SAC Releases Decarbonisation Guide for Members
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), a global convener representing almost half of the apparel and footwear industry, launched the Decarbonisation Guide for Members to address environmental impacts.
The Decarbonisation Guide outlines SAC's recommended approach to decarbonisation and provides a comprehensive framework for reducing emissions. It emphasises the importance of collaboration, tracking progress, and transparency to achieve meaningful results. The guide also offers examples of best practices from industry leaders who have successfully implemented decarbonisation strategies.
The textile and apparel industry accounts for two to eight per cent of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and must significantly enhance its efforts in facilitating collective action across the industry to achieve the required 45 per cent reduction by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
The guide recommends obtaining internal buy-in, setting science-based targets (SBTs), and verifying them. SAC will necessitate its members to share their targets within six months of approval, develop an action plan, and take action towards reducing carbon emissions. Corporate members must set short-term emission reduction targets within 24 months and seek validation from SBTi or a third-party accredited organisation.
The Guide, which offers comprehensive guidance and resources to assist organisations in establishing and accomplishing their SBTs, is an element of the ongoing collaboration between the SAC and its members.
This cooperation involves sharing best practices through webinars and learning sessions with peers, all to increase the adoption of collaborative solutions that address the climate crisis.
The SAC developed this guide last year with Michael Sadowski, a key author of the World Resources Institute's (WRI) Apparel and Footwear Sector Science-Based Targets Guidance in 2019. The SAC has been refining the guidance and holding group meetings with members to comprehend their needs and expectations.
Amina Razvi, Chief Executive Officer at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said: “Right now, the textile and apparel industry is not on track to hit net zero by 2050. We need urgent transformation and increased collaboration across the industry to tackle the worst impacts of climate change. The launch of our Decarbonisation Guide is a major step in our efforts to create an aligned pathway for the industry to reduce GHG emissions.
"We believe through continued collaboration and partnership with organisations such as the Science Based Targets initiative, we can support our members to commit and set their science-based targets and work collectively to deliver on emissions reduction targets.”
Joyce Tsoi, Director of Collective Action Programmes, at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said: “Through the Decarbonisation Programme, we are enabling collaboration between brands and manufacturers to address one of the biggest challenges the industry faces: how to reach net zero.
"With the textile and apparel industry being so far away from reaching net zero by 2050, the need for urgent action has never been greater. This Guide is a critical marker on that journey and will empower member organisations to turn purpose into practice to deliver necessary impacts, starting from understanding and adopting targets in line with the best available science to developing action plans to take collective actions.
"77% of our members participating in our decarbonisation programme told us that they want to share knowledge, resources and tools that are available to them to set science-based targets is their biggest priority. By giving the industry the guidance, tools and platform it needs to change, brands and manufacturers are equipped to tackle the urgent challenge of emission reductions and drive systemic change across the industry.”
Luiz Amaral, CEO of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), said: “When it comes to tackling the biggest problem the world has ever seen – climate change – we must draw on the power of collaboration, ambition and innovation. This new guidance is proof that the fashion industry is up to the challenge. It also provides a blueprint for other sector trade bodies to follow.
“To keep 1.5°C within reach, remain economically competitive and enable the transformation to a global net zero future, setting science-based targets is the crucial first step. I am looking forward to this collaboration driving countless companies to set ambitious climate goals and deliver tangible emission reductions in line with science.”
The SAC is committed to collaborating with stakeholders in the industry and is currently engaging with organisations such as the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to accelerate the adoption and validation of SBTs worldwide. At the SAC Annual Meeting in Singapore last November, Dedy Mahardika, SBT Engagement Manager for Southeast Asia and Oceania at CDP, presented the status of SBT adoption and guidance in partnership with the SAC to encourage increased uptake.
As part of its strategic plan, the SAC has established an ambitious goal to mitigate climate change and promote climate resilience in the consumer goods value chain by providing support to its corporate members to achieve decarbonisation.
Source: SAC
