Have you ever heard of the green deal?

In 2022 several new regulations and directives have been introduced, predominantly in the EU, to define parameters around marketing and labeling, due diligence and traceability, as well as sustainability reporting.

Brands are facing increasing pressure to comply with a range of overlapping laws that differ from country to country.

But what do they have in common? 

All the regulations have embedded a requirement to strengthen traceability and know the environmental, social, and performance risks all across your value chain. 

There is a need for regulation because regulation tends to set clear targets, which will be key to moving forward. 

The European Green Deal: what is it?

Let’s start with the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Textile Strategy.

The European Green Deal: Striving the first climate-neutral continent.

The Green Deal is a set of political initiatives proposed by the European Commission with the overall goal of achieving climate neutrality in Europe by 2050.

An impact assessment plan will also be presented to raise the EU’s greenhouse gas emission reduction target to at least 50% by 2030 and to 55% from 1990 levels.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has declared that the European Green Deal will be for Europe “like the landing of man on the moon”, as this pact would make Europe the first continent to have achieved climate neutrality.

But what is written inside this package of initiatives?

Against green claims

The European Green Deal, published in 2019, states: “Companies making ‘green claims’ should substantiate these against a standard methodology to assess their impact on the environment.”

In March 2020, the European Commission adopted the new circular economy action plan (CEAP).

The EU transition to a circular economy will reduce pressure on natural resources and create sustainable growth and jobs. It is also a prerequisite to achieving the EU 2050 climate neutrality target and halting biodiversity loss.

March 30, 2022: The European Commission has adopted the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textile products.

It covers both Extended Producer Responsibility for products beyond the point of purchase, all the way to the end of life, as well as the empowerment of consumers to make better choices. 

The Green Deal objectives

It aims to create a greener and more competitive sector, better able to withstand global crises:

• Introducing mandatory ecodesign requirement
• Stopping the destruction of unsold or returned textile
• Addressing microplastics waste
• Introduction of a digital product passport to provide clear information on the environmental characteristics of a product
• Ensure that consumers are provided with information at the point of sale about a commercial guarantee of durability, as well as information relevant to repair, including a repairability score, whenever this is available.

These measures could make the EU the first major global market with harmonized rules on product sustainability. 

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