#Sustainability

2025-04-30

Cone Denim 2025 Sustainability Report highlights key initiatives, sustainable innovations, and collaborative projects

Cone Denim®, a leading denim innovator for more than 130 years, is pleased to release its 2025 Sustainability Report. Within the report, Cone reflects upon its sustainable progress over the previous year and discusses metric goals set by parent company Elevate Textiles that it aims to achieve by 2030.

The report follows the theme of Compounding Our Future, a play-on-words message derived from the company’s Cone3D program, a research and design incubator for technical product development that focuses on new technologies and innovations. In addition to highlighting sustainable milestones, the report discusses how Cone’s actions “compound” to create the foundation for a more sustainable future.

The 2025 Sustainability Report highlights 2024 achievements across Cone Denim including:

+ Achieved 2025 goals in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and absolute water consumption

+ Launched Cone’s first solar panel installation at its Jiaxing, China facility

+ Honored the five-year anniversary with fiber and source tracing partner Oritain

+ Completed multiple design and development collaborations

“Looking back on 2024, I am incredibly proud of the progress Cone Denim has made in sustainability,” stated Cone Denim President Steve Maggard. “I celebrated 30 years with Cone this year, and being able to witness and shape the impact we have had has been a gift. In 2024, we launched our first solar project, had incredible industry shaping collaborations, and exceeded several sustainability goals.”

Through themes of Denim Made Responsibly, Design for the Planet, and Develop for the Future, Cone aims to educate its customers, suppliers, and vendor partners alike on the cross-functionality synergy that allows the company to reach and surpass its sustainability targets. Maggard believes that these efforts allow Cone to maintain its leadership as a sustainable denim supplier.

“My hope for the remainder of 2025 is that our customers and suppliers continue to look to Cone Denim as a leader in sustainability,” added Maggard. “When you think of Cone, I hope you think ‘transparent’, ‘traceable’, and ‘trustworthy’. We invest in sustainability every day and are never satisfied with the status quo.”

To read the full Sustainability Report, visit https://conedenim.com/home/sustainability/.

Artistic Milliners acquires majority stake in Cone Denim

Artistic Milliners, a global leader in denim innovation, today announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Cone Denim from Elevate Textiles. The new multi-national company will operate under the historic Cone Denim name. Artistic Milliners' Pakistan operations and business will continue to operate independently. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026.

Cone Denim to launch collaborative hub The Cone Collective

Cone Denim® will debut The Cone Collective, a virtual hub for its cross collaborations with designers and students at the end of June. The Cone Collective is a creative initiative within Cone Denim aimed at supporting and highlighting designers, brands, and students who help tell Cone’s story using its denim fabric through unique creations and art.

Cone Denim and AMK Atelier honor Rooted collaboration at Kingpins Amsterdam

Cone Denim® will debut Rooted, a denim collaboration with AMK Atelier and videographer Eduard Nijgh, at Kingpins Show Amsterdam April 16-17. The collection follows the work of farmers at De Stadsgroenteboer in Amsterdam, documenting wear patterns and testing fabric durability for a full year in custom workwear designed by AMK Atelier. Rooted garments utilize a range of Cone Denim fabrics, including the most recent Cone Denim Community Deforestation selvedge fabric.

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.

Experts publish APAC policy priorities

Cascale today announced the publication of its APAC Policy Priorities Paper, developed by the Asia-Pacific (APAC) Policy Member Expert Team (MET) to identify key regional sustainability challenges and provide practical, aligned recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders across Asia-Pacific.

AI, Start-ups, Research: Techtextil and Texprocess bring together players in the textile industry

From start-ups to universities and research institutes: at Techtextil and Texprocess, the world’s leading innovation trade fairs in Frankfurt am Main, exhibitors present future-oriented concepts for the global textile industry. With the international Campus & Research area, a strong participation from start-ups and the latest AI applications for textile processing, both trade fairs showcase current developments in the textile industry. By bringing together innovation, research and application, they enable new partnerships across the textile value chain.

IVGT joint stand brings innovation and networking to Techtextil 2026

At Techtextil 2026 and the parallel Texprocess 2026, key transformation topics such as artificial intelligence, digitalisation, sustainability, recycling and the circular economy will be reflected across the show. Against this backdrop, the IVGT, together with 16 member companies, will present its joint stand in Hall 12.1 (Stand D62) as a platform for exchange and networking.

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.