Join this member-only webinar on March 4 to dive into the State of the Industry Report 2026.
Member Webinar: State of the Industry Report 2026: Decarbonization Progress in the Apparel, Footwear & Textiles Industry
Cascale recently released the State of the Industry Report 2026: Decarbonization Progress in the Apparel, Footwear & Textiles Industry, an in-depth report highlighting that the sector is not decarbonizing at the pace or scale required to meet global climate targets. Cascale will host a member-only webinar on March 4 to provide a deep dive into the report.
In this webinar, Cascale will walk through key findings, which draw on verified 2023 and 2024 energy data from the Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM), with a focus on Tier 1 finished product manufacturing and Tier 2 material manufacturing. You’ll gain insights into current decarbonization trends, challenges, and what the data signals about the actions needed to accelerate progress across global supply chains. Save your spot and register today!
*This webinar will be recorded and shared with all members on Cascale Connect.
Date: Wednesday, March 4
Time: 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET / 4 PM CEST
Duration: 1 hour
Speakers
Joël Mertens is the Director of Higg Product Tools at Cascale. He is responsible for managing the Higg Product Tools, including the Higg Product Module, Higg Material Sustainability Index (MSI), and MSI Contributor. He is based in British Columbia, Canada.
Before joining Cascale team, Joël was the Manager of Product Engineering and Compliance at Mountain Equipment Co-op where he worked on embedding product sustainability and product safety compliance into the development process. Among these responsibilities, he developed Preferred Fiber Strategy and Supplier Environmental Assurance programs for the MEC label. Joël holds a Master’s degree in Materials Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
In his free time Joël enjoys hiking and camping in the fantastic wilderness of the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. He also spends his time gardening during the (short) summer growing season and developing his “green thumb”. Joël is involved with the East Kootenay Climate Hub, an organization focused on helping local communities take meaningful action on climate change.
Quinten Geleijnse, Manager of Product Tools at Cascale, plays a central role in shaping the strategic direction of the Higg Index Product Tools. By coordinating and facilitating engagements across Cascale network, he gathers valuable feedback to prioritize initiatives in alignment with Cascale’s vision. Quinten is responsible for various Higg Product Tool workstreams from launch to completion. By expanding training materials for the tools, Quinten aims to foster adoption and maximize the tools’ impact.
Prior to joining Cascale, Quinten was a sustainability consultant at Sustainalize and ERM. Through his experience with managing various Life Cycle Assessment projects for apparel brands, Quinten brings project management skills as well as technical knowledge on LCAs and impact measurement methodologies. Quinten has played a key role in developing Booking.com’s Travel Sustainable badge, which was awarded the 2023 World Changing Ideas award by Fast Company. Quinten holds a Master’s degree in Energy & Sustainability Management.
Quinten lives in Utrecht, The Netherlands. While playing casual football and padel matches during the week, holidays are all about the adrenaline rush as Quinten enjoys mountain biking, kayaking and hiking amid scenic mountains. When winter sets in, Quinten’s love for intricate board games takes center stage, sharing the joy with friends and family.
Cassandra is the Senior Manager, Reporting Tool Analyst at Cascale. She reports to the Senior Director of Higg Products, Aaron Di Silvestro. She creates and manages data reports and works cross-functionally with the team and stakeholders to drive industry and Higg Index insights. She is based in Toronto, Canada!
Before joining the Cascale team, Cassandra was a Senior Analyst at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) where she used analytics in both credit strategy decisions and pricing initiatives in automotive finance. She has used her expertise to close gaps between RBC and their competitors to reduce risk and increase market share. She was also part of the internal committee that helped with onboarding, organizing department networking sessions, and team charity events. She finished her undergraduate degree in Biology at Queen’s University and has always had a keen interest in the environment.
In her free time, you can find her reading, running and cooking. She likes to test out new recipes with her family and has joined a running club with friends from University.
Chris Marshall is the Senior Director of Climate Strategy at Cascale, the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production. He is responsible for leading the Transparency Program, which provides a consistent way for brands, retailers, and manufacturers to share sustainability information on apparel and footwear products, across impact categories such as water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and use of fossil fuels. He is based in Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
Before joining Cascale team, Chris was the Senior Director of Merchandising, at PVH where he was tasked with leading a team developing sports performance apparel. Chris comes with 16+ years of experience in the footwear and apparel industry in companies such as Nike, Converse, Vans (VF), Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein (PVH). His functional experience ranges from planning, sourcing, vendor compliance, and product merchandising.
Chris prides himself on being a lifelong learner and he has recently finished his master’s degree in digital management. In his free time you can find him chasing the sun, wild camping throughout his multi-day hikes in the mountains
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