Better Cotton, the world’s largest certifier of cotton, has signed the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Sustainability Commitment ahead of the launch of its own traceability solution in late 2023, joining 90 others including Inditex, Vivienne Westwood, Retraced and wwf one.
The Sustainability Commitment is an open set of policy recommendations, guidelines and standards designed to enable industry stakeholders to authenticate their sustainability claims. The aim of the commitment is to create a “community of practice” that jointly develops traceability and transparency as important prerequisites for sustainability and the circular economy.
Check the origin of clothing for sustainability
“Once we know the origin of the clothes we buy and the path it has taken in global value chains, we as consumers can make informed decisions about the sustainability claims of these goods,” comments Elisabeth Türk, Director of Economics Cooperation and trade at UNECE, in a statement.
“We welcome Better Cotton’s commitment and call on other stakeholders to join and make traceability and sustainability the new normal in the textile industry,” adds Türk.
UNECE created the framework to stimulate knowledge sharing and bring solution providers together in the belief that companies, academics and experts can work together to promote transparency in the supply chain through open discourse. By recognizing legitimate tools and projects, it is also intended to benefit policymakers, businesses, workers and consumers alike.
“We are signing the UNECE Sustainability Commitment not only to reaffirm our commitment to improving traceability and transparency in Better Cotton’s supply chains, but also to support traceability and the use of more credible sustainability claims across the industry,” explains Alia Malik, Senior Director of Data and Traceability at Better Cotton.
Better Cotton’s proprietary traceability solution, planned for later this year, will provide retailer and member brands with the ability to verify the country of origin of Better Cotton cotton in their products, while providing growers and suppliers with continued access to the increasingly regulated enable international value chains. Its development is based on extensive consultation with over 1,500 stakeholders, including suppliers, members and industry advisors.