Members and non-members can take this anonymous, 2-min benchmarking survey and score a 20-percent discount to the Annual Meeting 2025 in Hong Kong. Read more!
Elisabeth von Reitzenstein, senior director of policy and public affairs at Cascale, recently took to the stage at Innovation Forum’s Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference in Amsterdam to discuss Eco-Design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and how brands can get ahead of implementation.
Carsten Wentink, policy officer at the European Commission, joined her for a conversation moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director at Innovation Forum.
Von Reitzenstein noted the significant adaptations that ESPR will require, which will encourage manufacturers and brands to prioritize circularity, transparency, and innovation. She shared key requirements companies must fulfill to comply with ESPR, including proactively integrating eco-design principles, assessing their supply chains, and preparing for Digital Product Passports (DPPs). Von Reitzenstein highlighted the crucial challenges DPPs will present for businesses, particularly those not currently measuring their carbon impact across supply chains.
Emphasizing the importance of gathering reliable information from the full scope of suppliers, von Reitzenstein acknowledged the difficulty in collecting comprehensive and accurate data throughout complex global supply chains. She highlighted Cascale’s Higg Index tools, exclusively available on Worldly, and how they can support the collection, tracking, and analysis of supply chain data for regulatory compliance. She noted Cascale’s continued efforts to support its members along their compliance journeys by providing resources, guidance, and collaborative platforms to navigate the new regulations.
Presenting a global perspective, von Reitzenstein emphasized that companies must move beyond compliance to build genuine resilience. She underscored the critical role of education in understanding legislation, highlighting Cascale’s “Navigating Legislation & the Higg Index” webinar series, which explores how Cascale continues to evolve the Higg Index tools to support companies navigating the legislation landscape. She also shared Cascale’s ongoing efforts to develop and share resources with its members and Higg Index users to ensure they are well informed and supported in their compliance journeys.
Von Reitzenstein reiterated the vital role of industry input, emphasizing the EU’s call for businesses to contribute ideas to shape effective eco-design rules and realistic implementation timelines. She reassured members that they are not alone in this journey, as Cascale continues to offer valuable resources and engagement channels for alignment. She also called on the need for collaboration, highlighting the crucial role of industry organizations like Policy Hub — a Cascale ecosystem partner — in uniting the industry’s voice to shape the sector’s future.
Cascale joined critical conversations in Paris at the recent OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment & Footwear Sector, tackling key challenges in responsible purchasing, traceability, and industry metrics on GHG emissions, wages, and responsible purchasing practices.
Dr. Marsha Dickson, co-founder and president of Better Buying Institute and Cascale’s Better Buying program consultant and Cascale’s James Crowley, manager of transparency and traceability (supply chain); Sophia Ellis, senior manager of transparency and accountability; and Hanna Griesbeck Garcia, manager of stakeholder engagement and project manager of The Industry We Want (TIWW) were among the speakers.
In one session featuring Dickson, the speakers unpacked empirical research on the uptake and impact of due diligence in the sector. They presented the OECD’s new monitoring and evaluation framework for the garment and footwear sector.
It also sought to explore how different user groups could use the framework. Dickson gave an overview of BBI’s surveys, methodology, and learnings about purchasing practices. She shared key findings from the 2024 Better Buying Partnership Index (BBPI) Report, highlighting comparisons and differences in sporting goods versus fashion. Dickson discussed Cascale’s acquisition of key assets of BBI, noting the significant alignment of both organizations’ missions and goals, and highlighted the joint commitment to firmly putting responsible purchasing practices on the global agenda.
The panel included Chikako Oka, associate professor, Université Paris-Est Créteil; Nazma Akter, president, Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation (SGSF); Prathika Kurian, senior manager, factory compliance, SanMar; Rachel Alexander, independent consultant and researcher, Copenhagen Business School & University of Johannesburg; Sarosh Kuruvilla, professor, industrial and labor relations, Cornell University, and Julia Schmidt, senior policy officer, Federal Ministry for Economic Development, Germany.
Later, Crowley and Griesbeck Garcia moderated two well-attended side sessions: “Bridging the Gap: Traceability to Enable Due Diligence” and “Mid-Decade Reflection: Insights from The Industry We Want’s 2025 Metrics and the Road to 2030,” in which Ellis also participated.
Crowley’s session aimed to provide industry guidance on what CSDDD legislation and OECD Guidance mean for data collection strategies, supplier engagement, and risk identification. The session also provided a platform for traceability initiatives to present intelligence, research, and programs that support due diligence for retailers, brands, and manufacturers.
Speakers in this session included Evonne Tan, senior director of data and technology at the Textile Exchange; Dorothy Lovell, sector lead for garments and footwear at the OECD; Lea Esterhuizen, founder and chief executive of &Wider; Josh Taylor, traceability manager at ISEAL; Saqib Shahzad, head of sustainability at Sapphire Diamond and co-founder of Transformers Foundation, and Jannis Bellinghausen, senior director of systems integrity at Better Cotton.
Crowley gave a brief overview of Cascale and the Higg Index, then shared a presentation on traceability guidance to enable risk identification. He showcased a high-level approach to categorizing traceability and supply chain data, focusing on the second step of the OECD guidance stages concerning the CS3D. Crowley noted the current traceability requirements of the CS3D and shared actionable steps companies can take for risk identification and prioritization.
Representing The Industry We Want, Griesbeck Garcia’s session explored the fourth cycle of the TIWW’s Industry Dashboard metrics before opening the discussion to the lived experiences and perspectives of those at the heart of the garment and footwear industry. The session highlighted the year-on-year trajectories of the metrics and explored crucial levers needed to realign the course and shape the industry into one that creates worthy and fair working conditions while safeguarding our planet.
Griesbeck Garcia started the discussion with an overview of the landscape, noting the need for a fundamental shift in power dynamics, greater accountability, and a commitment to implementing and scaling real solutions. Then Ellis shared key insights into the data presented, highlighting the rise in production volumes as a contributor to growing emissions outweighing decarbonization efforts. She emphasized the ongoing imperative for the sector to reduce emissions in alignment with a 1.5-degree future while also addressing the need to challenge traditional business models. During the discussion, she highlighted key essentials for achieving meaningful reductions, including supply chain engagement and effective target setting.
Ellis shared Cascale’s efforts to accelerate industry-wide decarbonization through the Industry Decarbonization Roadmap and address foundational environmental performance basics. She also noted the organization’s strategic foucs in driving the adoption of responsible purchasing practices with the purchase of key assets from the Better Buying Institute.
The sessions concluded with a clear consensus from participants across all sessions on an urgent need to collaborate and accelerate collective action to transform the industry.
Colin Browne, CEO of Cascale, recently addressed the International Apparel & Footwear Compliance Conference in Vietnam, hosted by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA).
Colin Browne, CEO of Cascale, recently addressed the International Apparel & Footwear Compliance Conference in Vietnam, hosted by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). The event brought together industry leaders to deepen their understanding of U.S. compliance requirements and brand expectations for factories.
In his keynote, Browne tackled the pressing challenges of compliance and climate urgency, calling for a proactive industry approach as global legislation increasingly shifts from voluntary to mandatory requirements. He outlined Cascale’s commitment to supporting sustainable supply chains, highlighting the Higg Index suite of tools, used by over 40,000 companies to measure and improve their sustainability impacts.
Drawing from his extensive background in procurement at Under Armour, VF, and Li & Fung, Browne shared firsthand insights into supply chain impacts. He emphasized the need for leadership and disruption to guide the industry through an evolving global landscape shaped by recent and upcoming elections in key markets such as India, Pakistan, the U.S., and the U.K. He praised Cascale’s partnerships with organizations like AAFA in the U.S. and Policy Hub in the EU, which drive collective advocacy on policy issues critical to the industry’s future.
Browne commended the industry’s innovation and collaboration while underscoring Cascale’s role in driving collective action. He spotlighted the work of Cascale’s Policy & Public Affairs team, which collaborates with organizations like AAFA and Policy Hub to advocate for industry-wide positions and engage in policy discussions.
Browne emphasized Vietnam’s strategic role in global apparel exports, noting the presence of Cascale members such as the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS). He then highlighted Cascale’s local engagement, including an APAC Manufacturer Interview Group designed to amplify manufacturers’ voices in global policy discussions. He also announced plans for an APAC-focused policy paper and previewed the upcoming Cascale Forum in Ho Chi Minh City, set for May 14–15, 2025.
Closing his address, Browne urged the audience to ramp up decarbonization efforts, stressing the need for urgent action to address climate challenges while building resilient, sustainable supply chains.
This year, Cascale was a supporting organization for the Fashion Summit event in Hong Kong, which team members Joyce Tsoi, senior director of the decarbonization program; Howard Kwong, senior manager of public affairs, APAC; and Peony Tam, manager of global membership development, APAC; attended.
Fashion Summit (HK) is Asia’s leading sustainable fashion event funded by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of HKSAR and organized by the Clothing Industry Training Authority (CITA). It plays a vital role in the development of sustainable fashion, bringing together key players from the fashion industry, NGOs, media, decision-makers, and leaders from around the world to exchange insights on the latest sustainable fashion trends, technology, best practices, solutions, and opportunities.
This year’s theme was “Power Up Sustainable Fashion Business,” and featured a series of events, including a one-day international conference, fashion shows, exhibitions, and a pop-up shop. The goal was to promote Hong Kong as a creative fashion hub and encourage fashion designers and industry players to integrate their creativity, innovative thinking, and sustainability concepts into business practices.
Crucial conversations and presentations included an exploration of eco-materials through the lens of material suppliers, brands, ESG advocates, and verification organizations. Further discussions delved into circularity and deadstock and the need for clear definitions of such terms. The event also highlighted the importance of compliance and the need for harmonized legislation across the industry.
Andrew Martin, executive vice president, Cascale, recently participated in the Social & Labour Convergence Program (SLCP) inaugural General Assembly.
The recent 2024 Textile Exchange conference, held Oct. 28 to 31 in Pasadena, California, highlighted the real-time process of industry transformation.
Joining forces with Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data insights platform, representatives from Cascale’s membership, business development, and communications teams participated. Attendees dove deep into supply chain resilience, sustainable practices, and the role of data-driven solutions like the Higg Index. Coming on the heels of Cascale’s recent updates to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) and the Higg Facility Environment Module (FEM) 2024 update, and anticipating the policy-focused Brand & Retail Forum in Brussels in December, the discussions could not have been more timely.
Opening the conference, Claire Bergkamp, Textile Exchange’s chief executive officer, issued an urgent call for collective action. “We are not afraid here, and neither should you, to air the elephants in the room, to tackle the hard things, because it’s only in doing that that we can really come to true resolution and true solutions,” she said. “In this room we have farmers, growers, producers, recyclers, brands, consultants, non profit and so many others. The diversity in this community is our strength.”
An opening plenary moderated by Sarah Kent, chief sustainability correspondent at The Business of Fashion, brought together Liz Ricketts, from the Ghana-based Or Foundation, with Matt Dwyer of Patagonia, a founding Cascale member, to explore waste and circularity. “Ultimately, cheap commodities require cheap labor,” Ricketts said. “Everyone is being squeezed along this value chain because we are not making clothing with enough value embedded into it.” At the day’s final plenary, Textile Exchange released its Materials Matter Standard, which the organization called “a new precedent for more sustainable materials production.”
Presenters and speakers included Cascale members from the manufacturing, brand/retail, and affiliate sectors. Represented membership included CottonConnect, Laudes Foundation, GIZ, VF Corporation, Levi Strauss & Co, Patagonia, TAL Apparel Limited, H&M, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, GM Integrity Systems, New Zealand Merino Company, Puma, Apparel Impact Institute, Primark, Woolmark Company, Columbia Sportswear Company, Zalando SE, Reformation, Recover, lululemon Athletica Inc., adidas, ZDHC, and Eastman. Cascale Board members, VF’s Sean Cady and TAL Apparel’s Delman Lee, were also in attendance.
The critical nature of “The Case for Change,” the event’s theme, was echoed by Whitney Bauck, a climate journalist who was the event’s host. “This is life or death work,” Bauck said. “You may not feel that in your everyday, but there are communities that do.”
