manufacturers haven’t set Science-Based Targets. That needs to change. More importantly, brands and suppliers need to work in tandem to transform their Tier 2, which is the single most prominent source of carbon emissions. Setting an SBT without close consultation with one’s supply chain is unacceptable and irresponsible given the near-term deadline of 2030. But, with the right actionable data and mutual support – there is hope as we uncover at this Annual Meeting.”
Throughout the two-day event, programming reinforced opportunities for attendees to commit to accelerating climate action and catalyzing impact at scale through a unified approach to sustainability. Key moments included:
The on-stage signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Cascale and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), aimed at advancing sustainability and promoting environmental and socially responsible practices within the apparel sector. After a riveting keynote address given by Miran Ali, BGMEA vice president, Browne joined him on stage to sign the MoU, cementing both organizations’ commitment to collectively drive positive transformation throughout the supply chain.
Data-driven insights on decarbonization and a roadmap for supplier engagement delivered by Andrew Martin, Cascale Executive Vice President, joined by Cascale partners Kurt Kipka, Chief Impact Officer of Apparel Impact Institute, and Liam Salter, CEO of RESET Carbon.
A deep dive into how the Higg Index tools, exclusively available on Worldly, can equip companies to navigate current and future legislation, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and compliance and reporting requirements, such as those mandated by the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directed (CSDDD), moderated by Elisabeth von Reitzenstein, Cascale Senior Director Public Affairs.
Exploration of collective efforts to reduce carbon footprints across fiber types, on a panel that included Dalena White, Secretary General, International Wool Textile Organization and Lena Staafgard, Chief Operating Office, Better Cotton, followed by a panel that included a first-ever presentation of a new approach for LCA methodology for cotton datasets in the Higg MSI, moderated by Joël Mertens, Cascale Director Higg Product Tools.
Analysis of impacts from Cascale’s expansion beyond the apparel sector to the consumer goods industry in a panel moderated by Lisa Domoney, Cascale Senior Director Strategic Growth, and featuring Scott Raskin, CEO of Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform, Lisa Ly, Senior Sustainability Manager, Dunelm and Katy Stevens, Head of CSR and Sustainability, European Outdoor Group, among others.
Insights from Cascale’s new Traceability Intelligence Hub, from a panel, moderated by James Crowley, Cascale Manager, Transparency & Traceability, which included Linn Rai Gjelsvik, Global Sourcing Manager, Varner and Saqib Shahzad, Head of Sustainability, Sapphire – Diamond Fabrics Limited, among others, followed by a re-introduction of Cascale’s Member Analytics Portal (MAP), which harnesses intelligence from the Higg Index Tools to guide sustainability strategies, led by Aaron di Silvestro, Cascale Director, Higg Products.
The critical role of worker voices in helping evolve industry standards for equity, on a panel featuring Tamar Hoek, Solidaridad Senior Policy Director Sustainable Fashion and Cascale Board Chair, Fiona Sadler, Global Head of Responsible Sourcing, Marks & Spencer, and Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect.
How to utilize data for due diligence, with a specific focus on factory improvement pathways and Environmental Management Systems (EMS), on a panel that included Franzisca Friedrich, Technical Advisor, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Katrin Perlmutter, Senior Policy Officer, BMZ – German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, moderated by Janne Koopmans, Head of Collaboration, ZDHC.
To learn more and view the program from Cascale’s Annual Meeting 2024, which was made possible through the support of Nike, VF Corporation, Zalando, Sympatex, Lululemon, TÜV Rheinland, Haelixa, TrusTrace, Puma, CottonConnect, GSCS International, IDFL, Artistic Milliners, Made2Flow and REN energy, click here.
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Cascale Press Contact
Email: cascaleforster@forster.co.uk
ABOUT CASCALE
Cascale is the global nonprofit alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Spanning over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe, we are united by a singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index and a unified strategy for industry transformation.
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