Textile Exchange Pivots From Ambition to Implementation

Sourcing Journal

Beauty Inc

Sourcing Journal

site categories

Denim

Industry News

Sustainability

Logistics

Trade

Webinars

Reports

Fall Summit

Lifestyle Monitor

WWD

Click to expand the Mega Menu

Got a Tip?

Sourcing Journal

Click to Expand Search Input

Plus Icon

Click to Close Search Input

Newsletters

Account

Welcome

Manage Account

Log Out

Log In

Sign Up

Trade

Tariff Ticker

Sustainability

Material World

Industry News

Exec Moves

Home

Sourcing Journal

Industry News

Textile Exchange Pivots From Ambition to Implementation

By

Alexandra Harrell

Alexandra Harrell

More Stories by Alexandra

Textile Exchange Pivots From Ambition to Implementation

Plant Fibers Seek a Larger Industrial Role

Why Plastic-Free Intimates Are Becoming a Health and Fashion Priority

August 10, 2026 1:40pm

Share this article on Facebook

Share this article on X

Share this article on Google Preferred

Share this article on Pin It

Share this article on Flipboard

Share this article on Tumblr

Share this article on Reddit

Share this article on LinkedIn

Share this article on WhatsApp

Share this article on Email

Print this article

Share this article on Talk

Share this article on Facebook

Share this article on X

Share this article on Google Preferred

Share this article on Pin It

Share this article on Flipboard

Share this article on Tumblr

Share this article on Reddit

Share this article on LinkedIn

Share this article on WhatsApp

Share this article on Email

Print this article

Share this article on Talk

Share this article on Facebook

Share this article on X

Share this article on Google Preferred

Share this article on Pin It

Share this article on Flipboard

Share this article on Tumblr

Share this article on Reddit

Share this article on LinkedIn

Share this article on WhatsApp

Share this article on Email

Print this article

Share this article on Talk

Share this article on Facebook

Share this article on X

Share this article on Google Preferred

Share this article on Pin It

Share this article on Flipboard

Share this article on Tumblr

Share this article on Reddit

Share this article on LinkedIn

Share this article on WhatsApp

Share this article on Email

Print this article

Share this article on Talk

The fashion industry’s raw material emissions are now 20 percent higher than they were when Textile Exchange established its 2019 baseline. With less than five years remaining to reach its 2030 climate target, the nonprofit says the era of building frameworks is over.

Textile Exchange ’s fiscal 2025 annual report outlines a five-year pivot toward implementation, verification and accountability as the industry falls further behind its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fiber and raw material production by 45 percent.

Related Stories

Industry News

In Search of Alternatives, Fashion for Good Sets Out To Find What Comes After 'Forever Chemicals'

Trade

Even the Chief Sustainability Officer Thinks Sustainability Needs A 'Reality Check'

Emissions associated with material production for apparel, home textiles and footwear increased roughly 6 percent between 2023 and 2024. At the same time, global fiber production reached a record 132 million metric tons, fueled largely by virgin fossil fuel-based synthetics.

The progress made during the year “marked a defining moment” for Textile Exchange, CEO Claire Bergkamp said in an accompanying statement.

“Now is the moment to be more deliberate about where we put our energy,” Bergkamp said in the report. “We are shifting from building the system to using it, with a stronger focus on connecting demand with what is happening on the ground.”

The nonprofit’s new strategy rests on three pillars: transitioning to the Materials Matter Standard , introducing a more action-oriented membership model and strengthening its climate and nature data, research and guidance.

“That means bringing brands and producers into closer alignment and making sure the realities of production are shaping the decisions we make as an industry,” Bergkamp said. “The foundations are there. The work now is to use them well and to stay focused on the changes that will actually move practice at scale.”

The data illustrates the scale of that task. Global fiber production increased by approximately 34 million metric tons between 2015 and 2024. Polyester accounted for 59 percent of output in 2024, with 88 percent of that volume derived from virgin fossil fuel sources. Textile-to-textile recycling still represented less than 1 percent of global fiber production.

Textile Exchange’s Materials Benchmark found more encouraging movement among participating companies.

Virgin fossil fuel-based polyester use among brands reporting comparable data fell from 637,388 metric tons in 2023 to 560,029 metric tons in 2024, a decrease of roughly 12 percent. The share of their raw materials certified under sustainability programs increased from 58 percent to 67 percent, while the percentage of reporting brands with formal climate targets rose from 85 percent to 88 percent.

Those gains, however, remain at odds with industrywide trends, where growing production volumes continue to outpace improvements in preferred and recycled materials.

The Materials Matter Standard is central to Textile Exchange’s response. Published in 2025, the framework will replace the organization’s portfolio of material-specific standards with an integrated system addressing practices and outcomes across climate, nature, people and animals.

Ashley Gill , Textile Exchange’s chief standards and strategy officer, said the shift reflects the interconnected nature of those issues.

“We’re focused on maximizing the impact of our role in driving systems change,” Gill said. “This matters because the transformation we want to see—toward climate resilience, thriving biodiversity and a less extractive approach to producing and sourcing materials—depends on recognizing how much these issues are interconnected.”

Textile Exchange said the number of sites certified to its standards has more than tripled since 2020, rising from more than 29,000 to over 100,000. Under the Responsible Wool Standard , the amount of certified land has doubled during the same period to 30 million hectares.

The nonprofit also bolstered the infrastructure supporting its standards system in 2025. It launched a certification body interface to improve data exchange and introduced a centralized Material Ledger to reconcile certified volumes at the organizational level.

“By evolving our strategy, membership and standards, it means we’re uniquely positioned to support the industry in accelerating progress, while ensuring decisions are informed by the practical realities of producing raw materials,” Bergkamp said.

Textile Exchange also redesigned its membership model around two groups: an Action Cohort and a Community Cohort. The Action Cohort is intended for brands, retailers and raw material producers engaged in sourcing and production. Members will move through phases focused on reporting progress, increasing independently verified sourcing and collaborating on barriers that individual companies cannot address alone. The Community Cohort is designed for organizations participating through knowledge-sharing, learning and broader system alignment .

Textile Exchange’s global network includes more than 700 members across the fashion, textile and apparel supply chain.

“Membership has always been central to Textile Exchange’s work and impact,” said Sarah Needham , chief engagement and partnerships officer. “But as the gap between ambition and reality has widened, it has become clear that guidance alone is no longer enough.”

Needham said the two-cohort structure is intended to accommodate the distinct needs of organizations across the industry while creating clearer pathways for collaboration and accountability.

“From an impact perspective, 2025 marked an important year for Textile Exchange and the industry in the run-up to 2030—a moment to reflect on the formational years of target-setting and project piloting, and set a course of urgent, scaled action over the next five years and beyond,” said Beth Jensen , Textile Exchange’s chief impact officer.

From a fiscal perspective , Textile Exchange reported $30.6 million in revenue across its programs in 2025, down 8.7 percent from $33.5 million the previous year. Operating expenses totaled $30.5 million. With $500,000 in non-operating income, the organization recorded a $600,000 increase in net assets.

The nonprofit also expanded its workforce from 138 to 159 employees across 24 countries as it invested in the infrastructure, technology and regional expertise needed to carry out its strategy.

Its priorities for the coming years include scaling preferred production systems, embedding reporting and verification into industry practice and coordinating work on financing, traceability and supply chain fragmentation.

“The next five years will not be defined by what the industry knows, but by what it chooses to implement,” the report said.

“We know what needs to change,” Bergkamp said. “The opportunity now is to deepen collaboration, create the right incentives for implementation—and invest in long-term partnerships between producers, suppliers, brands and retailers—to ensure change happens at the pace and scale this moment demands.”

Receive Our Daily Newsletter & Special Offers

Receive Our Daily Newsletter & Special Offers

Chinese businesses were told not to conduct business or cooperate with six textile and apparel industry companies and nonprofits.

Logistics firms added digital and e-commerce talent, and Arkestro named new C-suite executives.

Bluesign’s PFAS limits bring the organization in alignment with new restrictions in 2026.

PMC Logo

Most Popular

Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos Set $200 Million Fund to Recover Endangered Species

Perez Hilton Hospitalized After Appearing to Harm Himself on Livestream

Brad Pitt Is Allegedly 'Bracing Himself' For His Kids' Next Move Which Sources Say Is His 'Worst Possible Nightmare'

Method Man Drops Limited-Edition Hat Collection with TWNTY-TWO and TICAL Athletics

You May Also Like

Zoe Saldaña Pairs Trendy Lace-trim Shorts With Edgy Ballet Flats at the Locarno Film Festival

3 hrs ago

Fashion Loves Food 2025

10 months ago

From Agricultural Remnants to Circular Synthetics: Taiwan’s Next-Gen Solutions for Waste Valorization

17 minutes ago

Apple Takes a VR Swing at MLB, Starting With Yankees vs. Red Sox

43 minutes ago

Fossils and Other Exhibits Stolen From German University in Latest Museum Robbery

2 hrs ago

Subscribe

Customer Service

Customer Service

Sourcing Journal

About Us

Our Staff

Contact Us

Advertise With Us

Accessibility

Legal

Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

AdChoices

California Privacy Rights

Your Privacy Choices

Follow Us

Facebook

Facebook

Instagram

Instagram

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

X

X

Stay in the Know

Enter your Email

Subscribe

Subscribe

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy . We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Have a Tip?

Send Us a Tip

Sign Up

WWD and Women's Wear Daily are part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 Fairchild Publishing, LLC. All Rights Reserved.