How France’s New Eco-Score System Will Rate Fashion’s Environmental Impact

Highlights

• France’s eco-score labelling for fashion begins on October 1, with a one-year period where only brands can declare scores.
• The system evaluates garments on 17 environmental factors, from materials and production to transport and accessories.
• From September 2025, third parties will be allowed to publish eco-scores if brands fail to do so.

France is moving forward with its eco-score labelling system for the fashion sector, which will kick in from October 1, 2025.

The system, approved by the European Union earlier this year, requires brands to publish the environmental impact of their garments using a standardised calculation method. The French decree was officially published in early September, giving the fashion industry limited time to adjust.

For the first year, only brands will be able to declare their own eco-scores on the official portal. However, from September 2025, third-party service providers will have the right to publish scores for garments, even without the brand’s consent.

Read More: Top 10 Examples of Circular Fashion

This aspect has sparked debate, as companies argue that outsiders may lack access to detailed production data, which could result in misleading or incomplete data. In the meantime, French authorities note that this mechanism is intended to push brands to take responsibility for calculating and publishing their own data.

The calculation method itself is meticulous, considering 17 factors, including product type, weight, materials, manufacturing stages, transport, and even small elements such as buttons or zippers.

If brands do not provide exact data, averages based on similar products will be used.

Industry representatives worry that this could allow less sustainable companies to claim incomplete data, thereby gaining better results than they deserve.

To make the system clearer to consumers, the eco-score will be displayed as both an overall score and a score per 100 grams of product, similar to how food prices are shown per kilo.

A public information campaign, led by Ademe, will begin in 2026, but until then, brands are expected to explain the eco-score to their customers. From October 1 onwards, any environmental labels that do not follow this new method will be deemed non-compliant.

Also Read: 13 Sustainable Designers And Luxury Fashion Brands You Need To Know

The move also raises questions about how the French system will align with the existing European PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) method, which measures sustainability differently. While France’s approach places weight on lifecycle impact, the PEF focuses on durability and wear.

Many expect that the two systems will eventually need to be reconciled to avoid confusion in the wider European market.

Ends/

Find trusted sustainability advisors for your business in our ESG Marketplace with 800+ providers.

Get regular updates and perspectives on regulatory changes.

Stay informed on upcoming ESG events and updates.

Source: Fashion Network