It takes 2,700 liters of water to produce a cotton shirt, more than one billion tons of used clothing ends up in landfills globally every year, and a T-shirt travels an average of 3,500 kilometers from production to consumer. These alarming statistics reveal the centrality of the textile and apparel industry to the promotion of global green and sustainable development. So how should the textile and apparel industry embark on the road to green development?

Recently, the Ongoing Green Development Conference was held at the World Apparel Conference, bringing together textile and apparel elites from China, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and other parts of the world. Focusing on the theme of “Green Innovation for a Sustainable Future”, they discussed in depth the challenges and opportunities in energy system, material innovation, processing technology and manufacturing mode, and committed to providing practical solutions to create a green future for the textile and apparel industry.

🔄Path 1: International Collaboration for a Green Future

China, as the world's largest textile producer, plays a pivotal role in the transformation of the global textile and apparel industry. Efstathios Andreou, Consul General of the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Guangzhou, said that the two countries' commitment to sustainable development and development goals are highly compatible. He emphasized that there should be a shift in thinking towards a circular economy to achieve a win-win situation in terms of environmental and economic benefits. Currently, the Netherlands has made significant progress on the road to sustainability in the textile and apparel industry, including eco-cycling design, recyclable material utilization, bio-based alternatives development and the advancement of digital tools. The Netherlands looks forward to in-depth cooperation with China in recycling, supply chain transparency, circular business models, etc., and jointly lead the textile industry into a new chapter of sustainable development.

♻️Path 2: Deepen ESG Practices and Explore Circular Economy Business Models

Against the background of increasing global environmental awareness, the circular economy, an emerging economic model, is showing great potential and becoming a new driving force for the sustainable development of the textile and fashion industry. During the meeting, core topics such as ESG, CSRD, DDP and so on were frequently mentioned by the guests, and at the same time, through the in-depth analysis of actual cases, we jointly explored and unlocked the business model of circular economy. Under the background of green development, more and more textile enterprises are actively engaged in ESG practices. Regardless of the size of the enterprises, they are contributing to the sustainable development of the fashion industry.

 📊 Path 3: Consumer-centered, exploring diversified green development paths

Against the backdrop of the green transformation of the textile industry, many end-brand enterprises have also responded positively to the market demand and set their sights on renewable and recycled materials. They continue to promote innovation in quality supply through environmentally friendly design and green fashion. In exploring sustainable development, we tend to focus on the use of textile raw materials, emission control, water utilization, chemical management and waste treatment. However, Detlev Pross, an expert in the field of digital color and Chief Strategy Officer at Coloro, emphasized the key role of color in sustainability. He pointed out that color has a huge influence on consumer purchasing decisions, accounting for as much as 70 to 90 percent of a brand's operations. Therefore, brands not only need to focus on the upstream link of the supply chain, but also need to consider the needs and preferences of consumers in depth.Detlev Pross looks forward to working with more companies in the upstream and downstream of the textile industry chain to promote innovations in color, in order to achieve a reduction in carbon emissions and environmental pollution. The textile and apparel industry is leading the trend of low-carbon and environmental protection, but this green and sustainable development requires the joint efforts of all parties around the world.