First-of-its-kind decarbonisation blueprint launched
Fashion for Good has announced the first open-source blueprint for near-net-zero textile manufacturing which has been developed as part of the Future Forward Factories project[i]. The blueprint has been designed as a practical guide for Tier 2 textile manufacturers in India producing cotton knits and wovens. Fashion for Good states that full implementation of all processes and infrastructure upgrades included in the plan would see factories achieve up to a 93% reduction in carbon emissions.
The blueprint provides five tailored pathways based on product type and production process, identifying best available technologies and innovative processes to achieve near-net-zero operations. Alongside a reduction of more than 90% in carbon emissions, full implementation could generate up to a 33% reduction in water usage and a 41% reduction in electricity consumption.
Fashion for Good hopes to draw attention to what they say is an urgent need for practical decarbonisation strategies, with textile dyeing, treatment, and finishing facilities (Tier 2 of the fashion supply chain) currently a major source of pollution and emissions. The organisation notes that these processes consume high amounts of water, energy, and chemicals, yet manufacturers face a tangle of barriers, including prohibitive upgrade costs, a fragmented approach, and no clear path forward. They claim that without a comprehensive framework, decarbonisation will remain out of reach for many businesses and therefore hinder the industry’s biggest opportunity to decarbonise.
Crucially, each pathway includes financial analysis including payback periods, internal rates of return, and net present value calculations, allowing firms to see where additional support is needed. The blueprint also incorporates a Policy Landscape Overview that maps available government incentives and includes a “How to Navigate” section enabling manufacturers to identify the scenario most applicable to them. Notable backers of the initiative include Laudes Foundation and H&M Foundation, as well as Apparel Impact Institute, IDH, and Arvind Mills.
“The Future Forward Factory blueprint removes the guesswork and delivers a pragmatic solution to a complex problem,” said Katrin Ley, Managing Director of Fashion for Good.
“By making this knowledge freely available, we are systematically dismantling the biggest barrier to decarbonisation: the lack of a clear, implementable ‘how-to.’ Every manufacturer now has access to concrete guidance and validated financial data. This is more than a roadmap; it is the essential guide for the industry’s factory transformation.”[ii]
Fashion’s decarbonisation problem
The announcement follows recent analysis of 250 large fashion brands and retailers which revealed that Scope 3 emissions are on the rise, despite 47% of major fashion brands now having SBTi-validated targets in place. The second edition of the What Fuels Fashion? report, released last month by Fashion Revolution, found that the world’s biggest brands are failing to provide transparent data on climate impacts, sustainability planning, and energy related practices. The research also unveiled that fashion companies remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels, despite clean alternatives being readily available.
The report highlighted that fossil-fuelled heat used in dyeing, finishing, and processing facilities accounts for the single largest source of supply chain emissions. Yet even though clean alternatives already exist, most brands are failing to act, despite the fashion sector facing relatively low barriers to electrification (when compared with other sectors, such as heavy industry). The report found that just 6% of brands disclose any efforts to electrify high-heat processes, furthermore, only 10% of brands disclose supply chain renewable electricity targets, and just 6% disclose broader renewable energy targets.
The researchers claim that the fashion industry’s climate targets are falling dangerously out of step with reality, where less than a fifth of brands (18%) disclose coal phase-out targets in their material processing. Further, whilst 60% of brands disclose energy sourcing in their own operations, just 11% do so for their supply chains, leaving a considerable blind spot[iii].
The report notes that supplier visibility is vital, with a lack of traceability making it impossible to evaluate climate risks or to channel finance into credible decarbonisation. Even so, publicly listed fashion brands make up almost two-thirds (59%) of businesses scoring zero on traceability, this is despite these brands being accountable to shareholders. Fashion Revolution state that these brands are failing at the most basic level of transparency and exposing a glaring accountability gap in ESG oversight.
References
[ii] Ibid
[iii] What Fuels Fashion? 2025 : Fashion Revolution
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