The Texpertise Network in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOP) and United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network (CFLN) has launched multi-stakeholder collaborations, shared knowledge and sustainability, and prompted the fashion and textile sector to make the industry more sustainable at an international level, according to the network’s newly released SDG report.

The report detailed the Texpertise Network’s several achievements on an international level. As early as March 2019, Neonyt organised a showcase featuring selected brands to mark the foundation of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion in Nairobi.

Techtextil India 2019 saw the launch of NEXT, India’s first hackathon featuring technical textiles and sustainability. Among those taking part were Shrikar Dhole, founder and managing director of the SDG Foundation and Niharika Gautam, who is working for achievement of the SDGs in the fashion industry and is co-head of the Delhi All Ladies League.

The digital edition of Heimtextil Russia 2020 featured a message of welcome by Vladimir Kuznetsov, head of the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Moscow.

The digital edition of Texworld USA (now Texworld New York City) and Apparel Sourcing USA in summer 2020 included a talk featuring the Conscious Fashion Campaign and supported the production of a podcast with Claire Kells of the UN Global Compact. Many other fairs, with SDG walls, QR codes, and links to the central Texpertise Network website covering every aspect of the SDGs, drew attention to the goals.

The Messe Frankfurt Texpertise Network unites current topics, trends, and events around the textile business and connects more than 500,000 people from all over the world. With more than 50 international textile trade fairs in 11 countries, Messe Frankfurt is the global market leader for textile trade fairs. Texpertise covers the entire textile value chain. Messe Frankfurt has been strategically integrating sustainability into its textile events worldwide for around 15 years now, using topic-specific formats and content. Together with the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network, a joint initiative between the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the Fashion Impact Fund, Messe Frankfurt's Texpertise Network has also been promoting the visualisation of the Sustainable Development Goals at its events since 2019.

“I am very pleased to be able to personally hand over our SDG Report to Kerry and Lucie. It makes me proud that we have already been able to implement, initiate and achieve so much together,” emphasised Olaf Schmidt. “Through the Messe Frankfurt Texpertise Network, we are working to speed up innovation and transformation in the textile and fashion industry. To boost this decade of action for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, we are briefing and mobilising players across the whole of the textile value-added chain and their partners in industry, with the focus on realising solutions for social, economic and ecological transformation.”

“Collaboration is key to fostering transformative sectoral engagement and accelerating the implementation of the SDGs,” confirmed Lucie Brigham. “Mobilising expertise, innovation, technology and resources can only be achieved through strong partnerships. Messe Frankfurt’s Texpertise Network was one of the first members and valuable partners of the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network. We are proud to have been involved in the extensive SDG activities from the beginning and look forward to developing these activities together in the future.”

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)