Messe Frankfurt launches 'Econogy' for global textile sustainability

The term signifies how essential sustainability has become to a company’s economic success, reflecting a belief famously expressed by Canadian biologist and Alternative Nobel Prize winner David Suzuki, “Let’s give the economy back the eco!” The move aims to advance sustainability within the textile and fashion industry, connecting it more closely to the demands of social and economic change, Messe Frankfurt said in a press release.

A new cross-trade fair strategy has been developed, offering a common communicative umbrella for the first time for the sustainability activities of the events. This realignment offers enhanced orientation, synergy, and visibility for sustainability activities at trade fairs.

The introduction of ‘Econogy’ will provide international guidance across trade fairs and will be gradually adopted worldwide. It will be accompanied by a redesigned icon, adding high recognition value.

Knowledge transfer, curation, and orientation are becoming increasingly critical within the industry. This change is influenced by evolving discussions surrounding sustainability concepts and regulatory requirements at both national and European Union levels.

Strategic realignments will include innovations in content formats related to sustainability. The new ‘Econogy Tours,’ ‘Econogy Finder,’ and ‘Econogy Talks’ will provide partners, exhibitors, and visitors with added value in positioning and personal development.

The existing sustainability checks at international textile trade fairs will be harmonised to create more orientation, transparency, and customer friendliness. Messe Frankfurt will continue to work with independent external sustainability experts, recognising the latest recognised seals, certificates, and indices.

From 2024, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) will be integrated into sustainability checks in a more stringent and measurable way, enhancing transparency.

Messe Frankfurt has shown continuous development and promotion of sustainability within the company. The Texpertise Network’s first SDG Report was published in 2023, summarising global commitments to the SDGs at its international textile trade fairs.

As a member of the UN Global Compact since 2010, and with the formation of a sustainability board last year, Messe Frankfurt continues to lead the textile industry along the textile value chain. The network, which consists of more than 500,000 industry participants from 11 countries, aims to raise awareness of the SDGs and implement solutions for social, economic, and ecological change.

In conclusion, the ‘Econogy’ initiative marks an essential step in Messe Frankfurt’s global textile strategy. The realignment represents a shared commitment to sustainable business practices and a transparent approach that promises to have a lasting impact on the textile and fashion industry worldwide.

“The complexity with regard to social, economic, and ecological change in the entire textile value chain continues to increase, which makes it all the more important today to offer orientation for our textile trade fairs, to make innovative approaches by the exhibiting companies visible and to promote the exchange of knowledge among all stakeholders along the textile value chain,” emphasised Olaf Schmidt, vice president, textiles and textile technologies at Messe Frankfurt.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)