About the Partnership

Grafik zur Mitgliederübersicht

A strong multi-stakeholder initiative

The Textiles Partnership brings together all relevant actors: Companies, associations, non-governmental organisations, standard organisations, trade unions and the federal government.

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Stakeholder groups

How we work

We place a special focus on the implementation of human rights and environmental due diligence in Germany, Europe and worldwide. Together with our members, we promote transparency in textile supply chains. Four focus topics shape the work in the Textiles Partnership and the Joint Action of its members. In addition, there are further initiative topics. Lastly, we cooperate with many European and international initiatives and organisations.

Our focus topics

With its focus topics, the Textiles Partnership makes a positive contribution to central problems of the global textile industry. These include low wages, high resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions,gender-based violence and discrimination, and the lack of opportunities to report grievances in the workplace.

There is a frame of reference for each focus topic. It provides orientation in terms of content and presents the desired benchmarks and implementation steps. In addition, there are "individual commitments" of the member companies: Using standardised indicators, each member can measure progress in the focus topics individually and the Partnership can measure progress in aggregate. Lastly, the members jointly implement projects that make a measurable contribution to achieving the goals formulated in the reference framework of the respective focus topics.

Living Wages and Purchasing Practices
Weitere Infos, Referenzrahmen und KPI
Löhne und Einkaufspraktiken
Circular economy and climate protection
Weitere Infos, Referenzrahmen und KPI
Circular economy and climate protection
Gender equality
Weitere Infos, Referenzrahmen und KPI
Gender equality
Grievance mechanisms and remedy
Weitere Infos, Referenzrahmen und KPI
Grievance mechanisms and remedy

Partnership initiatives and projects

Where individual actors reach their limits, members can work together to achieve better results for both people and the environment in production countries. In Partnership initiatives and joint projects, several members are directly involved in the production countries, for example for living wages, good wastewater management, effective grievance mechanisms and improvements in working conditions in Tamil Nadu in southern India.

We are members

Recent articles

Next events

This session will address common struggles, such as cumbersome supplier communication and complex collective action efforts, transforming these challenges into opportunities for efficiency and growth. It’s ideal for forward-thinking brands, retailers, and corporations, who are eager to streamline their supply chain operations and stay ahead in a complex regulatory landscape, while providing value across your organization: from CSR and ethical trade, to ESG reporting, to procurement, marketing, IT, and more.

This webinar will be designed for brands, retailers and corporations, but all are welcome!

For more information and the link to the registration form, please click here.

Weitere Informationen folgen.

Become a member of the Textiles Partnership!

Advantages of membership:

  • Networking

    Exchange ideas with other members and learn from each other - at the working meeting, the members' meeting, in strategy groups, and at workshops.

  • for

    The Textiles Partnership offers many guidances and manuals, tools and events and the Partnership Secretariat is there to support you if you have any questions.

  • Joint Action

    You can join forces with other members to implement joint projects - together we achieve more!

How to become a member:

  • One-on-one consultation

    Schedule a one-on-one consultation with the Partnership Secretariat.

  • Application form

    Fill out the membership application form.

  • Admittance to the Textiles Partnership

    The steering committee decides on the admission.

FAQ

The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles is a multi-stakeholder initiative with members from the private sector (companies and associations), trade unions, non-governmental organisations, standard organisations and the German Federal Government. Together, they are committed to a social, ecological and corruption-free textile and clothing industry. In order to achieve its goals, the Textiles Partnership places particular emphasis on the implementation of corporate due diligence obligations in Germany, Europe and worldwide. Here you will find further information on the Textiles Partnership.

In light of the complex global challenges facing the textile and garment industry, real change requires the participation of all stakeholders. As a multi-stakeholder initiative, the Textiles Partnership therefore brings together companies in the textile and garment industry and trade with other actors who are active on the subject of sustainable textiles – including associations, non-governmental organisations, trade unions and standard organisations. The German Federal Government is represented by three Federal Ministries. In addition, scientific institutions or federal authorities can become advisory members. Further information on the membership

Schwerpunktmäßig bearbeitet das Textilbündnis vier Fokusthemen: 1) Living wages and purchasing practices, 2) Kreislaufwirtschaft und Klimaschutz, 3) Gender equality und 4) Grievance mechanisms and remedy.

There is a frame of reference for each focus topic. It provides orientation in terms of content and presents the desired benchmarks and implementation steps. In addition, there are "individual commitments" of the member companies: Using standardised indicators, each member can measure progress in the focus topics individually and the Partnership can measure progress in aggregate. Lastly, the members jointly implement projects that make a measurable contribution to achieving the goals formulated in the reference framework of the respective focus topics.

No membership fees are charged for a membership in the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles. Costs may arise for assessment meetings as part of the Review Process as well as for participation in Partnership initiatives and projects in production countries.

The Textiles Partnership and the Green Button are based on the same fundamental international agreements of the UN on compliance with human and workers' rights, environmental protection and the prevention of corruption, as well as on corresponding EU guidelines and initiatives and on the recommendations of the OECD. Both strive for the consistent implementation of human rights and ecological due diligence obligations. While the Textiles Partnership pursues this goal as a multi-stakeholder initiative with learning, dialogue and reporting formats, information, joint measures in production countries and a broad international cooperation network, the Green Button is a state meta-label for which companies must fulfil certain Anforderungen an die unternehmerischen Sorgfaltsprozesse und die Produktion  product and company criteria. Through active membership in the Partnership, companies can prepare for possible certification with the Green Button. In addition, the Green Button 2.o audit report will be recognised in the PST Review Process from 2023 onwards. Further information on the Green Button website and on other (textile) certifications and labels on Siegelklarheit.

As the first point of contact for all companies that want to assume their ecological and human rights responsibility throughout the entire supply chain, the Textiles Partnership offers a broad network and support. Among other things, it is a platform for learning and dialogue: the members network within and with the other stakeholder groups. They share their knowledge and work together on best practices, for example in webinars and workshops, expert and working groups as well as with the help of tools and support materials. In addition, the members join forces in Partnership initiatives and projects and, thus achieve improvements and progress in the producing countries that would hardly be possible on their own.

In 2021, the German Federal Government passed the Supply Chain Care Obligations Act (LkSG). The law lays down requirements for the due diligence obligations of companies. The Textiles Partnership is also committed to the implementation of due diligence obligations and is guided by international standards. With the Review Process, the Textiles Partnership has developed an implementation framework and a reporting format for corporate due diligence. Companies in the Textiles Partnership, for example, are therefore familiar with the systematic analysis of their risks and are therefore well prepared for the requirements of the law. However, a membership in the Textiles Partnership and participation in the Review Process are not proof of compliance with the legal requirements. On the homepage of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development you will find further information on the Supply Chain Act.

Manuals, factsheets and other publications

Studie Nachhaltige Baumwollproduktionssysteme und ihre Nuancen
Größe: 4.52 MB
Download Link
Factsheet zu Baumwollanbausystemen (EN)
Größe: 1.12 MB
Download Link
Cooperation Rules (2023)
Größe: 232.95 KB
Download Link
Produktklone I - Abschlussbericht
Größe: 3.30 MB
Download Link
Produktklone II - Abschlussbericht
Größe: 2.20 MB
Download Link