Stakeholders unaligned on goals, actions on textile circularity: ESCF

The interconnecting costs of the transition towards a low-impact and ultimately regenerative sector are unevenly distributed across the value chain. The unequal spread of risk slows the pace of innovation, leads to defensive mindsets and frustrates progress, ESCF found.

ESCF is a collaborative undertaking led by Forum for the Future in partnership with a committed cohort of brands, retailers and manufacturers from four continents, covering multiple supply chain tiers.

Founded in 1996, Forum for the Future is an international sustainability organisation, running out of offices in the United Kingdom, the United States, India and Singapore.

Finance and policymakers need to ensure that dialogue with critical value chain actors is inclusive and effective. Large brands and retailers are often well represented. However, the voices of Tier 2, 3 and 4 suppliers or other stakeholders like recyclers are less heard and included.

There is unexplored value in ‘safe’ spaces for challenging conversations among different value chain actors. Creating ‘safe’ spaces that allow such critical discussions to be held and builds up trust, respect and understanding and unlocks genuinely inclusive creativity, ESCF noted.

The industry needs to rethink engagement with consumers as key actors in the value chain. The sector cannot wait for market demand for sustainable products to grow if the sector is to transform to a circular one with the urgency required, it observed.

Achieving circularity means going beyond technology and business models. Intangible innovations, such as those that shift relationships, ways of working and behaviours will play a key part in unlocking change, it added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)