Apparel and footwear
The global apparel and footwear sector produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the shipping and aviation sectors combined.
Our guidance supports companies to set science-based targets and reduce the fashion industry's emissions footprint. Learn more and set a target today.
Guidance for the apparel and footwear sector
Why take action?
Fast fashion trends are driving unsustainable levels of consumption and emissions are set to increase. With the worldwide apparel and footwear market expected to grow around 5% a year through 2030, it is clear the fashion industry needs to transform rapidly.
How to set a target
Our guidance supports companies in the apparel and footwear value chain with case studies on best practice, as well as strategies to reduce emissions. The guidance is aimed at retailers, brands, finished goods manufacturers, mills and other companies primarily engaged in the production and sale of apparel and footwear production.
Join fashion leaders such as Burberry, Puma and Ralph Lauren by setting a science-based target.
In addition to the sector-specific guidance, all businesses can use the SBTi Criteria Assessment Indicators (CAI) to understand the relevant criteria by sector or target type. The CAI consolidates all criteria across SBTi resources, providing businesses with verifiable control points to use when developing science-based targets. It also provides clear and concise descriptions of the minimum documentation required to demonstrate alignment with each criteria point.
Learn more about our apparel and footwear guidance project and development process below.
Learn more
Led by World Resources Institute (WRI), the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) released guidance which applies to retailers, brands, finished goods manufacturers, mills, etc. that are primarily engaged in activities that contribute to the production and sale of apparel and footwear products.
Highlights from the guidance development process:
- June 2017: Project commenced with a scoping phase. View slides from the launch webinar.
- May 2018: WRI held an open stakeholder feedback session at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition conference in Vancouver and commissioned a public, online survey on the first version of the guidance. View slides from the webinar and see a summary of public comments.
- September 2018: WRI shared the guidance with stakeholders including apparel and footwear suppliers, local brand representatives, and individuals from industry associations in Ho Chi Minh City.
- November 2018: After incorporating feedback from stakeholders, WRI released a second version of the guidance for public comment. WRI presented an overview of key insights and recommendations from the guidance at the American Apparel and Footwear Association Environmental Committee Fall 2018 Meeting in New York City.
- February 2019: WRI presented an update on the sector guidance at the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. A summary of key points of feedback was publicly shared.
- February–June 2019: WRI incorporated feedback from the External Stakeholder Group and broader stakeholder group, as well as feedback from WRI’s internal review process, into the current draft of the guidance. We also updated the guidance to be in conformance with the latest version of the SBTi criteria, released in April 2019.
- On June 25, WRI and the Apparel Impact Institute launched the final guidance at a workshop in Barcelona.
Browse more sectors
If your sector is not listed here, you can still set a science-based target using our methods and resources. Consult the step-by-step guide to get started.
