The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) launched its Fashion Forever Green Pact; 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.
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.
“To meet the huge challenges forests are facing globally with widespread forest depletion and deforestation, we need to make sure forests are responsibly managed while working to reduce our dependence on raw materials. So we are more than happy to join the Fashion Forever Green Pact to both show our support for the world’s forests and to help push the entire MMCF industry in the right direction. This initiative is aligned with our goal that all virgin wood-based fibers used for MMCFs at the H&M Group will originate from FSC certified forests by the end of 2025” – Madelene Ericsson, Sustainability Business Expert at H&M Group.
By joining, companies proactively commit to responsible procurement policies, sustainable sourcing of 100% of FSC-certified MMSFs within a year of signing and labeling at least one collection with the FSC label by 2025.
“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.
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.
Please visit www.fashionforevergreen.org to learn more about the Pact and how your company can take part.