SAC launches decarbon initiative to cut emissions at scale

Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), a non-profit impact-based organization, has launched a decarbonization program to encourage collaboration and assist large-scale carbon emission reductions in the apparel and footwear industry.

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) will cooperate with its members, who are estimated to account for nearly half of the apparel and footwear sector, to find the most effective strategies for reducing carbon emissions collectively and having the greatest overall impact on the sector.

The Decarbonization Program intends to unite the whole supply chain, from manufacturers and factories to brands and retailers, and to provide tools and advice that will make it possible to achieve what the SAC refers to as “ambitious, urgent, and required emissions reductions.”

Beginning in 2023, SAC corporate members will be obliged to agree to and establish Science Based Targets (SBTs) as part of the Decarbonization Program.

According to SAC, every participant in the value chain has a responsibility to contribute to taking effective steps to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

It states that it will assist members in making commitments and setting SBTs, then scaling high-impact solutions required to meet them all at once.

Between 2% and 8% of annual global GHG emissions are attributed to the apparel industry, according to SAC, and if unchecked, emissions would continue to rise, falling far short of the 45% absolute reduction required by 2030 to reduce global warming to 1.5°C.

Joyce Tsoi, director of collective action, said that the fashion industry is currently not on track to achieve net zero by 2050. But things are changing. They collaborate with their members to commit to and set science-based targets in line with the most recent climate science, which provides a clearly defined pathway for reducing their emissions in their journey toward decarbonization. They also provide a place or platform where businesses can put competition aside to share insights, best practices and even collaborate on shared manufacturing facilities for their supply chains. They need to accelerate their actions now.

Tsoi added that they have a unique opportunity to leverage and influence the scale and impact of our community to get the industry back on track and deliver emissions reduction in line with science-based targets to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. They are a convener of about half the sector.

Pascal Brun, the head of sustainability at H&M, said that it is urgent for the industry to engage jointly to address the common problems we are facing. To lower the carbon impact of the sector, they must collaborate along the entire value chain.

The six most important elements, which, taken together, can affect change and have a lasting effect, have been identified, according to SAC.

The areas were identified through research done by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), with input from the industry, utilizing data from the SAC’s Higg Index suite of products and Textile Exchange.

In order to support and interact with its members, the SAC has already begun working on capacity-building initiatives for the scalability of collaborative solutions based on the six primary solutions.