A bold new direction emphasizes accountability, raw material impact, and producer equity to drive meaningful progress in fashion sustainability.
Textile Exchange, the global nonprofit driving sustainability in the fashion and textile industry, has entered a pivotal new chapter. This week, the organization unveiled a streamlined five-year strategy leading up to 2030, one that signals a shift from consensus-building to collective accountability, aiming to close the widening gap between ambition and action.
At the heart of this recalibration is a candid admission: despite more than two decades of progress, widespread industry engagement, and over 90,000 certified sites worldwide, the fashion sector remains off track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with science-based targets. Textile Exchange’s own benchmark, a 45% reduction in emissions from fiber and material production by 2030 remains a distant goal.
We’ve had strong engagement, but we’re not seeing enough movement on impact. To meet our targets, we need to realign around where change truly begins: the raw materials at the start of the supply chain.
Claire Bergkamp, CEO of Textile Exchange
Since joining the organization in 2023 following leadership roles at Stella McCartney and the Global Fashion Agenda, Bergkamp has led a strategic review to refine Textile Exchange’s scope and priorities. The outcome is a sharper, more targeted blueprint for industry transformation, doubling down on Tier 4 of the supply chain: the often-overlooked producers and farmers who cultivate and create raw materials.
From Commitment to Action
The new strategy revolves around three interconnected focus areas:
- Industry Engagement
- Measurable Climate and Nature Outcomes
- Transformation of the Standards System
The transformation of its standards system rebranded as “Materials Matter” represents a key pillar of change. This shift introduces a unified, outcome-based certification framework designed to simplify the industry’s fragmented standards landscape. Rather than checking boxes, brands will now be encouraged to focus on tangible, measurable results.
This realignment comes at a time of significant volatility for the sector. From growing resistance to ESG frameworks in the U.S., to impending regulatory changes in Europe and persistent geopolitical instability, brands are under heightened pressure to show credible climate action. At the same time, producers often underfunded and overburdened are demanding equitable inclusion and recognition.
We’re building our strategy around producer voice and equity. If a brand wants to make progress on climate, they have to invest in the people producing the materials. That means shifting financial flows, not just storytelling.
Claire Bergkamp, CEO of Textile Exchange
True Cost Accounting & Investment in Producers
One of the strategy’s most urgent calls to action is for brands to adopt true cost accounting, a practice that considers the long-term environmental and social value of materials rather than short-term financial savings. Regenerative cotton, responsibly grazed wool, and recycled synthetics often carry a premium. Textile Exchange argues that brands must stop externalizing these costs onto producers and instead create sourcing models that provide financial support and shared responsibility.
In parallel, the organization is building out its data and reporting infrastructure to enable transparent, science-based impact tracking. By refining metrics and standardizing outcome reporting, Textile Exchange hopes to make climate and nature outcomes traceable and comparable across the sector.
Beyond Pledges: Toward Real Systems Change
While the roadmap to 2030 is anything but straightforward, Textile Exchange’s refreshed strategy is clear in its emphasis on implementation over intention. The nonprofit is calling for coordinated investment, shared risk, and on-the-ground engagement between brands and raw material producers.
There’s no silver bullet. But we believe the pathway to transformation starts with uniting the industry around material-level impact and making sure those producing our fibers are empowered, supported, and seen.
Claire Bergkamp, CEO of Textile Exchange
This recalibration marks a critical turning point for Textile Exchange and, potentially, for the fashion industry at large. By aligning strategy with systems change, equity, and tangible impact, the organization is moving beyond pilot projects and toward lasting transformation.
As the 2030 deadline looms, the sustainability conversation is shifting from fragmented standards and storytelling to unified accountability and systemic impact. The industry now watches to see whether this bold step forward can turn long-standing ambition into real, collective action.
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