The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) launched its Fashion Forever Green Pact today; a call to immediate action for the fashion industry—brands, retailers and manufacturers alike—to adopt responsible sourcing in support of the world’s forests.
With the rising need for renewable and sustainable fibres in recent years, man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCFs) have become the fastest growing fibre in the market. However, most of this material still comes from uncertified forests around the world - leaving their ecosystems vulnerable to deforestation, and threatening biodiversity and the livelihoods of those that depend on them.
The Fashion Forever Green Pact is based on a set of three actions that aim to build sustainability into the fashion industry’s growing reliance on fibres and other forest-based materials. At its core, the initiative represents an industry-wide collaboration between FSC and brand owners to drive a shift in sourcing practices and ultimately safeguard forests globally.
By joining, companies proactively commit to responsible procurement policies, sustainable sourcing of FSC-certified MMCFs within a year of signing and labeling at least one collection with the FSC label by 2025.
“FSC is driving positive change in the fashion and textile industry by calling companies to take immediate action to source MMCFs sustainably” says Jeremy Harrison, FSC International’s Chief Markets Officer.
“By committing to responsible sourcing practices, brands have the power to mitigate climate change and protect biodiversity while meeting consumers’ growing environmental concerns.”
Early signatories include major international names in the fashion world including Birla, H&M, JBS Textile Group, Masai, Bitte Kai Rand, Bravo World, Ghezzi SPA and Brunello SPA and Daenong Corporation.
The Fashion Forever Green Pact builds on efforts by stakeholders in the sustainability space such as the CanopyStyle initiative, launched by environmental non-profit Canopy, which addresses the risks of sourcing from ancient and endangered forests.
“This initiative is a welcome addition to build on the progress towards removing ancient and endangered forests from the textile supply chain” said Amanda Carr, Canopy’s Director of Strategic Initiatives.
“FSC strengthens traceability and confirms sustainable forestry practices for those producers who have already achieved a “green shirt” in Canopy’s Hot Button Report. We’re so pleased that CanopyStyle and FSC’s Fashion Forever Green Pact are working in tandem to safeguard the world’s forests.”
The Fashion Forever Green Pact is open to any company – brand, retailer or manufacturer – that wants to actively transform the fashion and textiles industry and address its negative impact on our environment.
JBL Textile Group
“As a manufacturer of textiles made from bamboo viscose, it is our obligation to ensure that our bamboo is sourced responsibly. Responsible business behavior is at the heart of everything we do, and our commitment to the Fashion Forever Green Pact is a natural way for us to contribute to preserving the world’s bamboo plantations.” – Daniel Kirk Sørensen, Head of Product Development.
Masai
“At Masai we want to do better and we want to continuously improve our practices. We are fully aware that we have a part to play in today’s shared challenges of the fashion industry. By joining the Fashion Forever Green Pact we continue our commitment to make more sustainable and climate friendly choices by sourcing FSC certified viscose and jersey fibres.” – Maude McNair Rahbek, Head of Production and CSR.
Birla Cellulose
“We believe sustainably managed forests not only provide us with means of livelihood but also promote nature based circular economy and help fight climate change. Sustainably produced MMCF fibres with outstanding environmental credentials, such as Livaeco and Liva Reviva, can provide much needed solutions for a more sustainable fashion industry. Therefore, we are excited to join ‘Fashion Forever Green Pact’ campaign of FSC to create awareness in the MMCF industry on importance of sustainable forestry in protection of biodiversity on land and climate change.” – Mr. H K Agarwal, Director & Chief Manufacturing Officer, Birla Cellulose.
Bitte Kai Rand
“We are committed as a brand to reducing our environmental footprint both in our operations and the clothes we sell. We use a lot of cellulosic fibers, and the FSC system provides us with a very good tool to guide our sourcing of fabrics and packaging. Implementing an FSC policy enables us to be very specific towards our suppliers in where we want to go on sustainability and by when. We also see it as part of our role as a company to creating more awareness among the consumers about the FSC, because we are sure that this will lead to more consumer demand and thus increase the motivation for brands and suppliers to join the movement for a more circular transformation of their production.” – Michael Rand, CEO Bitte Kai Rand & Co. A/S.
Ghezzi Spa
“Ghezzi Spa specializes in the production of artificial and synthetic twisted yarns. It was one of the first companies to obtain FSC certification in the textile sector in Italy. It has for some time implemented a policy of improving its quality standards and attention to the environment. This is why we provide a wide selection of items, developed from recycled raw materials, with low environmental impact and from forests managed sustainability. Today, in the growing conviction of contributing to the responsible management of the raw materials we work, we decide to join Fashion Forever Green Pact.” – Annamaria Adami, Technical, Quality and R&D Manager, Ghezzi Spa.
Brunello Spa
“We have long been implementing a policy to improve quality standards with particular attention to the environment and to reducing environmental impacts. We consider sustainability over the product entire life cycle. As part of this effort, we decided to include in our collection articles made of artificial fibers from wood pulp, which guarantee qualitative and ethical values in accordance with the FSC standards. We consider sustainability as one of our main values and we are focused on building a community of partners with the same vision that is why we have decided to join the Fashion Forever Green Pact.” – Manuela Della Vedova, Marketing and Communication Manager, Brunello Spa.
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