The agreement paves the way for the development of projects that seek to improve working conditions, protect the environment, move towards circularity, and promote transparency and traceability in the supply chain, Inditex and IAF said in a joint press release.

“Collaborating with apparel federations is key to driving a change that reaches the entire apparel and textile industry, addressing both the social and environmental challenges ahead. This agreement will allow us to continue developing and integrating best practices, foster innovation, and invest in the most efficient technologies as this contributes to raising standards and competitiveness of the industry as a whole,” said Inditex’s CEO Oscar Garcia Maceiras.

“We are thrilled that Inditex shares our vision of joining forces across the supply chain to advance sustainable transformational change in the apparel industry. Linking the forces of Inditex with the global apparel manufacturing community will allow us to focus on real change on the ground, beneficial to all parties involved and with positive effects for the existing global industry initiatives in which Inditex and IAF participate,” said IAF’s president Cem Altan.

IAF and Inditex have identified key areas of focus within this agreement. These include the advancement of industrial development in producing countries and the transition towards an industry that converts waste into new raw materials while striving for net zero emissions, promoting the adoption of renewable energy and processes with lower impact on ecosystems. Furthermore, the agreement places a strong emphasis on enhancing working conditions. It involves collaborative actions on matters such as occupational health and safety, social protection, and diversity and inclusion, added the release.

It also includes cross-cutting aspects such as the creation of a common framework to measure and verify the impacts of the textile industry and encourage resilience and the adoption of transparency-enhancing practices, such as digital labelling. Moreover, it explores the interoperability of information systems and promotes the digitalisation and efficiency improvement of global supply chains, among other issues.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)