Cikis Studio published its 2023 report about fashion and sustainability, focusing on Italian fashion companies’ sustainability performance and competitiveness. Although investments in sustainability are increasing, Italian companies are behind the international ones, and awareness about the most important practices is decreasing.
Only 24.7% of Italian fashion companies calculate their carbon footprint
The report by Cikis Studio, a Milanese consultancy and research company on sustainable fashion, comprised 36 brands and 44 companies in the Italian supply chain.
More than half of the companies interviewed by Cikis Studio do not reach the amount of 56% preferred materials used, on average, by the participants to Material Change Insight 2022 by Textile Exchange, while only 24.7% calculate their carbon footprint, compared to 77% of the UN Fashion Industry Climate Action Charter signatories.
47.2% of Italian companies with a base sustainability level usually overestimate their commitment, increasing, consequently, greenwashing risks. However, they understand how adopting more responsible practices is an added value: 78% of the companies, indeed, reported, or expect to, a positive return on their sustainability investments.
How many companies comply with the REACH regulation?
Candiani Denim is cited in the report as a case study on chemical processes. In 2015, we adhered to the campaign Detox My Fashion by Greenpeace, which asks fashion companies to eliminate toxic chemicals from their operations. Moreover, in 2017, we entered the program ZDHC, i.e., Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals, of which we became contributor two years later, aiming to improve chemicals’ management in the textile, apparel, leather, and footwear industries.
According to Cikis Studio’s report, the awareness of Italian companies about better chemical processes management than REACH is improving, but it is still limited. REACH is a European regulation about the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals, both those needed in industrial productions and those used in our daily lives.
The report highlights that 31.25% of the companies adopted REACH standards on a high production volume, +48% than the previous year, while 57.5% comply with them only to manage chemical processes.
You can find Cikis Studio’s report (in Italian) here.