A program aimed at reducing emissions from cotton farming is expanding its efforts in key markets, India and the U.S., with a goal of reaching over 90,000 farmers in the coming years.
The Unlock Programme, backed by the fashion industry, enables brands to purchase carbon reduction certificates from cotton farmers who implement more sustainable agricultural practices. Following a successful pilot in 2023, the initiative plans to increase its reach, with over 10,000 cotton farmers currently enrolled in both countries.
Originally launched by French President Emmanuel Macron at a G7 meeting in 2019, the program is developed by The Fashion Pact and sustainability consultancy 2050 to provide farmers with practical support and financial incentives for adopting eco-friendly practices.
The Fashion Pact is a coalition of approximately 60 companies representing over a third of the fashion industry, including major brands like Adidas, Burberry, H&M, and Inditex.
Management of the program is now being transitioned to Future Earth Lab, a UK-based NGO focused on sustainable development, while The Fashion Pact continues to offer support.
Eva von Alvensleben, executive director of The Fashion Pact, emphasized that decarbonizing supply chains poses significant challenges for the fashion sector. She noted that while many brands are setting ambitious climate targets, they often lack the financial means to achieve them, leaving producers in the Global South to shoulder the burden of transitioning to lower-impact practices.
“The current system does not enable individual brands to effect change. Collective leadership is essential for an industry-wide shift and to enhance incentives for sustainable cotton production,” she stated. Von Alvensleben highlighted that the Unlock Programme offers a collaborative financing model capable of transforming industry operations and sharing the costs associated with decarbonization.
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