 |
|
The CottonUP guide aims to help retailers and fashion brands radically increase the amount of sustainable cotton they source |
A new digital guide has been launched in a bid to help brands and retailers fast track sustainable cotton sourcing across multiple standards.
The CottonUP guide to sourcing sustainable cotton seeks to address one of the main barriers for companies looking to start sourcing or increase the amounts of sustainable cotton they source: the time and resource required to research and implement the most appropriate sourcing approach for their organisation’s sustainability priorities.
Launched at this week’s BCI 2018 Global Cotton Conference by Forum for the Future, the guide was developed by the Cotton 2040 coalition of brands and retailers including M&S, Target and Aditya Birla Fashion Retail Ltd, industry standards Better Cotton Initiative and Cotton Made in Africa (CMiA), organic standards (represented by Textile Exchange), Fairtrade, industry initiatives CottonConnect, IDH – the sustainable trade initiative, Cotton Australia, Proudly made in Africa and Organic Cotton Accelerator as well as MADE-BY and Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion. Sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future led the work, with funding from the C&A Foundation.
It is standard neutral and highlights the business case and main sourcing options for sustainable cotton, provides guidance on creating a sourcing strategy and working with suppliers, and shares case studies from companies such as Asos, Burberry, C&A and M&S, that have already navigated the complex challenges of sourcing more sustainable cotton.
“The apparel sector is under huge pressure to reduce its social and environmental impacts, and increasing demand for more sustainable fibres is key to securing future supply. The CottonUP guide addresses a long-standing need in the industry for clarity around cotton sourcing options by providing brands and retailers with the resources to help them go further, faster,” explains Sally Uren, CEO at Forum for the Future. “It can be a key enabler for systemic change in the industry, and could be a blueprint for other commodities in the future.”
Cotton is the most abundantly produced natural fibre and its production supports the livelihoods of more than 350m men and women. However, cotton production can present significant environmental and social challenges that undermine the sustainability of the apparel sector as a whole.
Yet while 75% of fashion companies have improved their environmental and social performance over the past year, according to the 2018 Pulse of the Fashion Industry report, uptake of sustainable cotton from the industry is only around 3% of total global cotton supply, or 21% of sustainably produced cotton.
“There is significant work to do to align and harmonise the many sustainability-focused activities across the apparel sector, and to drive production of more sustainable cotton from around 15% to beyond 30% from 2020,” says Anita Chester, head of sustainable raw materials at C&A Foundation. “Through Cotton 2040 and the CottonUP guide, key industry players are making a united effort to pull brands and retailers towards more sustainable cotton and make it easier for them to source across multiple standards.”
Over the coming months, Cotton 2040 partners will be reaching out to individual organisations and the wider industry to encourage greater use of more sustainable cotton and provide support through webinars and other knowledge sharing opportunities.
Click here to access the Access the CottonUP guide.