The Industry We Want is a multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to driving industry-wide progress on key issues in the garment and footwear sector.
San Francisco, CA & Amsterdam, Netherlands – April 26, 2022 – The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), a global multi-stakeholder nonprofit alliance for the consumer goods industry, is pleased to announce its partnership with Fair Wear and the Ethical Trading Initiative focused on facilitating collective action across the industry towards achieving the 45% greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction by 2030. The partnership, which falls under The Industry We Want (TIWW), is part of an initiative geared towards ensuring dignity for workers in decent jobs, thriving businesses along the supply chain, and a positive impact on the planet.
TIWW have developed a set of metrics for the garment and footwear industry to measure action across 3 pillars: social, commercial and environmental. The impact metrics will be presented in TIWW’s first ever industry dashboard, which will be updated annually and function as a “temperature check” for the sector as a whole.
The SAC will lead TIWW’s environmental pillar and work closely with fellow Apparel Alliance member, the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), to ensure an annual update of the dashboard data, providing a yearly check-in on the progress the industry has made to reduce emissions. The SAC will also support in the development and implementation of TIWW’s overall strategy, coordinate key partnerships, support the TIWW led events and participate in the annual evaluation of the project to identify areas for improvement as needed.
“We are honored to be partnering with the Fair Wear and the Ethical Trading Initiative on this initiative and believe it will enable us to leverage our strength in collaboration with our fellow Apparel Alliance members to achieve our vision of an industry that gives more than it takes. As an organization committed to empowering the consumer goods industry with data to understand how to improve its environmental credentials, this partnership reinforces our commitment to transforming the industry to better serve the needs of people and planet,” said Amina Razvi, Executive Director of the SAC.
The SAC will leverage TIWW’s platform to support organisations set and achieve clear science based targets (SBTs), ensuring the industry stays on track to fulfill its climate change commitments, particularly the 45% reduction target, to significantly reduce emissions and deliver on the climate goals to keep warming within planetary boundaries.
Fair Wear and the Ethical Trading Initiative launched TIWW in early 2021, with a vision to create a garment and footwear industry that realises its full potential to ensure dignity for workers in decent jobs, thriving businesses along the supply chain and a positive impact on the planet. The first iteration of TIWW’s dashboard showcased the estimated total emissions of the apparel sector, drawing data from Aii’s & WRI’s report “Roadmap to Net Zero: Delivering Science-Based Targets in the Apparel Sector”, based on SAC’s and Textile Exchange data. The dashboard was also created in collaboration with the WageIndicator Foundation and the Better Buying Institute to present metrics on the living wage gap and purchasing practices in the sector.
“The tumultuousness of Covid-19 and growing impacts of climate change are near daily reminders that real change is needed in the way we conduct business. The urgency is clear, yet, working on root problems in the garment and footwear sector is a challenge we have yet to overcome. Therefore, it is with great excitement that Fair Wear and ETI welcome SAC as a lead partner in The Industry We Want initiative, assuring we drive industry-wide progress on environmental impact as well as on commercial and social practices, said Alexander Kohnstamm, Director Fair Wear and Peter McAllister, Director ETI.
TIWW will be hosting a Deep Dive Session on May 12th, from 5pm – 6pm CEST, on the GHG emissions metric, which sits under its environmental pillar. The session will explore details of the TIWW’s GHG metric, which is informed by the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) and World Resources Institute (WRI) report Roadmap to Net Zero. The event is open for interested participants to register and join other stakeholders in exploring the methodology behind the metric, and learn more about how the industry can accelerate progress towards net-zero in line with TIWW’s vision for a just and regenerative garment sector.
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About the Sustainable Apparel Coalition
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is a global multi-stakeholder nonprofit alliance for the consumer goods industry. It’s made up of more than 250 leading apparel, footwear and textile, brands, retailers, suppliers, service providers, trade associations, nonprofits, NGOs and academic institutions working to reduce environmental impact and promote social justice throughout the global value chain. Leveraging the Higg Index suite of tools for the standardized measurement of value chain sustainability, the SAC is working to transform business for exponential impact.
The SAC was incorporated as a 501(c)6 nonprofit organization and launched the groundbreaking Higg Index suite of tools in 2011. In May 2019, the SAC spun-off the Higg Index technology platform to Higg, which delivers tools and services that help consumer goods businesses accelerate transformation for a more sustainable future. For more information, visit www.apparelcoalition.org.
About Fair Wear
Fair Wear, is an independent Multi-Stakeholder Initiative, wants to see a world where the garment industry supports workers’ rights to safe, dignified and properly paid employment. Working with the industry, trade unions and labour rights organisations, Fair Wear operationalises human rights due diligence, showing with its member brands that change is possible.
About the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)
The Ethical Trading Initiative, is a leading alliance of global companies, trade unions and NGOs that promotes respect for workers’ rights around the world. ETI’s vision is a world where human rights at work are enjoyed by all workers, protected by the state, and respected by business.
About The Industry We Want (TIWW)
The Industry We Want, is a multi-stakeholder initiative launched to drive industry-wide progress across the garment and footwear sector.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact, Sustainable Apparel Coalition
Beatrice Thumi
SAC, Public Relations Analyst
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