Textile Exchange announces winners of Ryan Young Climate+ Awards

The winners of the inaugural Ryan Young Climate+ Awards have been revealed by the non-profit Textile Exchange, which honors five sustainable textile industry pioneers for their efforts in organic, recycled, and regenerative solutions.

Each recipient was recognized for their contribution to Textile Exchange’s Climate+ Strategy target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% in the textile fiber and material production phase by 2030.

Recipients are given two titles. Individuals, teams, or departments within an organization that demonstrate an overall commitment to this strategy are referred to as ‘Climate Leaders,’ while young leaders with up to three years of sustainability experience who have already demonstrated impressive leadership are referred to as ‘Rising Stars.’

The news was made at the Textile Exchange’s 2021 Textile Sustainability Conference, which is now taking place in Dublin, Ireland. The event, which is co-hosted by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, aims to promote impact and long-term efficiency through a week of presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities.

In a statement, Beth Jensen, Climate+ Strategy director at Textile Exchange, said that it’s fantastic to honor several award recipients who are just getting started in their careers with others who have been driving impact reduction for many years. The sense of urgency we face as an industry and as a global society has never been higher, and it’s only through efforts like these that they will have any chance of moving their sector’s way of doing business toward sustaining a sustainable and abundant way of life for all.

At the ceremony, four ‘Climate Leaders’ were honored, including Rebecca Burgess, the executive director of Fibershed. Burgess spends her time working with producers, scientists, and textile companies to explore and explain the benefits of ‘climate friendly’ cotton and wool. Prama Bhardwaj and the Mantis World team were also recognized, with the printwear company being responsible for the transfer of many brands to certified organic cotton.

Coyuchi’s squad, led by Margot Lyons, is also among the winners, sharing honors with the team from the Spanish organization Recover. The two companies teamed up to supply recycled materials to Recover’s ‘2nd Home Take Back’ initiative, which has turned discarded textiles into reusable fibers.

Annabelle Hutter, global creative director of Säntis Textiles, and Landon Nash, the creator, and CEO of Tact & Stone, are two of the ‘Rising Star’ honorees. Tact & Stone, a menswear brand, has used organic and recycled fibers from its inception, and Hutter has been recognized for her work with fashion firms on Säntis Textiles’ RCO100 recycled cotton initiative.

The awards were created in remembrance of Ryan Young, who served as CEO of Textile Exchange from 2017 until 2020. Young oversaw the creation of the company’s Climate+ strategy and assisted in the establishment of eco-conscious goals that would be implemented across the board.