Woolmark has announced the launch of a major future-facing programme for the wool industry.
- Woolmark+, a vision designed to unite woolgrowers, supply chain and brands in ensuring a sustainable future for the wool industry, aims to accelerate low-impact production, promote circularity and enhance animal wellbeing and woolgrower livelihoods.
- The Woolmark+ roadmap sets out 13 practical initiatives intended to empower nature regeneration, reduce carbon emissions and optimise productivity.
THE HIGHLIGHT INITIATIVES: The major initiatives highlighted by Woolmark include:
- Carbon Insetting: A programme to create a wool-insetting market, linking woolgrowers with global brands aiming to meet their emissions targets.
- Methane Reduction: Nine R&D projects to reduce emissions from sheep using feed additives. Early results include a 19% reduction using Agolin, and a 50% reduction with Asparagopsis (seaweed).
- Nature Positive Specification: Development of on-farm environmental metrics to enable brands and woolgrowers to make defensible claims.
- Nature Positive Impact Programme: Connecting investors with leading institutions working on projects that reduce emissions, enhance biodiversity, promote climate resilience and enable circularity.
- Woolmark Recycled: New sub-brand highlighting wool as the industry's most recycled fibre.
BEYOND NET ZERO AND LIVELIHOODS: Woolmark is highlighting the co-benefits of wool-growing for both nature and livelihoods. Nature positive is being defined as halting and reversing nature loss by 2030, measured from a baseline of 2020, with approaches to restoration optimised for carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery and livelihood benefits.
- Woolmark+ will focus on supporting the livelihoods of woolgrowers in their role as stewards of nature.
- Through research, training, and the development of new tools and investment avenues, the initiatives are meant to help woolgrowers to enhance climate resilience, reduce carbon emissions, foster biodiversity, and progress animal wellbeing.
- The Carbon Storage Partnership is just one example of how Woolmark is collaboratively investing to identify effective and appropriate techniques for woolgrowers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while building biodiversity and improving productivity.
- The project is due to finish 2025; on-farm modelling is under way and case studies for various regional zones have been completed.
- Alongside environmental stewardship, the roadmap promotes a holistic, nature-positive approach through the development of supply chain programmes that aim to advance circularity, while ensuring demand for wool.
BACKGROUND STATS: Woolmark also released some pertinent numbers:
- Woolmark has invested AUD$34 million in nature-positive programmes in two years;
- Wool makes up 1% of the apparel market by volume, but 8% by value;
- 90% of Australian wool bales to be traced by 2025 (Australia being the largest producer of wool in the world);
- Wool industry employs 17.5m people globally;
- 73% of sheep producers undertake activities to maintain and enhance biodiversity.
What they said:
With more than 60 years of experience, Woolmark understands the nuances of the textile industry and is dedicated to driving its success by aligning economic prosperity with positive ecological and social impact. Woolgrowers in Australia are stewards of over 65 million hectares of land, and they can play a critical role in the global transition to a low-emission, nature positive market. Their commitment to nature needs to be well recognised and supported to demonstrate the wool industry’s role in supporting and enhancing biodiversity, beyond net zero targets.
— John Roberts
Managing Director
The Woolmark Company
