Cascale (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition) collaborated with Fashion Charter Decarbonization Working Group members on the UN Fashion for Climate Report, Guidance for Measuring Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Purchased Goods and Services in the Apparel and Footwear Industry. Prior to this publication, there was no sector-specific guidance on how to calculate carbon emissions in the upstream supply chain, a complicated process that requires blending factory-specific data when available and industry averages elsewhere. This report provides the industry with technical guidance that will enhance the consistency, accuracy, and comparability of carbon emissions calculations. The work reflects Cascale’s organizational focus on collaboration to drive emissions reduction in the apparel and wider consumer goods industry.

Collaborating with the UN Climate Change-convened Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (Fashion Charter) and with members of its Decarbonization Working Group, Cascale led the development of guidance specific to measuring category 1 of Scope 3: Purchased Goods and Services (PG&S), which represents the vast majority of a fashion company’s carbon footprint. To develop the initial report, the organization received input from over a dozen brands, manufacturers, consultancies, and other industry stakeholders. After a draft review, Cascale incorporated feedback into the final report, with support from UNFCCC.

For apparel and footwear brands and retailers, PG&S emissions result from all of the value chain activities that go into making finished products, from raw materials to fabric development to product manufacturing. Given the magnitude of PG&S for brands and retailers, the language in this report is generally tailored for them; however, the guidance can also be used by finished goods manufacturers, textile manufacturers, and other “upstream” companies to measure their PG&S emissions.

Cascale drives impact at scale through three foundational pillars — Combat Climate Change, Decent Work for All, and Nature Positive Future — forming a unified strategy for industry transformation through collective action programs that guide members from action to impact. Cascale’s Decarbonization Program, launched in 2022, is one leading example of these programs in action. It aims for members to achieve a 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. As of 2023, Cascale’s corporate members are required to set science-based targets (SBTs) for reducing GHG emissions by the end of 2023, when the organization launched the Manufacturer Climate Action Program (MCAP), over 50 percent of these members had set or committed to setting SBTs. To learn more about participating in this program, please complete the MCAP Expression of Interest form. To learn more about this report, please contact higgindex@cascale.org.