At New York Climate Week, Cascale’s team and members centered conversations on financing, climate realities, and collective action. A series of gatherings took place throughout the week. Here are some highlights:
Pakistan Environment Trust’s “Unlocking Nature Finance in the Global South”
On Monday, Cascale CEO Colin Browne, as well as Cascale members Kristina Elinder Liljas, senior director of Sustainable Finance & Engagement at Apparel Impact Institute, and Saqib Sohail, responsible business projects manager at Artistic Milliners, spoke at the “Unlocking Nature Finance in the Global South: Policy Strategies, Barriers, and Capital Flow Challenges” event hosted by Pakistan Environment Trust. The conversation centered on the ways finance can unlock impact, and was well received by an audience made up of government advisors, students, textile industry professionals, and supply chain stakeholders.
Artistic Milliners’ Sohail spoke to the critical importance of community involvement in directing investment. “I feel like we’re living on two different planets — one is the Global North and the other is the Global South,” he said. “We need to come back and analyze: Are we going to solve these problems together?” He concluded by calling for long-term equitable partnerships. “We work at the speed of trust.”
In a separate panel, Browne spoke to Cascale’s role as global leader. “Sustainability is changing,” he said. Reinforcing insights introduced at Cascale’s Annual Meeting in September, Browne shared that a recent RESET Carbon analysis of Higg FEM data had revealed that 1,500 manufacturing facilities in nine countries account for 80 percent of the textile apparel, and footwear industry’s carbon emissions. “It’s incredibly important that individual countries come together and work collectively to deliver against those ambitions,” he concluded. “We need to have the courage, capacity, and commitment.”
A panel from Pakistan Environment Trust featuring Cascale, Fashion for Good, and WWF.
Co:Collective’s Finance-Focused Breakfast
On Tuesday morning, Cascale member Anthesis LLC, along with cosmetics brand Rituals Cosmetics and freight company Smart Freight Centre, presented insights at a climate week breakfast event hosted by impact consultancy Co:Collective. The objective was to convene investors and thought leaders around a novel idea: pivot funds.
Anthesis, which has earmarked 8-10 million euros for 10-12 ventures, shared the strategic, financial, and impact gains from their nascent 100 million Euro pivot fund. Areas of focus include food, freight, and cosmetics, among others.
Niki Schilling, chief impact officer of Rituals Cosmetics, spoke to how the company is rethinking its carbon footprint after 25 years in business. She called for broader material innovation, supply chain improvement, waste management, and circular systems, resulting in collective action gains for companies, investors, and stakeholders. “Obviously if we do it together — it’s a win, win, win.”
Accelerating Circularity’s Recycling Debrief
On Wednesday evening, Accelerating Circularity held an invite-only reception “It’s Time.” The organization’s founder Karla Magruder spoke of project updates and what it’s like working with the Clinton Foundation. This textile recycling commitment, titled “Building Circular Systems,” was formed at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2024 Annual Meeting. Attendees included Transformers Foundation, The Children’s Place, and PVH-owned Calvin Klein, among others.
Cascale and Worldly’s “Chatting Climate & Consumer Goods”
On Thursday morning, Cascale and Worldly, the exclusive platform for Cascale’s Higg Index and the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform, co-hosted the “Chatting Climate & Consumer Goods” event in New York’s Garment District.
A panel featuring Worldly, Eileen Fisher, Elevate Textiles, and Cascale at “Chatting Climate & Consumer Goods” Event.
