What to do and view in April
About Earth Month
Experts say dialogue must come with sustainable investment. The 2030 Agenda, a United Nations climate-aligned progress roadmap, is one strategy for evolving business with people and planet in mind. Though this roadmap was adopted later on by member states, environmentalists first celebrated Earth Day on April 22, 1970. One billion people have mobilized annually since then, per EarthDay.org organizers.
With Earth Month, comes the run of events, pledges, announcements, and eco-themed products. For wherever one stands in their sustainability journey, community remains a motivator for many.
Live Events this April
Major cities from New York, London, to Tokyo will play host to Earth Month festivities including everything from trail conservation to beach cleanups, as well as industry-focused events. The following roundup highlights events where Cascale executives, members, and wider collaborators will be (or previously were) involved.
On April 16, Cascale affiliate member American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) will host its annual American Image Awards in New York highlighting industry leadership and excellence. Cascale members are notably represented including Global Fashion Agenda’s chief executive officer Federica Marchionni accepting the “Eco-Steward of the Year” award; and Carhartt’s Danilo Amoretty, senior vice president of global product supply and operations, accepting the “Company of the Year” award.
Meanwhile, Fashion World Tokyo is hosting its Sustainable Fashion Expo in Tokyo April 17 to 19. TED will host its TED2024: “The Brave and the Brilliant” in Vancouver, Canada focusing on visionary philanthropy April 15 to 19. On April 25, Bloomberg will convene its Sustainable Business Summit in London. At the end of the month, the “Sustainable Apparel and Textiles” conference from Innovation Forum returns with two events, one in Amsterdam April 23 to 24, and the second in New York June 25 to 26. Also in New York City, Ethics-focused retailer Olivela will host a “Conservation Couture” talk at Fotografiska on April 18, while Davines Group, B Local NYC and eco-influencer Marina Testino will host a regenerative agriculture panel talk “Our Home Planet” April 24 in Brooklyn.
Instead of its usual Portland, Ore. setting, Sustainable Fashion Forum 2024 (SFF24) will take place April 17 to 18 in Austin, Texas. Cascale executives will be speaking at both Innovation Forum and SFF events for this circuit.
Virtual Learning: Sustainable Apparel
If traveling is out of the question or a conscious refusal, virtual educational opportunities abound. For one, the International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITMA) will be convening an educational webinar series on textile financing. Sessions include “Impact Financing for Sustainable Transformation” airing April 22. The recordings will be available on-demand on Itmaconnect.com. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), alongside notable collaborators, will introduce a video series covering different dimensions of sustainability. In support of the CFDA mission, the educational series looks to inspire action, spotlight creative ingenuity, and engage various perspectives. Topics span biodiversity, innovation, circularity, purpose, and climate action. Guest speakers include everyone from brand executives to educators in aim to cultivate collective action.
As part of its latest installment, EcoTextile News’ podcast traces the latest environmental issues impacting the global textile and clothing supply chain.
Worldly and Cascale will also host a number of Higg FEM 4.0 onboarding and training question-and-answer sessions in April. Members are strongly encouraged to complete their self-assessment by April 30, given the process can take three to six weeks. Updates to the Higg FEM 4.0 process include streamlined usability and a customized platform, new features for improved data quality, built-in error detection, and a completely redesigned assessment. The expanded assessment covers direct emissions, including hotspots in groundwater and soil contamination. There is also newfound relevance across sectors.
Be it educational opportunities or in-person gatherings, community is top of the agenda this Earth Month.
On April 24, 2013, the apparel and textile industry stood still. News of the Rana Plaza factory collapse rippled through apparel supply chains and the devastation – 1,134 workers killed and several thousand injured – led to the reimagination of garment workers’ rights.
Preferred fibers are better in theory but how do they become reality?
“If the Higgs boson atomic particle is going to unify the universe, the Higg assessment tool is going to save it.” -Rick Ridgeway, co-founder of Cascale
