In mid-June, players from the textile and fashion industry came together in Zurich to work together on the challenges of future sustainability in the sector. They are united by the fact that they have all committed to the ambitious targets of STS 2030 in the areas of climate, working conditions, circular economy and transparency.
This means that they follow a predefined roadmap to implement numerous measures for greater sustainability and share their progress annually. They are supported by the program, numerous supporters and the sponsoring associations Swiss Fair Trade, amfori and Swiss Textiles.
They come together once a year to share their experiences. Also present this year were the supporters and representatives of SECO and the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles from Germany. The aim of the day was to share experiences and learn from each other. The committed actors agree that, for instance, tackling systemic challenges in the circular economy or improving working conditions will not be achieved by one player alone.
At the beginning of the exchange, the committed actors discussed specific issues per target area in various workshops and developed possible solutions. They then shared their results in plenary sessions and benefited from the different perspectives and experiences of the others.
The afternoon was all about cooperation, where the findings from various pilot projects, the so-called ‘Joint Commitments’, were presented. These included Fabric Loop, Circular Workwear by HSLU, reflect your style, and the SECO-supported projects „United for Fair Wages” and „United for a social circular economy“. These pilot projects not only offer the committed actors valuable solution models, but also create a basis for joint improvements.
The firm determination to drive forward sustainable development was remarkable – even in light of the current economic challenges facing the industry. And the journey continues: the aggregated results of the annual progress and impact measurement will be presented in the fall. This will be another important step to see how far the actors have come together and where they need to step up their efforts in order to achieve the STS 2030 targets.
