Textile Exchange, a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating sustainable practices in the textile industry, announced a unique and interactive collaborative learning series. The series is called “Rethinking and Reshaping Sustainable Sourcing.” The overall aim of the program is to provide valuable information and networking opportunities for textile brands and manufacturers seeking more sustainable sourcing models and materials options. The program will cover six related topics via webinars, blogs and social media interaction.
Top experts in the field will join the webinars, scheduled to launch February 5, 2013.
Prior to each webinar, participants can prepare for the conversation by following Textile Exchange’s blog which will introduce the topic and encourage questions for the experts who will be featured in the webinar. The first topic (February 5 and 7; times are scheduled to be convenient for all countries) will be Creating Shared Value: how could this approach work for cotton? All registered participants will be able to download the sessions.
The six main topics the series will cover are:
-Creating Shared Value (CSV): how could this approach work for cotton?
Series will explore the principles of Creating Shared Value (CSV), how CSV has influenced other industries and the benefits CSV could bring to more sustainable sourcing of cotton. Alison Ward, an independent consultant with years of experience in commodity value chains and Helen Crowley, Conservation & Ecosystem Services Specialist at PPR, the parent company of Puma and other brands, will participate in the webinar to provide a better understanding of CSV, how it is being used in other industries, and its applicability for cotton.
Impact Assessments, Footprints and Life Cycle Analyses:
Can these tools help guide sourcing decisions? Textile Exchange will take a closer look at indices and metrics as tools to help guide supply chain investments. Pros and cons, opportunities and challenges in this expanding field of knowledge and application will be discussed.
Holistic value chains: moving from disconnection to integration.
This topic looks at the advantages and challenges of integrating raw material producers more fully into the textile value chain. Best practices and current working examples will be shared. The goal is to achieve a value chain based on more holistic considerations.
Three Dimensional Profit & Loss: The next big thing.
PUMA set a new standard when they launched their Environmental Profit & Loss approach to accounting. This session will examine how three dimensional profit and loss can add social capital to the mix. This will address if we really can ascribe numbers to everything that matters or are some things beyond measurement? How can this new thinking drive the change we need in business and the world?
The Role of Certification: how to make it more than a piece of paper.
How can certification go beyond jumping a hurdle to becoming an enabler of participatory learning, closer value chain relations, continuous improvement and a trigger for a deeper understanding of the possibilities of organic for retailers, manufacturers, and customers?
Telling the story – is communications the biggest missed opportunity?
As “sustainability” becomes more of a consideration in product choice, how can organizations best communicate this to customers? This webinar will explore different approaches to communicating sustainable credentials.
The collaborative learning series is one of many shared learning experiences offered by Textile Exchange in preparation for their annual Sustainable Textiles Conference. The 2013 conference will be held in Istanbul, Turkey November 11-13.
ABOUT TEXTILE EXCHANGE
Textile Exchange is a membership-based non-profit dedicated to accelerating sustainable practices in the textile industry. TE envisions a textile industry that protects and restores the environment and enhances lives. Industry Integrity is foundational to the work of Textile Exchange, and seeks to support the transparency and integrity of sustainability claims in the marketplace. Other TE standards include the OE Standards, the Content Claim Standard and the Global Recycle Standard.
