#Sustainability

2026-01-29

Apparel Impact Institute announces strategic realignment of climate solutions portfolio to accelerate decarbonization

Today, Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) announced the strategic realignment of its Climate Solutions Portfolio (CSP) grant program to prioritize funding for projects that accelerate supplier-focused electrification.

First introduced in 2023, Climate Solutions Portfolio grants fund scalable fashion decarbonization solutions, with individual awards of up to $250,000 per project. The grant program has been realigned to focus on projects accelerating the electrification of Tier 2 factories in the apparel sector. This targeted approach will sharpen the fund’s impact and accelerate progress on one of the industry’s most urgent sustainability challenges: supplier decarbonization.

Key CSP Grant Program enhancements

Supplier-Focused Applications: The program will shift to a supplier-led application process, ensuring proposed technologies are pilot-ready with engaged supplier partners.

Stronger Industry Engagement: In collaboration with lead funders and global partners, Aii will communicate funding opportunities to build a robust pipeline of suppliers ready to test and adopt proven and promising solutions.

Streamlined Application and Review: A simplified application and scoring system and standardized guidelines enhance the application process.

“Refocusing the CSP Grant Program to align with a core industry challenge helps ensure that every grant moves us closer to supporting the sector’s transition to electrification,” said Pauline Op de Beeck, Aii climate portfolio director. “This evolution strengthens the program’s ability to identify, test, and scale the most promising solutions in partnership with suppliers.”

The realigned CSP program will continue piloting innovative decarbonization technologies, creating a pipeline of solutions for Aii’s Deployment Gap Grant (DGG) program. With $1.25 million available in grant funding, the DGG accelerates the deployment of vetted solutions by leveraging brand co-funding across shared suppliers.

Applications for 2026 CSP Grants will be open April 1 - May 15 and October 1 - November 13. Applications for 2026 Deployment Gap Grants will be open February 2 - March 13 and July 1 - August 1.

https://apparelimpact.org

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.

Textile Exchange publishes cotton Life Cycle Assessment study to strengthen impact data

Textile Exchange has published the first in a series of seven Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies designed to improve the quality and robustness of environmental impact data for raw material production across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. The first LCA study focuses on cotton and addresses critical data gaps and methodology variability through new high-quality data across key producing countries. The study includes organic, regenerative, recycled, and country averages for conventional cotton production systems, providing a clearer picture of the associated environmental impact.

Italian Textile Machinery heads to Geneva for Index 2026

An important delegation of Italian companies will exhibit at the upcoming INDEX 2026, the world’s leading event for the nonwovens sector, taking place from May 19 to 22 in Geneva (Switzerland). Numerous Italian exhibitors will be present within the Italy Pavilion, organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and ACIMIT, an exhibition area of over 140 square meters dedicated to the latest innovations proposed by the Italian industry.