Press Releases / Sustainable Apparel Coalition Joins MIT SHINE Research Initiative

Sustainable Apparel Coalition Joins MIT SHINE Research Initiative

Partnership and Collaboration

Four people working together at a desk around a laptop

San Francisco, Amsterdam, Hong Kong – November 20, 2023: The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has become a member of the Sustainability and Health Initiative for Net Positive Enterprise (SHINE) established by the Materials Systems Laboratory (MSL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The project researches product-based and organizational handprint creation and net positive assessment, enabling organizations to pursue the creation of positive sustainability-related outcomes in concert with ongoing efforts to reduce their footprints.

“Net Positive reflects the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s strategic goal of transforming the industry into one that gives more than it takes to people and the planet,” said Amina Razvi, chief executive officer at the SAC. “The work of MIT SHINE aligns with the SAC’s strategic focus on three foundational pillars – combating climate change, ensuring decent work for all, and shaping a nature-positive future. We’re thrilled to join this powerful initiative.”

SHINE @ MIT is a research center dedicated to improving the scientific basis by which NetPositive is assessed at all of these levels: products, activities, companies, economic sectors, individuals, and groups of people. Its work includes the quantitative evaluation of footprints through the science, data, and methodologies of life cycle assessment (LCA). LCAs also provide the basis for estimating the positive impact of innovative products, materials, activities and processes that function with greater efficiency, provide increased benefits, and reduce wastes and adverse effects.

“The idea of Net Positive is conceptually simple,” said Gregory Norris, research scientist and MIT SHINE director. “However, using LCAs to evaluate both the potential good and harm done by apparel with rigor, clarity and credibility is a complex challenge, though it’s one we are devoted to alongside the SAC. We look forward to working with the SAC and accessing the deep well of data presented by the Higg Index suite of tools.”

As a global multi-stakeholder nonprofit alliance that represents about 50 percent of the apparel and textile industry in 36 countries, the SAC facilitates a common approach to measuring sustainability that is grounded in the Higg Index, a suite of tools that utilize LCA data to measure social and environmental impact from materials in products, to how those products are made, to brand practices. Through the continuous evolution of the Higg Index tools, the aim is to provide users with access to the most up-to-date, accurate data against relevant industry standards in order to drive sustainable decision-making across the industry.

“We look forward to collaborating with MIT Shine in our ongoing efforts to provide state-of-the-art tools to support our members in their journey of transformation,” said Jeremy Lardeau, vice president Higg Index. “Initiatives like these help bring the latest academic and scientific developments to the industry in innovative and sometimes disruptive ways, and we look forward to the exciting opportunities for our tools and the value chain impacts they can help drive.”

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About the Sustainable Apparel Coalition:

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is a global, non-profit alliance of over 280 organizations in the apparel, footwear, and textile industry. Initially formed to create standardized sustainability metrics, the SAC has sharpened its focus to driving pre-competitive, collective action across three foundational pillars. As an independent entity, the SAC brings together brands, retailers, manufacturers, NGOs, academics, and industry associations to combat climate change, ensure decent work, and contribute to a nature-positive future. Central to the SAC’s mission is the Higg Index, a suite of comprehensive tools that empower members to measure, evaluate, and improve sustainability performance across the supply chain.

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News Updates / SAC Celebrates the Textile Exchange Conference in London

SAC Celebrates the Textile Exchange Conference in London

Partnership and Collaboration

Photo of three men in a fireside chat format at the Textile Exchange Conference 2023

The annual Textile Exchange Conference took place in London this year, and a substantial group of SAC team members from our membership engagement, stakeholder engagement and business development teams were in attendance.

Each year, the conference brings together leaders and experts from across the apparel value chain in an effort to explore opportunities to collaborate and align on climate solutions.

A close collaborator with the SAC, Textile Exchange publishes the open-source Preferred Fiber and Materials Matrix to assess the performance of different sustainability standards within material categories. The nonprofit also provides industry benchmarking data around fibers, including a recent report alongside consultancies Boston Consulting Group and Quantis.

At the SAC Lunch and Learn kindly hosted by Textile Exchange as part of the conference programme for approximately 60 registered attendees, Dani Baker, SAC’s senior membership engagement manager, EMEA, delivered a timely and relevant overview of the Higg Product Module. In addition, Hamza Hasan, candidate and membership engagement manager at the SAC, hosted a Fireside Chat to discuss the launch of the Higg FEM 4.0. “[Higg FEM is] the ticket to the game,” said panelist Jonathan Salmon, head of sustainability at Li & Fung Limited. “It’s not perfect, but there is no perfect tool.” Dipankar Bose, global environmental manager at Varner, concluded that “Higg FEM 4.0 is a future-proof masterpiece!” The SAC team also hosted a drinks reception where attendees had the opportunity to participate in an “Ask Me Anything” session with staff from the SAC, Worldly, and the SAC’s Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP).

The SAC enjoys a deep and collaborative relationship with Textile Exchange. With Apparel Impact Institute and Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC), we co-founded the apparel alliance to coordinate and align tools, programs and resources that reduce redundancies and drive performance improvements and collective actions to achieve a 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. With the Global Fashion Agenda and the Federation of European Sporting Goods (FESI), we co-founded the Policy Hub to collaborate on technical expertise and propose ambitious sustainability policies for the apparel and footwear industry in Europe.

We were thrilled to participate this year and to contribute to the success of the 2023 Textile Exchange Conference!

Press Releases / Sustainable Apparel Coalition and International Apparel Federation Announce Collaboration Agreement

Sustainable Apparel Coalition and International Apparel Federation Announce Collaboration Agreement

Partnership and Collaboration

Rear view of chinese female blue collar workers working in clothing factory in a row

New collaboration with the IAF to accelerate efforts towards equitable and sustainable global supply chains for the apparel and fashion industry.

San Francisco, Amsterdam, Hong Kong – September 25, 2023: The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), has today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), outlining a strategic collaboration with the International Apparel Federation (IAF). This collaboration aims to advance a shared vision for equitable and sustainable global supply chains for the apparel and fashion industry.

The two organizations come together with the shared belief that their collaboration can catalyze net-positive effects on the societies and communities of which they are a part. This is underpinned by an understanding of the need to further advance balance and equal partnership in commercial activities throughout the supply chain — including building efficiencies that will reduce the number of social and environmental assessments that unnecessarily burden manufacturers. The strategic collaboration recognizes the value of each organization’s different core competencies, skill sets, and expertise in order to build complementary solutions, industry roadmaps, and frameworks — working together to raise the voice, engagement, and real influence of manufacturers.

Andrew Martin, Executive Vice President at Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with the International Apparel Federation. As an organization committed to creating an equitable and just world for all, we believe this collaboration will enable us to harness our collective strength in our work on areas from decarbonization, to purchasing practices and more, and will see us co-create solutions that drive rapid progress at scale. We are at a critical point for our planet and now more than ever, we must work together to solve the industry’s most urgent and systemic issues, and doing all we can to elevate manufacturer voices and perspectives is essential not only for the SAC but our industry as a whole. At the SAC, we have renewed our commitment to collaborate with key industry stakeholders and organizations to develop solutions that foster equitable and restorative business practices, as evidenced by the recent launch of our updated strategy. Our collaboration with the IAF will only accelerate the momentum.”

Matthijs Crietee, Secretary General, at International Apparel Federation said: “It is the IAF’s conviction that the impressive range of challenges faced by our industry can only be met by brands, retailers and manufacturers working in unison. Hence, as IAF, we have embarked on an ambitious program to create structural links between such global initiatives as the SAC and the global apparel manufacturing community that IAF represents. The IAF is very pleased that SAC clearly shares our view on the importance of structurally including apparel manufacturers’ voices and perspectives when designing solutions to create a more sustainable industry. Organizing the inclusion of manufacturers is not only the just way forward, it is also simply imperative to achieve the necessary results as an industry. Good collaboration is complex but rewarding and this agreement will facilitate and push IAF and SAC to make it happen.”

Responsible for as much as roughly 8% of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the textile and apparel industry recognizes the scale and urgency of the global climate challenge and the impact of apparel and fashion supply chains in responding with and a 45% reduction by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

IAF and SAC will collaborate on projects and activities to deliver decarbonization of the industry in line with internationally recognized targets, working together on collective action opportunities to reduce carbon emissions. In addition, they will work together towards industry-wide alignment and implementation of responsible purchasing practices, while also identifying and implementing opportunities to ensure that manufacturers’ voices and influence are represented in the development of legislative initiatives, measures, and policies that impact the supply chain, both on relevant policy stages and with key policymakers – on a regional or national level and from a global perspective.

This collaboration complements the SAC’s recent launch of its updated strategic plan, redefining its mandate of “evolution for impact” — a focal theme that now drives its strategies, initiatives, and partnerships, building on the strong base SAC has created over the last decade. And it fortifies the SAC’s commitment to realizing a sustainable future, aligning harmoniously with its strategic plan’s overarching objectives. By pooling their collective expertise and resources, the SAC and IAF are well-positioned to make lasting contributions to the global apparel and fashion industry.

— ENDS —

About the International Apparel Federation

The International Apparel Federation (IAF) is the world’s leading federation for apparel manufacturers, (SME) brands, their associations, and the supporting industry. IAF’s membership now includes apparel associations and companies from more than 40 countries, a membership that directly and indirectly represents over a hundred thousand companies and over 20 million employees. IAF brings its members together to jointly create stronger, smarter, and more sustainable supply chains, it provides its members with valuable information and guidance and it represents its members on several international platforms working incessantly on more industry standardisation and harmonisation, industry collaboration, and inclusiveness of solutions.

About the Sustainable Apparel Coalition:

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is an independent and impact-creating organization that aims to lead the industry toward a shared vision of sustainability based upon a joint approach for measuring, evaluating, and improving performance.

As a non-profit organization, it has members from across the apparel, footwear and textile sector, but exists independently outside any one company so that it can drive progress. The SAC’s collective action efforts bring more than 280 global brands, retailers, manufacturers, NGOs, academics and industry associations together. They represent about half of the apparel and footwear industry along the whole supply chain – from sustainability pioneers to organizations just getting started.

Before the SAC existed, companies worked in a siloed way, using their own programs and measurements that lacked standardization and an ability to drive collective action. In 2009, Walmart and Patagonia identified this as a serious problem. Joining forces, they brought together peers, competitors, and relevant stakeholders from across the sector to, on a pre-competitive basis, develop a universal approach to measuring sustainability performance and founded the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

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News Updates / Sustainable Apparel Coalition Joins ZDHC South Asia Conference Discussion on Collaboration to Accelerate Sustainable Chemical Management

Sustainable Apparel Coalition Joins ZDHC South Asia Conference Discussion on Collaboration to Accelerate Sustainable Chemical Management

Partnership and Collaboration

Photo of ZDHC South Asia Conference Discussion Panel

The ZDHC South Asia Conference in Bengaluru, India facilitated high-level conversations on sustainability, including a panel discussion on chemical management. Moderated by Prasad Pant, South Asia Director and Competence Centre Director for the ZDHC Foundation’s Roadmap to Zero Program, “The Need for Collaboration in Accelerating Sustainable Chemical Management” panel included Dhawal Mane, SAC Director of Verification, Training & Insights. Fellow panelists included Klaehn Gundolf, Head of Environmental Component, Responsible Industrial Practices in the Clothing Industry in Asia (FABRIC), Shivam Gusain, Innovation Analyst at Fashion for Good, Vidhesh Kadam, Standards & Recycled Materials Specialist at Textile Exchange, and Edga Melan, General Manager Engineering & Sustainability, Teejay Sri Lanka, Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) and Fabric Apparel Accessory Manufacturers Association (FAAMA) in Sri Lanka.

Mane emphasized the deep collaborations that drive SAC action on chemical management, including a close partnership with ZDHC to align their Supplier to Zero Program with the Higg Facility Environment Module (FEM); similarly, the alignment of FEM with the RtZ and StZ programs is rooted in the apparel alliance, which was formed by the Apparel Impact Institute, Textile Exchange, ZDHC Foundation, and the SAC in order to align tools and programs to achieve greater alignment and avoid duplicating efforts. Complementary tools are the bedrock of the apparel alliance’s goal of creating a connected, end-to-end path to action for the entire apparel and footwear industry as we work together to achieve a minimum goal of 45% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030.

Mane talked about SAC’s updated strategic plan, and its focus on aligning the facility’s journey geared towards impact. “With about 8000 factories completing the Higg FEM verifications, we recognise the several touch points facilities have with various supply chain sustainability programs and collaborative organizations.”

One of the key outputs will be an industry-wide standardized environment performance framework and factory journey, which will provide clarity and insight on how brands and their supply chains can best utilize different programs to drive continuous improvement on environmental performance at the factory level, and how these programs are connected and can facilitate the most impact. His final call to action was for continued collaboration with industry stakeholders to address the challenges we face as an industry.

Press Releases / Sustainable Apparel Coalition announces partnership with Apparel Impact Institute at Planet Textiles

Sustainable Apparel Coalition announces partnership with Apparel Impact Institute at Planet Textiles

Partnership and Collaboration
Planet Textiles

Amina Razvi and Kurt Kipka onstage at Planet Textiles 2023

New partnership with Apparel Impact Institute to provide opportunity to accelerate solutions to tackle climate change and work toward a more responsible textile and apparel industry

Milan, Italy – June 15, 2023: The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which outlines a new strategic partnership with the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) on an initiative geared towards supporting efforts to accelerate and scale decarbonization programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the entire industry.

There is no doubt that the textile and apparel industry must transform to better serve the needs of people and the planet, and the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report heightened the urgency with which everyone needs to work together to combat and reverse the effects of climate change. To help us keep within the 1.5°C limit, the textile and apparel industry needs to reduce its emissions by at least 43% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, and at least 60% by 2035.

To help the industry achieve these targets, the SAC is collaborating with Aii on a number of key areas including research and ecosystem development related to unlocking finance to support the decarbonization of the industry; establishing a clear, standardized journey for suppliers, manufacturers, and brands setting impact targets; creating action plans; and tracking climate-related achievements, and industry engagement, on reporting and data sharing. Under this partnership, the first detailed agreement signed is focused on supporting the continued progress and development of the Climate Solutions Portfolio (CSP), a registry of proven carbon reduction solutions for the apparel industry, and the Fashion Climate Fund (FCF), a donor collaborative funding model to support the reduction of carbon emissions in the textile, apparel, and footwear industries’ supply chain, across tiers 1-4.

Andrew Martin, Executive Vice President at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Aii on this project. As an organization united by the belief that partnership is the new leadership, we see this collaboration as a unique opportunity to leverage our collective knowledge and technical expertise to drive meaningful change at scale. With time running out for us to reverse the worst impacts of climate change, the challenge we are facing is unprecedented and we cannot afford to lose any more time. We must, therefore, come together to co-create solutions that work towards a shift to a more responsible industry and deliver positive benefits to people and the planet.”

Kurt Kipka, Apparel Impact Institute Chief Impact Officer, said: “We are pleased to be furthering our long-standing relationship with the SAC. The organization has been an incredible support and a valued resource to many of Apparel Impact Institute’s initiatives and projects. We are at a critical point for our planet where we need to translate this momentum into real action immediately. Every player across the apparel & footwear industry’s value chain – large and small – has the collective power to do just that. We feel that our partnership with the SAC will only further that momentum.”

As an organization committed to leading the industry towards a shared vision of sustainability based on a multi-stakeholder approach, the SAC believes in the power of partnership to scale impact. Only through strategic collaborations with stakeholders across the industry to co-create and scale solutions can we catalyze the change we urgently need as we work towards a more responsible and sustainable textile and apparel industry.

Both the SAC and Aii are also founding members of the apparel alliance, alongside Textile Exchange and ZDHC. The alliance partners work to align goals, solutions, tools, and reporting, as well as events and training, to create a connected, end-to-end path to action for the entire apparel and footwear industry as they take collective steps to achieve a minimum goal of 45% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030.

– ENDS –

About the Sustainable Apparel Coalition:

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) an independent and impact-creating organization that aims to lead the industry toward a shared vision of sustainability based upon a joint approach for measuring, evaluating, and improving performance.

As a non-profit organization, it has members from across the apparel, footwear, and textile sector, but exists independently outside any one company so that it can drive progress. The SAC’s collective action efforts bring more than 280 global brands, retailers, manufacturers, NGOs, academics, and industry associations together. They represent about half of the apparel and footwear industry along the whole supply chain – from sustainability pioneers to organizations just getting started.

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About Apparel Impact Institute

Apparel Impact Institute is a non-profit collective founded in 2017 by NGO leaders: the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), alongside industry leaders Target Corporation, Gap Inc., PVH and HSBC. The organization emerged organically as a result of a real need that apparel brands and retailers self-identiﬁed.

Aii identiﬁes, funds, and scales proven quality solutions to accelerate positive impact in the apparel and footwear industry. Aii programs focus on areas that result in positive environmental impact from the production of apparel and footwear products to improve the industry.

Learn more: www.apparelimpact.org.

Cascale