our work

Lower
Impact
Materials

Fashion is far more than just the final product. To truly tackle the industry’s impact, we need to look at every element of production. And that means starting at the very beginning, looking at the raw materials that go on to become garments and ensuring that their impact is as low as possible.
Close up shot of 3 cotton plants in a cotton field, plump and ready to be harvested.

OUR COLLECTIVE AMBITION

Increase the supply and demand of lower impact materials by enabling and incentivising the shift to more responsible sourcing and production practices (T4).

Our role in enabling progress

Achieving our Collective Ambitions depends on collaborations across the value chain. Our Joint Actions are targeted efforts that complement other industry initiatives and accelerate progress where fashion faces persistent barriers or has yet to act, and where we can deliver the greatest impact.

Unlock Programme

Project

Unlock, developed by The Fashion Pact and climate consultancy 2050 with support from the Laudes Foundation and now hosted by Future Earth Lab, aims to remove barriers to decarbonising cotton and raw material production while supporting farmer livelihoods and environmental co-benefits. The programme scales improved practices globally by providing farmer incentives and validated GHG quantification, focusing on solving key systemic challenges.

Unlock is focused on solving key issues, including:

  • Quantifying GHG benefits from better practices, as well as benefits for biodiversity, water, soil and farmer livelihoods.
  • Providing early additional incentives to farmers to apply improved practices and technologies – increasing farmer resilience and incentivizing the transition to lower climate impact and regenerative cotton.
  • Supporting brands in connecting to farmers and making validated, credible scope 3 reduction and removal claims for cotton in line with SBTi and LSRG requirements
  • The next phase of the Unlock Programme will also include innovative financial solutions to maximise investment in farmer impact reduction. This includes options to de-risk and facilitate private sector investment in farmer technology and practice change – such a drip irrigation, on farm solar and a range of other improvements.

Geographies: Initial pilot phase conducted in US and India, with plans to scale to additional geographies.

Timeline: Following completion of the pilot, the scaling phase has now begun, with more than 10,000 farmers enrolled for the 2024 growing season across India and the USA.

Partners

Project developed in collaboration with climate technical consultancy firm 2050 and some of the world’s leading technical advisors, data partners, and cotton programmes. The programme is now housed within Future Earth Lab, a registered charity, that will take forward the development and delivery of Unlock. The Fashion Pact will remain engaged to support the scaling of the programme.

Learn more here.

*lower impact material is defined by the criteria set out in the Textile Exchange definition of a preferred fiber or material or the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action targets related to raw materials which includes preferred and low climate impact

Key Data

  • Pilot activities for 2023 have resulted in between

    200 kg

    and

    600 kg

    of carbon reductions per hectare in India

  • Pilot activities for 2023 have resulted in an average of

    950 kg

    of removals and

    2000 kg

    of reductions per hectare in the US

  • 10,000

    farmers are currently enrolled in the

    2025 programme year with plans to scale to

    90,000

    farmers in the coming years.

Press

Vogue Business – The Fashion Pact is scaling its cotton decarbonisation programme

Impact Investor – Fashion body scales up cotton farming carbon initiative

Sourcing Journal – Fashion Pact: Decarbonizing the Industry May Seem ‘Impossible Until It’s Done’

Tools & Resources

Comparative Analysis of GHG Accounting Approaches and Implications for the Cotton Value Chain – White Paper
Published by Future Earth Lab, this paper offers valuable insights into ongoing work to create a GHG-centered incentive mechanism to support farmers in implementing climate-smart practices and producing lower-impact cotton.

How Innovative Investment Solutions can Drive Radical Supply Chain Decarbonisation and Climate Adaptation – White Paper
For its next phase of work, the Unlock Programme is exploring the potential of catalytic finance to maximise investment in farmer impact reduction. This includes options to de-risk and facilitate private sector investment in farmer technology and practice change - such as drip irrigation, on farm solar and a range of other improvements. To begin this process, Future Earth Lab has published a white paper exploring the barriers, opportunities and potential solutions for supply chain investment, with a focus on the Global South.

The Fashion Pact Taking Stock 2050 & SYSTEMIQ
An analysis identifying levers where the fashion sector can make the biggest impact through a science-based approach. This mapping helped The Fashion Pact to prioritize areas of action where collective approach can bring value. Some of the key findings were energy transition, alternative materials and circular business models. Date of publication: 2020

Suppliers Tier 1 Support Package
A document which can be used either by producers, suppliers, or by brands and retailers wanting to work with suppliers to learn more about supply chain action. Date of publication: 2022

Suppliers Tier 2 Support Package
A guidance aiming to help fashion companies get started and accelerate their progress on climate. Specifically, this guidance sets out to present cost-effective climate strategies, provide clarity on the basic steps to develop a climate strategy, a useful overview of related terminology and ideals, and connect you to the right external guidance documents and organizations. Date of publication: 2022

Suppliers Tier 3 Support Package
A guidance aiming to help fashion companies get started and accelerate their progress on climate. Specifically, this guidance sets out to present cost-effective climate strategies, provide clarity on the basic steps to develop a climate strategy, a useful overview of related terminology and ideals, and connect you to the right external guidance documents and organizations. Date of publication: 2022

Suppliers Tier 4 Support Package
A guidance aiming to help fashion companies get started and accelerate their progress on climate. Specifically, this guidance sets out to present cost-effective climate strategies, provide clarity on the basic steps to develop a climate strategy, a useful overview of related terminology and ideals, and connect you to the right external guidance documents and organizations. Date of publication: 2022
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