Innovation Forum’s Post

New Innovation Forum podcast – Landscape approaches in action: aligning stakeholders for sustainable land use. This week: IDH’s global director of landscapes Matthew Spencer talks with Tobias Webb about the practicalities and challenges of implementing a landscape or jurisdictional approach to commodity sourcing. They discuss insights into how business and stakeholders can align their efforts for long-term sustainability and environmental protection, emphasising the importance of collaboration at both local and governmental levels.   Plus, in our news digest: cocoa giants including Mars Wrigley, Ferrero and Tony's Chocolonely back EUDR amid calls for delay; Nestlé's cocoa plan expands to Ghana to boost yield and farmer incomes; adidas, PVH Corp. and Zalando join Fashion for Good’s circular footwear initiative; and, global wind targets fall short of tripling goal, according to an environmental group Ember. https://lnkd.in/ekeytddH

"What progress have we made towards industry alignment on sustainability?" This is how the Innovation Forum "Sustainable Apparel Conference" started this week in Amsterdam. And it was excellent with great introductory speech by Pascal Brun from Zalando! Some reflections from the many conferences and 1:1 during those 2 days: 🤝 "#Collaboration" and "#Partnerships" are on every sustainability professionals' lips. This is the way forward if we want to achieve decarbonization and halt biodiversity loss at scale. Beyond those statements, challenges are still there to get a whole industry to share sensitive data and efforts. But it was great to see leading european brands co-investing in material innovation technologies. 📜 European Regulations are about to succeed on making value chains more transparent where we have struggled for too long knowing where the garments we buy are made, by whom and in which conditions. The need for more information on environmental impact of apparel is driving this as part of the Green Deal, and this is a good news even if it means more work for brands. This is inevitably leading brands to transform the skills and capabilities of their teams as well as the relationship with their partners and the use of data & digital tools. 🗑 #Circularity has been front and center during this conference, and it is a good sign business models are evolving for more sobriety while keeping the consumers' excitement towards style. Combining sustainability, and the desire to reinvent our style is the challenge of circularity. Great insights from Laura Coppen and Anna Turrell around what's being achieved at H&M and Decathlon  ! 🖥 #Digitalization is a great lever for companies willing to decarbonize their supply chain, measure their progress towards their SBT or NetZero commitments, as well as complying with ecolabeling upcoming requirements. I have met with many companies developing groundbreaking solutions for traceability (Retraced, TrusTrace, TextileGenesis , Temera ) and product footprint measurements (FAIRLY MADE , Carbonfact). The digitalization of sustainability at fashion brands is happening and we should look at it as an opportunity to scale decarbonization. This sector is blooming with a lot of actors and brands have a hard time: - making sense of the needs of their internal stakeholders, - selecting the right partner addressing their needs but also with a chance to still be there in 5 years (as the market will inevitably consolidate), - getting the right environmental data (see #eQosphere solution Quantis) - and setting the appropriate data governance, processes and usage (reporting, ecodesign, portfolio management, etc.) throughout the organization This is the space where Quantis can help brands be future fit by advising them on the best way to go on their sustainability digitalization journey!

Apart from the customers, the push for sustainability in fashion must come from companies and regulatory frameworks. With rising legislations and a focus on ESG standards, businesses need to take responsibility for driving sustainable change. In India, where the apparel and textile industry plays a significant role in the economy, embracing sustainable practices is essential to future-proof the sector and align with global environmental targets. #Sustainability #FashionIndustry #ESG #SDGs

Interesting article is an example of perception vs reality as it relates to consumers and apparel sustainability

💡It’s been a fascinating day at the Innovation Forum Sustainable #Apparel conference in Amsterdam, with brands, suppliers and regulators discussing the challenges (and opportunities) around moving towards a more sustainable apparel sector. 🐝 My colleague Mary Goldman discussed the need not only for data to underpin analytics around nature impacts, but also a narrative to help bring context. ✅ This is a fast moving area where Risilience is looking to both listen to the industry, and help shape the discussion. #IFapparelEU24 #climateandnature #climate #nature #cotton

Fast fashion may be driven by innovation and profitable business models, but its environmental consequences are devastating. Massive volumes of discarded clothing are sent to developing nations with lax regulations, creating waste mountains and polluting ecosystems. This cycle of rapid consumption and disposal, often for no reason other than style fatigue, highlights the urgent need for responsible innovation. Both consumers and companies must rethink their choices—profit-driven innovation without sustainability leads to long-term harm. Conscious innovation that balances profitability with environmental responsibility is essential for a more sustainable future. #ResponsibleInnovation #ConsciousConsumption #Sustainability #FastFashionCrisis #EcoFriendlyInnovation

As I looked for ways to articulate Sustainability as a vast 𝒮 𝓅 ℯ 𝒸 𝓉 𝓇 𝓊 𝓂, and not an absolute, I searched for parallels in the tech and manufacturing industries for some insights. I came across this very clear and well written piece by digital innovator Storm ID. https://lnkd.in/gAi2-tv7 Some ideas that I think are transferable to the fashion retail sector: ✨ Using the #DVFS (Desirability/Viability/Feasability/Sustainability) framework to get a holistic view of the potential success of an idea. ☘️ Identifying a target on the #sustainabilityspectrum from neutral to positive impact, and then trying to be as 'right' as possible. (pun intended). ℋ𝒶𝓂𝓇𝒻𝓊𝓁 ——> 𝒩ℯ𝓊𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓁 ——> 𝒫ℴ𝓈𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓋ℯ ℐ𝓂𝓅𝒶𝒸𝓉 🤌🏻 “Whether a leading or supporting lens, including sustainability as a #keyrequirement throughout the product and venture lifecycle is a fundamental step in the direction we need.” Knowing that Sustainability is NOT a one-size-fits-all concept is crucial in shaping product offerings for an #informed consumer, and in bringing the transparency that is needed to avoid #greenwashing.

🌟 Weekend Brainstorming: Sustainability in the Apparel Industry 🌟 As we unwind for the weekend, let's spin the wheels of innovation towards a greener future. 🌱 With the UN's stand against single-use plastics, how is your brand turning this challenge into a golden opportunity? 🤔 Questions to Ponder: Could eco-packaging be the secret to cutting costs without cutting corners? How might consumer loyalty shift with your move to sustainable solutions? What if you could outpace regulations and become a trendsetter? Where do innovation and eco-consciousness intersect for your next big hit? Can brand storytelling with eco-packaging resonate deeper with your audience? 🚀 Embrace the shift. Spark a conversation. Ignite change. Let's discuss how sustainable packaging can be more than a mandate—it can be your brand's next success story. #SustainabilitySaturday #EcoInnovation #FashionForward #ThinkGreen #WeekendWisdom

Our CEO, Rufenacht Daniel, was recently featured on the Blue Cast podcast by TENCEL™ Denim, sharing key insights on sustainability in the textile industry. Key takeaway: Daniel believes true change must come from companies, not consumers. Reflecting on his experience, he highlighted the importance of responsible corporate action in transforming the supply chain—especially in chemical use and waste reduction. Daniel also discussed the increasing role of legislation and investor pressure in driving sustainability, with significant changes expected by 2030. 👇 Listen to the full episode to hear the bluesign vision for the future of sustainable textiles. #bluesignDenimInitiative #Podcast

The challenges the fashion industry faces are tremendous. Sixteen (!) EU regulations on #ESG alone. No wonder the Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference (by Innovation Forum) in Amsterdam was a packed and very lively event. For anyone in a sustainability role -or in supply chain for that matter- in Fashion it must be overwhelming; WHERE TO START? There were plenty of tech vendors at the event with great solutions (DNA markers from Haelixa Ltd for example, super cool. Or EON and osapiens). However, from our experience in other regulated industries such as energy, we know that jumping into a tech solution before thinking about the requirements you have, leads to disappointments and failed projects. One of those is that parties in a supply chain never seem to get to agreement on the data they want to share. That’s the because the starting point of sharing all possible data is wrong. What you want to achieve is to deliver #esgproofs based on high integrity data. Although tech is needed, tech is not the biggest challenge, system change is. And that's where we come in. We help you identify the minimal needs to change the system and set up requirements for a solution. By partnering with OXYGY (a Bird & Bird company), we tie together #systemthinking, #compliance and #tech, working towards regulatory compliance and system change in a matter of months instead of years. Curious? Reach out to us via Warren Brandeis or through our website www.warrenbrandeis.io.