As coordinator of the Technical Secretariat, Cascale highlights PEFCR’s emphasis on collaboration and convergence toward harmonized environmental measurement at Paris launch event.

PEFCR’s Emphasis 

Last month, Cascale participated in the official Paris launch event for the European Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for apparel and footwear. The event, held in the French Ministry of Ecological Transition in La Défense and co-organized by the French Ministry and 2BPolicy, brought together leading brands, retailers, and NGOs, including many Cascale members, to explore pathways toward convergence between France’s national Écobalyse methodology and the European PEFCR framework — two complementary approaches that share the same goal of measuring, comparing, and improving environmental performance across the apparel and footwear sector.

Gabriele Ballero, manager of policy and public affairs at Cascale, delivered opening remarks and offered reflections on the collaborative, multi-stakeholder process that led to the development of the PEFCR. He emphasized Cascale’s role as a coordinator and convener of the PEF Technical Secretariat — bringing together industry, policymakers, and experts through its global membership to develop a robust, science-based framework for measuring product-level environmental impacts. Ballero also highlighted the shared ambition of Écobalyse and the PEFCR to foster greater harmonization and transparency in sustainability measurement across the EU.

The meeting began with 2B Policy providing context on the development of the PEFCR Apparel & Footwear and its main technical choices. This was followed by a presentation from the French Ministry’s General Commission for Sustainable Development (CGDD) comparing the PEFCR framework with the Ecobalyse methodology, highlighting where elements align and where new additions have been introduced. A technical roundtable then discussed the ongoing work to update the PEFCR, including possible areas of flexibility and key open technical questions.

The final panel focused on timelines and governance for future updates to the PEFCR, examining how revisions could be structured over time and coordinated with regulatory processes. The session provided a structured exchange between technical experts, industry representatives, and policymakers.

Paris Event, Series of Many

The Paris session followed earlier events in Brussels and London and is part of an ongoing series of PEF events taking place across the EU this autumn, with additional sessions planned in Munich and potentially Milan.

As coordinator of the Technical Secretariat for the Apparel & Footwear PEFCR, Cascale continues to champion harmonized, science-based measurement frameworks that drive credible progress and alignment with evolving EU sustainability regulations.

Learn more about Cascale’s work on the Apparel & Footwear PEFCR here.