#Sustainability

2020-09-10

H&M Group lays the foundation for its biodiversity work

Cecilia Brännsten presents H&M Group's ambition for biodiversity during WWF's presentation of the Living Planet Report 2020.

Today WWF has published its flagship Living Planet Report, a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. This year's report provides scientific evidence to what nature has been telling us repeatedly: unsustainable human activity - today world citizens live as if we had 1.6 globes at our disposal - is pushing the planet’s natural systems that support life on Earth to the edge. In this context, Environmental Sustainability Manager Cecilia Brännsten presents H&M Group's ambition for biodiversity.

"A thriving fashion industry is undeniably dependent on healthy ecosystems and climate change kept within safe planetary boundaries."

Cecilia Brännsten, Environmental Sustainability Manager H&M Group

Cecilia adds: "When using the land for cultivating the cotton to make our customers’ favourite garments, regenerative farming is the future. When washing and dyeing the customers favorite jeans the soil and water should be left unharmed. Our ambition for biodiversity, together with our climate strategy, will help us in our work to relieve the planet from critical pressure, creating a more resilient supply chain and business".

“It is extremely important that businesses start taking action to fight biodiversity loss, as they have a powerful role to play in bending the curve and investing in nature. We salute H&M’s holistic approach to manage their impact and dependence on biodiversity and hope that other companies will follow their example.”

Erika Sundell, Head of Corporate Partnerships at WWF Sweden

H&M Group's long-term vision is to have a net positive impact on biodiversity. That means not only avoiding and mitigating harm, but leaving the natural environment in a better state than beforehand through habitat restoration and protection.

In order to achieve this, H&M Group has set two objectives:

1. To prevent and reduce the company's overall impact on biodiversity and natural ecosystems in our value chain.

2. Help to protect and restore biodiversity and natural ecosystems in line with what science requires*.

The base for H&M Group's ambition on biodiversity started with a biodiversity footprint assessment to identify the biggest impact areas of our business. The next step is now to align and formalise goals. Looking ahead, the company will continue to:

cooperate with WWF through a specific biodiversity workstream,

work on biodiversity traceability strategy to measure progress,

participate in forums and cooperating with organisations driving work in the area of biodiversity.

*Science currently calls for action to ensure that 50% of the Earth’s surface is protected, restored and sustainably managed by 2030, with 30% of the area being fully protected and 20% sustainably managed.

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI redefine textile processing

Making investment decisions in textile processing has become significantly more demanding. Increasing energy costs, a shortage of skilled labour and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are compelling companies to focus on technologies that deliver clear gains in efficiency and process reliability. This applies equally to apparel manufacturing and to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. As a result, modernisation initiatives are assessed more carefully – even as the need to upgrade production systems continues to intensify.

Techtextil 2026: Between innovation pressure & market reality

From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main will once again become the central meeting point for the international technical textiles and nonwovens industry. Running in parallel, Texprocess will focus on the industrial implementation of textile processing technologies as the leading platform in this field. Together, the two trade fairs form a closely integrated presentation and working platform along the entire textile value chain – from material development to finished applications.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

Hohenstein publishes 2025 Sustainability Report

The testing and research service provider Hohenstein has published its latest sustainability report, outlining key progress and strategic initiatives. The report focuses on ambitious CO₂ reduction targets, the company’s new mission statement and the systematic expansion of sustainable services for customers worldwide.

Global Standard gGmbH launches second public consultation for GRTS Draft 2 for the textile industry (1–30 April 2026)

Global Standard gGmbH is pleased to announce the release of Draft 2 of the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS) for its second public consultation. The consultation will be open from 1 April 2026 to 30 April 2026, inviting stakeholders across the textile and apparel value chain to provide input and contribute to the further development of this new Standard.

Techtextil 2026: KARL MAYER impresses as an innovative sector partner

KARL MAYER looks back with satisfaction on its participation in Techtextil 2026. From April 21 to 24, the international industry leader used the trade show in Frankfurt to meet with numerous key customers at its booth and, at the same time, establish many new contacts. Most visitors came from Germany, followed by major markets such as Poland, the United Kingdom, Turkey, France, and Portugal.

BTMA backs global growth while investing in future UK leaders

As one of a number of new initiatives launched this year, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is launching the UK-India Textile Machinery Coalition. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, has implications that extend across sourcing, competitiveness and long-term trade dynamics, believes BTMA CEO Jason Kent.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.