The anti-greenwashing evaluation was successfully tested during the first jury meeting this year. “The complexity and requirements related to sustainability are continuously rising,” says Christoph Beaufils, who at ISPO is co-responsible for the ISPO Award with Christina Rabl. “This is why the ISPO Award Team saw a need for improving the jury’s decision-making process by providing its members with an expert’s perspective of the nominations.” The test went so well that a decision was quickly made to include the anti-greenwashing check by Louisa Smith as a permanent part of the evaluation process for the ISPO Award.

Louisa Smith: a globally respected industry expert

Louisa Smith is a globally respected textile and fashion expert. Her ingenuity and expertise have turned her into a highly demanded opinion leader in the sports and outdoor area of the textile industry. She is the leading jury member for the ISPO Textrends Awards and presents them at OutDoor by ISPO and ISPO Munich.

Powerful signal for participating brands

All products that clear an initial screening after being nominated for an ISPO Award will be subject to the neutral and expert anti-greenwashing check conducted by Louisa Smith. Since the evaluation takes place before the actual jury meeting, companies submitting applications for the award have an opportunity to provide missing or unclear information. “We give the brands a signal well before the actual jury meeting in case they have outstanding questions,” says Christina Rabl. “They then have the opportunity to provide useful details regarding their products’ sustainability properties that can help the jury make a fact-based decision.”