The sessions were hosted by TÜV Rheinland, an MCAP appointed science-aligned target validation organization. Over 150 apparel sector companies including brands, retailers, and tier one and two suppliers, some of whom are Cascale members, participated in the training day in which they discussed Scope 3 emissions and target setting, after which Yu presented details on the MCAP program about the science-aligned targets (SATs) on Scopes 1 and 2 .

Yu shared core information on Cascale’s evolution over the past 15 years, now counting over 300 members across the consumer goods value chain. He then shared more about Cascale’s Higg Index, a leading end-to-end sustainability measurement suite of tools, before leading the presentation on MCAP.

Stating the call to action that to stay within 1.5°C of warming we must reduce global greenhouse gas emissions 45 percent by 2030, and to net zero by no later than 2050, Yu detailed Cascale’s MCAP Supplier Climate Engagement and Onboarding Program. It was developed in partnership with Nike and Target and launched in September 2023. As Yu explained, the goal of MCAP is to drive a common approach to accelerate manufacturers’ progress in measuring GHG emissions, setting targets, reporting on progress on MCAP disclosure dashboard on Cascsale website publicly, and mitigating climate change risk and development of corporate decarbonisation plan.

Yu shared that MCAP is modeled on the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) corporate near-term criteria, presenting an intermediate step towards net-zero targets to support Cascale’s perspective that only by aligning on a path forward and acting collectively can the industry address the systemic challenges associated with climate change and positively impact the planet.

Accessible to Cascale members and non-members alike, MCAP accelerates target setting for manufacturers and includes advisory support to help them get started on their decarbonization journey. With the second cadence kicking off in September, Yu invited all attendees to participate.