SDA Bocconi towards a sustainable and circular fashion industry

Actions towards a sustainable and circular fashion industry were discussed at the new SDA Bocconi Campus in Milan during the three-day event (21-23 September 2021) named “Accelerating action for the sustainable and circular garment and footwear industry of the future” by the sector stakeholders, who renewed their commitment to improving their sustainable and ethical practices.

Candiani Denim commits to a more sustainable garment industry

“Accelerating action for the sustainable and circular garment and footwear industry of the future” was hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Monitor for Circular Fashion area of the SDA Bocconi School of Management Sustainability Lab, and featured 50+ speakers, 150+ in-person participants, and 650+ online attendees.

Garment and footwear industry stakeholders, policymakers, campaigners, and academics were engaged with companies and brands from the sector in practical training to improve traceability and transparency and take action towards a circular economy model.

Danielle Arzaga, sustainability manager, and Simon Giuliani, global marketing director, represented Candiani Denim, talking about the “UNECE call to action and SDA Bocconi circular fashion manifesto” and the “business process analysis for sustainable and circular textile and leather chain value,” respectively.

Traceability, transparency, and circularity KPI were presented

The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that Monitor for Circular Fashion members are committing to, to measure traceability, transparency, and circularity related to their processes and products, were also presented for the first time. Candiani Denim is an ingredient brand of the Monitor.

These KPIs will be tested during some of UNECE’s pilot projects. Their purpose is to define relevant and reliable indicators that garment and footwear companies can use to measure circularity performance across their value chains and, accordingly, accelerate progress towards greater sustainability.

The Monitor for Circular Fashion also presented a managerial agenda, recommending concrete actions to enhance the circularity performance of all companies and the entire sector. Traceability and transparency across the full fashion value chain, as well as advancing the circular economy, were identified as priorities by industry stakeholders. The support of policymakers is considered essential, particularly to enhance waste collection, accelerate industrial symbiosis, and develop consistent end-of-waste criteria across Europe.

Participants adopt the Sustainability Pledge of UNECE

The UNECE Sustainability Pledge eventually became a theme of the event. Participants had the opportunity to share their commitment and experience in adopting the pledge through a series of roundtables, presentations, and informal talks.

The Sustainability Pledge is the outcome of the UNECE project “Enhancing transparency and traceability of sustainable value chains in garment and footwear,” implemented with the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and e-Business (UN/CEFACT), in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC) and funded by the European Union.

The Sustainability Pledge aims to provide companies with a toolbox to trace the entire lifecycle of their goods, from raw materials to consumer purchases. The aim of the project is to establish a mechanism that enables governments, industry partners, consumers, and all industry stakeholders to make risk-informed decisions and to assert and verify sustainability claims. This process should be simplified through policy recommendations, implementation guidelines, and standards approved by UNECE member countries to promote transparency and traceability across the entire garment and footwear value chain.

Many leading brands and industry actors have been involved in blockchain pilot projects to use UNECE’s toolbox.