PROJECT DESCRIPTION

On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ’s "Sustainability in Textile Supply Chains" project established the secretariat for the Alliance for Sustainable Textiles (Bündnis für Nachhaltige Textilien – BnT). This Alliance, comprising in 2018 around 150 multistakeholder members including companies, trade unions, NGOs, federal ministries, and standard organizations, sought to improve social, ecological, and economic sustainability across the entire textile value chain. A key focus of the project was supporting sustainable practices in the production and supply of natural fibers, particularly cotton and wool. The project offered guidance and resources to BnT members to ensure these fibers were sourced and processed sustainably.

ICON-INSTUTUT together with Global Sustainable Management (GSM) was contracted by GIZ to analyse the support needs of BnT members, created informational materials for risk analysis of natural fibers, and evaluated ecological and life cycle assessments (LCAs) of these fibers. Additionally, ICON/GSM supported members in developing wool policies and contributed to a technical roundtable focused on wool traceability. The team also produced training materials for brands and trade and assessed the inventory of natural fibers like cotton and wool, prepared market analyses, and developed factsheets on key topics. Finally, the ICON/GSM created an IT tool to calculate the quantities of natural fibers used by Alliance members, helping them track and manage their fiber sourcing sustainably.

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