ZURICH – The Oeko-Tex Association has launched a new tool which will help textile manufacturers to measure the carbon and water footprint of each processing step in textile supply chains. The new ‘Impact Calculator’ is an LCA tool which enables manufacturers to identify the largest impacts in terms of carbon emissions and water consumption. The resultant data can be shared with customers, investors, business partners and other stakeholders, all of which are increasingly focused textile supply chain emissions.
The tool is timely given that many leading fashion retailers set 2030 targets for reducing carbon emissions in textile supply chains by upwards of 30 per cent at the recent COP26 in Glasgow. With up to 90 per cent of emissions occurring in textile supply chains, it is imperative that fashion begins benchmarking and tackling impacts with key suppliers.
“Transparency is the decisive factor to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption in supply chains,” said Oeko-Tex secretary general Georg Dieners. “Providing tangible solutions for industry’s challenges is the guiding principle behind Oeko-Tex’s 30 years of commitment to companies and consumers. Oeko-Tex continues to develop scientific solutions and digital systems for our customers to manage processes in terms of environmental and social impact. Embedding criteria for CO2 emissions and water consumption is a logical step toward even more transparency.”
The Impact Calculator will enable facilities to identify the largest carbon and water impacts by materials used or produced, as well as by production processes. This will support facilities in taking action to improve operations and meet reduction targets set by brands and retailers.
The Impact Calculator will be integrated into the STeP by Oeko-Tex facility certification. STeP is a modular certification system for production facilities in the textile and leather industry and is a pre-requisite for earning the Made in Green by Oeko-Tex product label.
In addition to the Impact Calculator, Oeko-Tex has announced a new certification for brands and retailers called Responsible Business by Oeko-Tex. Set to be launched in mid-2022, the certification aims to support companies in fulfilling due diligence obligations within their own operations and their global supply chains. It has been developed in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the relevant OECD Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct and arrives at a time when many countries are ramping up regulations pertaining to due diligence in global supply chains for multi-nationals. Such regulations have major implications for fashion brands which outsource production to Asia.
