The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has launched a Decarbonization Guide for members.
- The Guide is part of the SAC’s Decarbonization Program, launched last year, to drive science-based targets (SBTs) adoption and reduction in emissions across the textiles and apparel industry.
- The Guide provides a six-step process by which organisations can commit and set SBTs and develop action plans to deliver individual targets.
The Highlights: The global textiles and apparel industry needs to ramp up its efforts on facilitating collective action across the industry, to deliver the 45% reduction needed by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
- As part of the guidance, organisations will need to obtain internal buy-in to commit to and set SBTs, and submit their targets for verification.
- Once approved, member organisations will be required by the SAC to communicate their targets within six months of approval, develop an action plan and start taking actions geared towards delivering on carbon reductions.
- The SAC will require its corporate members to set near-term emission reduction targets in line with the latest climate science within 24 months and obtain the appropriate validation from SBTi or a third-party accredited organisation.
- The Guide forms part of the ongoing work between the SAC and its members, including best-practice sharing webinars and peer-to-peer learning sessions, in an effort to scale up collaborative solutions to address the climate crisis.
- Developed in 2022 in collaboration with Michael Sadowski, one of the primary authors of the Apparel and Footwear Sector Science-Based Targets Guidance by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in 2019, the SAC has been working on refining the guidance and conducting peer-to-peer group meetings with members to understand their needs and expectations.
What They Said:
Right now, the textile and apparel industry is not on track to hit net zero by 2050. We need urgent transformation and increased collaboration across the industry to tackle the worst impacts of climate change. The launch of our Decarbonization Guide is a major step in our efforts to create an aligned pathway for the industry to reduce GHG emissions. We believe through continued collaboration and partnership with organisations such as the Science Based Targets initiative, we can support our members to commit and set their science-based targets and work collectively to deliver on emissions reduction targets.
— Amina Razvi
Chief Executive Officer
Sustainable Apparel Coalition
Through the Decarbonization Program, we are enabling collaboration between brands and manufacturers to address one of the biggest challenges the industry faces: how to reach net zero. With the textile and apparel industry being so far away from reaching net zero by 2050, the need for urgent action has never been greater. This Guide is a critical marker on that journey and will empower member organizations to turn purpose into practice to deliver necessary impacts, starting from understanding and adopting targets in line with the best available science to developing action plans to take collective actions.
— Joyce Tsoi
Director of Collective Action Programs
Sustainable Apparel Coalition
When it comes to tackling the biggest problem the world has ever seen – climate change – we must draw on the power of collaboration, ambition and innovation. This new guidance is proof that the fashion industry is up to the challenge. It also provides a blueprint for other sector trade bodies to follow. To keep 1.5°C within reach, remain economically competitive and enable the transformation to a global net zero future, setting science-based targets is the crucial first step. I am looking forward to this collaboration driving countless companies to set ambitious climate goals and deliver tangible emission reductions in line with science.
— Luiz Amaral
Chief Executive Officer
Science Based Targets initiative
