Roadmaps 2018 are Published

Members of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles committed to take more responsibility for sustainability in their own supply chain. In the annual Roadmaps, they demonstrate how they handle the work to improve fair wages, environmental protection and working conditions. The creation of a Roadmap is binding to all members. Next year, they have to report on the achievement of their defined targets. From today on these roadmaps are publicly available and free to download.  

On the Partnership’s website you can find a filter function >Roadmap 2018 published<, through which you can access the current status of the examined Roadmaps. All following Roadmaps will gradually be published on the Partnership’s website.

 Read on here the press release of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles from the 13th August 2018.  

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Dr. Juergen Janssen interviewed by the EU Parliament Member Arne Lietz

On an event of the Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE) and the German Economic Institute in Brussels with the core question: “How can sustainable Supply Chain Management succeed?”, Juergen Janssen (Head of the Secretariat of the Partnership of Sustainable Textiles) and Arne Lietz (Member of the European Parliament) talked about the Textile Partnership. About its strategic cooperation, inter alia with the “Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile” (AGT) and the “Action Collaboration Transformation” (ACT), as well as the implementation of due diligence OECD Guidelines.

 

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Alsico NV becomes the first associated member of the Textile Partnership

We are pleasedto welcome Alsico NV as the first associated member in the Textile Partnership. The company with a deep heritage manufactures high quality workwear and attaches great value on ecological textiles and a sustainable business management. Alsico ensures the required conditions to become an associated member of the Textile Partnership with being a member of our Dutch cooperation Partner the „Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile“(AGT). From now on, the company has full access to the information platform and all our tools.

The Alsico-company group employs about 7,000 employees/workers and achieves annual sales of 200 Million Euro. The company’s head quarter is located in the Belgium city Ronse in the eastern Flemish region next to the French border.

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Partnership Members got together at the Working Meeting in Cologne

On the 11th and 12th of July about 160 Partnership members got together for a working meeting in the converted industrial building “Bauwerk” in Cologne Kalk. In eight different workshops, the members discussed the structural development and further content of the Textile Partnership.

 

In the group „Supply Chain Transparency” with approximately 50 participants, members presented their own case studies. The diverse possibilities in digital innovations were demonstrated in reports about block chain solutions as an information tool in the supply chain or in the idea of barcodes, which provides immediately details about the production country on your smartphone.

“Living Wages” as an annual theme of 2018 was presented in an own Workshop. A specialist presentation showed how challenges in implementing living wages could be handled. Further, the participants discussed how the Textile Partnership could strengthen their cooperation with other initiatives to use synergies more effectively.

In the workshop “Sustainable man-made Fibres”, more than 40 participants concentrated on topics like regenerated fibres, synthetic chemical fibres and biobased plastics. Thereby they identified challenges of using socially and environmentally sustainable chemical fibres. In the “Chemicals” workshop, the focus was on relevant tools and practical objective of the deeper supply chain.

For further stronger consideration of “Preventing Corruption” as a topic in the Textile Partnership, the group of experts made a proposal how to integrate it in the Partnerships question grid. Benchmarking was the focus of the discussion in the “Impact Assessment” workshop. The participants disputed possibilities to measure the impact in the production countries. A concrete proposal for topics regarding “Living Wages” and “Chemical and Environmental Management” should be elaborated this year.

The participants of the workshops “Internationalisation” and “Communication” discussed more structural questions, like the possibilities of a stronger international focus of the Textile Partnership and strategies of recruiting new Partnership member.

 

 

 

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Partnership welcomes NABU as a new member

The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles and its members are pleased to welcome the Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. as a new member in the category non-governmental organizations.

The Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (NABU) is a German environmental association which aims to improve nature protection in Germany and abroad, as for example the protection for rivers, forests and different species of animals. Uniting 660.000 members and sponsors, the NABU is one of the biggest associations in Germany.

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Members of the Steering Committee support higher minimum wages in Bangladesh

Right before the next National Wage Board’s meeting in Bangladesh, members of the Steering Committee appealed to the Government in Bangladesh to support higher minimum wages in the Bangladeshi garment and textile sector. In a joint letter, they emphasized the importance of living wages, the respect for workers’ rights and the significance of freedom of […]

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Exclusion of seven members from the Partnership

The steering commitee of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles decided yesterday to exclude seven members with immediate effect. They had not fulfilled their reporting obligations and had not submitted any roadmaps and progress reports, which are required in the review process. Some other members have left the Textiles Partnership since the beginning of the year, so the Textiles Partnership currently consists of 130 members. The common market coverage of the members remains almost untouched at 49.4%.

At the same time, the Textiles Partnership could welcome new members. For example, the steering committee has included Germany’s NABU (association for nature conversation) and the first associate member Alsico NV.

The steering committee regrets the leavings/exclusions and hopes to welcome these organizations as members again. As a learning organization, the partnership is evolving and is going to provide a platform for improvements in supply chains to all players in the textile industry. The publication of progress reports of 2017 and the roadmaps of 2018 is planned for August.

Thus, the following members have not been in the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles since the beginning of 2018:

AB Lindex

Brands TeamTex GmbH

Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel Deutschland e.V. (bevh)

brainshirt

Carson Company

Corporate Textiles Kolling GmbH

Cotonea – Gebr. Elmer & Zweifel GmbH & Co. KG

Ethnic Styles

Galatea Ziss – Atelier für Bekleidung

Humboldt-Viadrina Governance Platform gGmbH/GITI

Image Druck & Strick GmbH & Co. KG

Jako-o Möbel und Spielmittel für die junge Familie GmbH

Kleiderei Hamburg GmbH

Lillika Eden GmbH

Maas Naturwaren GmbH

MIP Europe GmbH

Natascha von Hirschhausen

OLYMP BEZNER KG / Marvelis KG

Ortlieb Sportartikel GmbH

Oxfam Deutschland e.V.

Schweikardt-Moden GmbH

Textildruck Europa GmbH

The Fair Fashion Network

Vier Pfoten – Stiftung für Tierschutz

YKK Europe LTD

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High-level Panel on Due Diligence in the EU Textile and Garment Sector

The panellists included Katarzyna Kuske (Policy Officer at DG GROW, Unit Tourism, Emerging and Creative Industries, EU Commission), Agnes Jongerius (Vice-Chair of the Committee on Employ-ment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament), Pascale Moreau (Public Affairs Manager, Sustainable Apparel Coalition), Aleix Gonzalez Busquets (Head of External Stakeholder Engage-ment, C&A) and Luc Triangle (Secretary General, IndustriALL Europe).

The German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles and the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile facilitate debate about opportunities for cooperation around the topic of due diligence in the garment sector at the EU level.

The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (Textiles Partnership) and the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) organised a panel debate on Monday, June 4th 2018 in Brussels at the margins of the European Development Days. The aim of the event was to discuss the potential for cooperation on the issue of due diligence in the garment sector at the EU level and debate possibilities for scaling up existing national efforts.

Dr. Jürgen Janssen, Head of the Textiles Partnership Secretariat, and Jef Wintermans, Coordinator of the AGT, introduced the approaches of the two initiatives and presented first results as well as lessons learned. In addition, they explained that their strategic cooperation aimed at stronger alignment based on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector. Afterwards, a high-level panel discussed how responsible business conduct and due diligence in the EU textile and garment sector can be promoted. In particular, the panel debated the need and potential for cooperation around the issue of due diligence at the EU level.

The panel agreed that scaling up the implementation of due diligence by EU textile and garment companies was crucial for achieving systemic and continuous improvements of environmental and working conditions in production countries. The panellists, however, had different opinions on how this should be achieved. While some called for binding due diligence requirements at the EU level, others advocated for stronger alignment of exiting national efforts and requested the EU Commission to provide the necessary support and coordination.

Other topics addressed in the discussion included EU trade policy as an instrument for enhancing compliance with labour and environmental standards, the role of governments in production countries and garment production in Eastern Europe and EU candidate states. Overall, the event facilitated a fruitful discussion among the participants, which included representatives of EU member state governments, the European Commission, the European Parliament, international brands, business associations, trade unions as well as NGOs.

 

 

 

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At a Glance – The worldwide Commitment of our Members

Worldwide there are more than 60 million people working in the textile and clothing sector.

The members and cooperation partners of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles are highly committed to improve the social, ecological and economic conditions alongside the entire textile supply chain.

Our interactive world map provides you a detailed insight into this dedication. Beside information about every single initiative, you will find details about every relevant country.

About 40 initiatives of our members and the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) regarding the textile and garment sector are located in the respective country on our world map. The currently ongoing Partnership Initiatives, cooperatively planned and implemented by our members, are also visualised on the word map.

The initiators give an overview of their general project information and provide detailed information on the objectives and achievements of their engagement.

The interactive “Textile Partnership world map” ensures a detailed overview of the different fields of action in the global textile production. They involve measures like a sustainable environmental management in the cotton production countries as well as projects for the improvement of the social standards in sewing factories and spinning mills.

Read on here and learn more about the wide-ranging involvement of the different actor groups of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles and about the different production countries in the textile and clothing industry.

 

 

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Sustainable Apparel Coalition and German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles cooperate to align on Supply Chain Due Diligence

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles today announced a strategic cooperation that will contribute to better working conditions and increased environmental protection across global textile supply chains. Both parties have signed a letter of intent expressing their ambition to align requirements, tools, and verification systems. In addition, joint member companies can make use of joint activities and shared information in the future.

“Working together with one of the leading global sustainability initiatives in the garment sector is an important step for the Textiles Partnership,” Juergen Janssen, Head of the Secretariat of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, said. “The strategic cooperation between our organizations will contribute to the harmonization of sustainability requirements for our member companies and create a level play-ing field across national borders.”

Over the next four years, the SAC and the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles will collaborate based on the due diligence approach as defined by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and specified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the garment sector. Members of the SAC and the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles intent to further align verification and reporting systems and explore opportunities for a joint methodology to measure impact.

“We strongly believe that national and global initiatives are natural partners to face the immense sustainability challenges ahead,” Baptiste Carrière-Pradal, Sustainable Apparel Coalition Vice President of Transparency, said. “With this strategic collaboration, we are enhancing harmonization between our initiatives, taking a necessary step towards a leaner industry with more efficient practices and, ultimately, creating greater impact throughout the supply chains.”

This strategic cooperation will provide companies in Europe with tools and coherent guidance to successfully implement environmental and social sustainability practices along their supply chains. Another goal is that members of both initiatives can benefit from reduced administrative reporting ef-forts.

“We believe that this cooperation will create synergies for member companies in implementing supply chain due diligence,” C&A Global Chief Sustainability Officer and Board Director of the C&A Foundation Jeffrey Hogue said: “It is important that fashion brands and retailers collaborate to address industry-wide sustainability issues together. We are happy to see that both initiatives have made a strong com-mitment towards this new cooperation.”

Additional Quotes from Members:

H&M Germany Sustainability Manager Hendrik Heuermann: “We have been committed to joining forces in the textile industry for a long time on both the local and the global level. We see the strategic collaboration as a logical next step to pool resources and boost leverage for a more sustainable textile industry.”

Dr. Bernhard Felmberg from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, moderator of the Steering Committee of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, welcomes the cooperation: “The collaboration of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition will help anchor sustainability in textile supply chains and help companies to implement due diligence practically. This is indeed a big task, which calls for a broad international effort. I view this cooperation as groundbreaking. ”

Stefan Genth, Secretary General of the German Retail Federation (HDE) and member of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, emphasizes the bigger picture: “Not only joint members of both initiatives will benefit. This cooperation works towards a global level playing field. The now-accelerated internationalization of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles is an important step in ensuring that companies do not face competitive disadvantages through their commitments towards more sustainability.”

About the Sustainable Apparel Coalition

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is an industry-wide group of more than 200 leading apparel, footwear, and textile, brands, retailers, suppliers, service providers, trade associations, nonprof-its/NGOs, and academic institutions working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of products around the world. Through multi-stakeholder engagement, the SAC seeks to lead the industry toward a shared vision of sustainability built upon a common approach for measuring and evaluating apparel, footwear, and textile product sustainability performance that spotlights priorities for action and opportunities for technological innovation. The SAC was incorporated as a 501c(6) nonprofit organization and launched the groundbreaking Higg Index suite of tools in 2011. For more information, visit www.apparelcoalition.org.

About the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles

The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles is a multi-actor partnership of companies, unions, non-governmental organizations, standards organizations as well as the Federal German Government. The ac-tors have united in 2014 with the aim to jointly work towards improvements alongside the entire textile supply chain. In order to achieve this, they agreed on ambitious social and environmental goals. The actors are pursuing these targets in practice by means of individual measures of members and joint Partnership initiatives in production countries. For more information, visit www.textilbuendnis.com.

Contact:

Partnership for Sustainable Textiles

presse@textilbuendnis.com

+49 228 4460-3560

Sustainable Apparel Coalition

press@apparelcoalition.org

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