#Sustainability

2020-09-10

H&M Group lays the foundation for its biodiversity work

Cecilia Brännsten presents H&M Group's ambition for biodiversity during WWF's presentation of the Living Planet Report 2020.

Today WWF has published its flagship Living Planet Report, a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. This year's report provides scientific evidence to what nature has been telling us repeatedly: unsustainable human activity - today world citizens live as if we had 1.6 globes at our disposal - is pushing the planet’s natural systems that support life on Earth to the edge. In this context, Environmental Sustainability Manager Cecilia Brännsten presents H&M Group's ambition for biodiversity.

"A thriving fashion industry is undeniably dependent on healthy ecosystems and climate change kept within safe planetary boundaries."

Cecilia Brännsten, Environmental Sustainability Manager H&M Group

Cecilia adds: "When using the land for cultivating the cotton to make our customers’ favourite garments, regenerative farming is the future. When washing and dyeing the customers favorite jeans the soil and water should be left unharmed. Our ambition for biodiversity, together with our climate strategy, will help us in our work to relieve the planet from critical pressure, creating a more resilient supply chain and business".

“It is extremely important that businesses start taking action to fight biodiversity loss, as they have a powerful role to play in bending the curve and investing in nature. We salute H&M’s holistic approach to manage their impact and dependence on biodiversity and hope that other companies will follow their example.”

Erika Sundell, Head of Corporate Partnerships at WWF Sweden

H&M Group's long-term vision is to have a net positive impact on biodiversity. That means not only avoiding and mitigating harm, but leaving the natural environment in a better state than beforehand through habitat restoration and protection.

In order to achieve this, H&M Group has set two objectives:

1. To prevent and reduce the company's overall impact on biodiversity and natural ecosystems in our value chain.

2. Help to protect and restore biodiversity and natural ecosystems in line with what science requires*.

The base for H&M Group's ambition on biodiversity started with a biodiversity footprint assessment to identify the biggest impact areas of our business. The next step is now to align and formalise goals. Looking ahead, the company will continue to:

cooperate with WWF through a specific biodiversity workstream,

work on biodiversity traceability strategy to measure progress,

participate in forums and cooperating with organisations driving work in the area of biodiversity.

*Science currently calls for action to ensure that 50% of the Earth’s surface is protected, restored and sustainably managed by 2030, with 30% of the area being fully protected and 20% sustainably managed.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

The Or Foundation, adidas, BESTSELLER, H&M Group, and Inditex launch Apparel Recovery Coalition, responding to impacts of post-consumer textile exports

adidas, BESTSELLER, H&M Group, Inditex and The Or Foundation, with support from Circle Economy, unveiled the Apparel Recovery Coalition (ARC). The coalition will explore how producer responsibility systems can support circular pathways such as reuse, upcycling, recycling, and responsible waste management in countries that receive large volumes of exported secondhand apparel.

NEUMÜHLE launches mono-material hoodie designed for textile recycling

With the Circular Mono Hoodie, Zurich-based label NEUMÜHLE introduces a new essential designed around a single-material principle. The textile construction is cotton throughout, right down to the sewing thread. Entirely free from elastane, the hoodie launches as a Limited Drop for CHF 139. Take-back, collection and existing recycling partnerships complement its circular design.

EIM evolves into a new Environmental Intelligence to measure the impact of textile production

¿Do we really know the environmental impact behind a garment? Answering this question remains one of the textile industry’s major challenges. Garment production involves multiple stages, from yarn and fabric to final finishing, carried out by different players across the supply chain. Accesing reliable data from each process, connecting it and establishing a common language are essential to understanding a product’s true impact.

Mayer & Cie. Global gears up tor ITMA Asia 2026

Mayer & Cie. Global will focus on mattress fabric production at ITMA Asia, taking place in Shanghai from 20 to 24 November 2026. The company will showcase one of its flagship models for this application: the OVJA 2.4 EM. Joining the mattress fabric specialist will be an OV 3.2 QCe, presented at ITMA Asia in a configuration for knitting double-face fabrics in E40. This gives the OV 3.2 QCe a combination of capabilities rarely found in the market. The German textile machinery manufacturer will also introduce its new portfolio strategy and share updates from its development team at its Albstadt headquarters.

FET highlights advances in fibre spinning technology at Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress

Fibre Extrusion Technology Limited (FET) presented its latest developments in fibre spinning technology at the Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress in Austria in September 2026. In a presentation entitled “Spinning a good yarn”, Dr Jonny Hunter examined recent technological developments and challenges facing the fibre industry, highlighting the company's expanding range of specialised fibre extrusion and spinning systems.

Vietnam’s market evolution creates new sourcing opportunities at VIATT 2027

As Vietnam’s textile industry continues to upgrade and scale, new opportunities are emerging for suppliers of advanced raw materials, design-led fabrics, production technologies, and sustainability solutions. The Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) will return 24 – 26 February 2027, presenting a cross-sector platform – spanning apparel, home and technical categories – for overseas companies to connect with manufacturers, brands, sourcing offices, retailers, and industry buyers from Vietnam, ASEAN, and beyond.