The Hot Button Issue
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The Hot Button Issue: CanopyStyle update on viscose producers and forests In 2013, when Canopy issued the call to the fashion world to help halt the growing impact of rayon and viscose fabrics on the planet’s ancient and endangered forests, leading clothing brands and progressive designers sprang into action. THESE PIONEERING leaders worked with Canopy to develop Canopy has done the research and collaboratively engaged purchasing policies and have committed to eliminate sourcing producers globally to create momentum for the shifts needed from ancient and endangered forests and controversial sources for this unsustainable supply chain. We want to make it easy for by 2017. you to make the right choices. This report will help you implement your policy commitments with confidence and to The following report provides an update for brands on progress pinpoint where your suppliers need encouragement in the in the world of rayon and viscose production. Which of your coming months. suppliers are taking meaningful action? Who is leading the field and continuously progressing on CanopyStyle’s producer and Together, we will help to create conservation legacies in the fiber compliance tools? Where, among the world’s top rayon world’s most valuable and important forests and catalyze the and viscose producers, will you find certainty of endangered next generation of fabrics by kickstarting circular economy forest-free supply? textiles. One of the Many Benefits of MOVING THE MARKET, Being a Brand with a Public REWARDING LEADERSHIP CanopyStyle Commitment. The CanopyStyle campaign is a visionary effort to transform CanopyStyle is being hailed by many as the fastest the impacts of the fashion industry on the world’s ancient and moving sustainability issue in the apparel sector. This endangered forests. is largely due to the strong engagement and support Canopy’s 65 brand partners (to date) represent over $ 100 billion of over 65 brands that have stepped up for forests with in annual revenue and have all committed to eliminate any formal endangered forest commitments over the past ancient and endangered forest fiber from their clothing by three years. 2017. To accomplish that ambitious goal, rayon and viscose The report you are reading is free and public. However, producers providing more than 75 per cent of global production only brands that have put policies in place and are part have been engaged and are critical partners in the CanopyStyle of the CanopyStyle initiative will have free exclusive campaign. access to the detailed research, analysis and supply Brands are looking to their suppliers to shift sourcing to more chain insights behind these high level results. This is to sustainable options and demonstrate progress by putting robust recognize that these brand leaders are critical partners policies in place, eliminating any controversial sources of forest in these collaborative efforts. fiber, completing independent third party audits, advancing It is not too late. We are transforming a global supply the development of sustainable alternatives and taking action chain. Strong momentum has gotten us to this exciting to protect forests. juncture and there is more collaborative work to be done. In a short three years, the campaign has met with incredible Your brand’s new CanopyStyle commitment will help. early success and momentum continues to build. Our brand Please contact [email protected] to join us. partners — design icons and clothing leaders — are already having a tremendous impact that is rippling throughout the supply chain. If you’re not already part of this movement, join us. If you are, thank you! We look forward to transforming this unsustainable supply chain together. cover photo: © Canopy / Grewal PRODUCER PROGRESS Canopy is pleased to report some CanopyStyle producers are making solid progress. Producer Progress: To support producers on the journey towards the production of truly At the time of writing, both Lenzing By the Numbers responsible cellulosic fiber products, and Aditya Birla, who together Canopy is always available and represent 35 % of the global market, have completed a desktop audit ~75% engaging. With our brand partners The portion of global viscose of their global sourcing practices. we have co-hosted two Summits in and rayon production covered Both producers are now undergoing China (2015 and 2016) to outline the by wood sourcing policies additional site visits at their mills to new market demand and have sup- committing not to source from verify consistency with global sourcing. ported trainings on the CanopyStyle ancient and endangered forests Audit process and webinars on our Tangshan Sanyou is in the final stages or controversial sources. global maps of ancient and endangered of getting the contract formalized and forests. Before finalization of this report, setting the dates for the audit to be producers were actively engaged and executed. Sanyou will be the first 1 The number of viscose producers given an opportunity to review, provide viscose producer in China to initiate outside the top 10 who have come feedback and take action to improve the CanopyStyle third party verification to Canopy proactively and put in their standing. audit. We expect many others to be place a policy commitment. As a result, nine of the top ten viscose close behind. producers have now publicly committed Publicly available CanopyStyle audit to end all sourcing from ancient and results will be posted in the coming 8 / 10 The number of producers who endangered forests. One additional month on producers’ and auditors’ have shared their sourcing data viscose producer, not currently in the websites. Canopy will then analyze with Canopy. top 10, Nanjing Chemical Fiber those results and engage with producers Company (NCFC), has pro-actively and brands on needed action plans. committed to CanopyStyle. Following The CanopyStyle audit stipulates ALL policy development, eight producers The number of Top 10 global that, among other criteria consistent have already shared sourcing data producers that have or have had with CanopyStyle policies, all forest with Canopy to map out their supply association with ancient and manage ment operations, plantations, of raw material. endangered forests between dissolving pulp and viscose mills of 2010 and 2016 based on customs Now comes the critical step to set up a given company must be verified to information and other public success for 2017. be deemed low risk of sourcing from sources. This is not unexpected ancient and endangered forests and All producers have been asked to news for Canopy and our Canopy- other controversial sources. undergo a third-party, independent Style brand partners. Under- verification audit (the CanopyStyle Audit) standing these past and present of their raw fiber purchases, tracking fiber supply chain links to global forests back to the forests of origin, identifying is not where our collaboration and eliminating any risk of contentious ends. Leading producers are now fiber entering their supply chain. working with Canopy to eliminate controversial sources and under- taking audits so they can better understand their risks, avoid them and work with their suppliers to advance innovative conservation solutions. 2 The number of the world’s viscose producers currently undertaking the CanopyStyle Audit — a key requirement to meet the expect- ations of CanopyStyle brand partners. photo: © Christian Aslund MAKING THE CUT: FIBERS THAT MATCH THE VISION OF CANOPYSTYLE The expectations of rayon and viscose Making the Cut: Sustainable Cellulosic Fiber Staircase producers are clearly outlined in the new CanopyStyle Fiber Compliance CanopyStyleGuide, launched this fall. Here you will find a portion of this CanopyStyle Guide, which is focused on fiber compliance. GOLD This tool is called Making the Cut: Sustainable Fiber is made from lower impact a Cellulosic Fiber Staircase. By 2017 producers non-wood alternatives such as recycled are expected to be providing fibers and fabrics or left over straw, and fabrics that meet the green tiers in the graphic (right). Producer of fiber is demonstrating a business strategy and investments for All producers are encouraged to continuously making these alternative fibers com- move up the staircase, and those showing mercial scale and cost competative, and leadership will differentiate themselves in the If the producer of this gold fiber is using market by only offering products in the ‘’Silver’’ Fibers from these any wood fiber in other products or areas and ‘’Gold’’ levels. Foundational to this is the categories could of business, the producer has met completion of CanopyStyle Audits to verify be mixed CanopyStyle Audit expectations.b,e no sourcing from ancient and endangered forests or controversial sources. silver The collective vision is not defined by simple Producer of fiber has met CanopyStyle Audit compliance and risk management, but instead expectations b,e and, reinforces deep commitments to systemic closed loop systems, cutting edge circular Fiber is sourced from FSC certified forests economic thinking and lasting forest conser- or plantations, where, in addition large-scale b vation solutions. While commercial-scale pro - scientifically based conservation plans are in duction of rayon and viscose made from high place where producer is actively supporting b percentages of recovered textiles or leftover global forest conservation solutions. straw is not yet common, many new projects are arising and now is the time to support and