Global CSR Trends

The fashion industry’s journey toward sustainability is encountering significant challenges due to a volatile market, incoming regulations, and shifting politics. What started as a gradual shift has now become more pronounced. Brands that once proudly showcased their sustainable initiatives are now scaling back or pausing these efforts. This shift is accompanied by job cuts in senior sustainability roles, with companies like Nike and Canada Goose restructuring their teams. Moncler even removed its chief sustainability officer earlier this year. While some companies continue to hire for sustainability roles, the industry is rethinking how to resource and manage these teams. Brands like ASOS.com and Crocs have delayed or abandoned their climate targets, citing unrealistic initial goals. Companies claim they are restructuring to align with changing standards and business realities, not lowering their sustainability ambitions. However, these changes threaten to derail the industry’s already lagging climate progress, especially as record-breaking temperatures highlight the urgency of action. In the aftermath of the 2015 Paris Agreement and a pandemic-fueled consumer awakening, big brands set ambitious sustainability targets. However, as business priorities shift, sustainability efforts, which often have intangible benefits, are becoming easy targets for cost-cutting. This trend extends beyond fashion, particularly in the US, where political backlash against “woke capitalism” has led some companies to abandon both diversity and climate targets. Nike and Canada Goose have significantly cut their sustainability teams, though they maintain their commitment to sustainability. McKinsey & Company reports that about two-thirds of fashion brands are behind on their decarbonization schedules. The changes also reflect tightening regulations and evolving standards, prompting companies to reevaluate their sustainability initiatives. Many are becoming more cautious in communicating achievements and setting targets amid a crackdown on #greenwashing. Recruiters note that the structure of sustainability teams is changing, with C-suite positions being slashed and key activities integrated into more operational roles. New hires are focused on change management rather than grand strategy. The challenges are not unique to the fashion industry; various sectors are adjusting their sustainability goals in response to external pressures and evolving market conditions. As we navigate these turbulent times, it is crucial to find a balance between business realities and the urgent need for sustainable practices. In the meantime, the world keeps getting hotter.  🌱 #Sustainability #BusinessStrategy #ClimateAction #CorporateResponsibility #EnvironmentalGoals #Leadership #Innovation #FutureOfWork The Business of Fashion https://lnkd.in/g3SJ7Dqx

Rebuilding a rainforest corridor in Madagascar In eastern Madagascar, two protected areas—Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and Analamazoatra Special Reserve—contain a high number of endemic species. Lemurs are the most easily observed, though the forests support a wider range of plants and animals found almost nowhere else. For decades, that landscape has been divided. Clearing in the 1960s broke up what had been continuous forest, leaving wildlife confined to isolated patches. A reforestation effort now aims to reconnect these habitats, reports Marina Martinez. The project, launched in 2023, focuses on a 6km stretch of degraded land between the parks. Its goal is to restore 150 hectares of native forest and reconnect the two forests. The work is funded by outside groups and carried out with local labor and technical support. The project focuses on gradual restoration. Seeds are collected from nearby forests and raised in nurseries before planting. More than 100 native species are being used, including some that remain poorly described. Monitoring is done regularly. Field teams track growth, survival and environmental conditions across a defined study area. Early results suggest relatively low mortality rates and steady growth, helped in part by soil treatments that improve early growth. Wildlife has begun to return. Smaller lemur species and nocturnal mammals have been recorded within the corridor. Larger species may take longer, as they depend on more mature forest structure. The early signs suggest the corridor is starting to function as planned. Challenges remain. Invasive plants and legacy eucalyptus stands complicate restoration. Land ownership complicates the work, with private management intersecting with community use. The project has created jobs, which has helped build local support, though there have been some disagreements. The work extends beyond tree planting. Health services, education programs and efforts to manage domestic animals are intended to reduce reliance on nearby forests. These measures aim to address the causes of forest loss, not only the damage. Even so, restoration is not a substitute for intact habitat. Much of Madagascar’s biodiversity still depends on its remaining primary forests. 🇲🇬 The story: https://lnkd.in/g8Xtb9PJ

Great guide on sustainability trends for luxury brands. The 2026 ESG Policy Guide by Positive Luxury and Baker McKenzie lays out how regulation is evolving across the EU, US, Latin America, and Asia, and what that means in practice for luxury companies. It reads less like a vision and more like a roadmap of requirements that are already shaping decisions. The document shows how product design, reporting, sourcing, and compliance are starting to converge into the same set of business decisions. A few trends define that shift: * Circularity is moving into regulation. Requirements like Digital Product Passports and Extended Producer Responsibility are pushing brands to rethink how products are designed, used, and managed across their lifecycle. * Reporting is becoming more technical and comparable. Frameworks like CSRD are forcing companies to build systems that link sustainability with financial and operational performance. * Packaging is turning into a strategic lever. New rules on plastics, recyclability, and waste are driving redesign decisions that affect cost and supply chains. * Supply chain transparency is becoming a requirement. Brands are expected to trace materials, monitor labour conditions, and manage risks across multiple tiers. * Climate transition is being formalized. Targets need to be backed by credible plans and reflected in sourcing and operations. * Biodiversity is entering sourcing decisions, especially for materials linked to deforestation and ecosystem impact. The scale behind this is significant: 85% of textiles end up in landfills 81.5 pounds of clothing discarded per person each year 70% of beauty industry waste comes from packaging 120 billion units of cosmetics packaging produced annually 35% of ocean microplastics come from textiles ~700,000 microfibres released per wash of synthetic garments I believe luxury brands are in a unique position to influence how this transition plays out across the system. They control design, work with concentrated supplier networks, and shape consumer perception of value. That creates the ability to move faster on traceability, materials, and circular models. Many of the expectations now being enforced, durability, quality, longevity, have always been part of the category. The difference is that they now need to be operationalized and measured. The opportunity is not in responding to regulation one by one. It is in using this moment to redesign how the business works. Luxury can set the pace here. #sustainability #esg

The BIGGEST desert restoration project is in China...🤔 6k+ km² of desert now greened, just in Inner Mongolia. 🌿 Over the past 40 years, China has quietly launched one of the most ambitious ecological restoration projects in human history. While many love to point out China’s emissions... 😅 We often frame China as a polluter. But it’s also pioneering climate solutions at a *scale* that’s hard to ignore. 🙏 【库布其沙漠 Kubuqi Desert 🏜️】 Once a barren expanse of shifting sand, 6k+ km² have now been greened. --> Using straw checkerboards, AI, and agroforestry. 📶 China has planted *billions* of trees as part of national campaigns like: 【三北防护林工程 The Three-North Shelter Forest Program】🌳   Started in 1978, as the world's largest afforestation project. --> Covering Northwest, North, and Northeast China. It aims to create a massive windbreak system to halt the spread of 戈壁沙滩 Gobi Desert. 【退耕还林 Grain-for-Green】A policy where farmers are compensated to convert farmland on steep or degraded land back into forests or grasslands. So what’s the result? 👀 - Sandstorms in Beijing have decreased.  - Millions lifted out of poverty through eco-farming and reforestation jobs.  - Entire landscapes, once lifeless, now supporting biodiversity again! What do you think these measures? Arnold Ma #China #Technology #Environment

If you've been following the biodiversity monitoring pilot in Yaguas National Park in Peru, the full story is finally here! Conservation International just published an excellent writeup by Will McCarry with stunning photos and camera trap video from the biodiversity monitoring expedition last fall. Yaguas National Park spans 800,000+ hectares of pristine forest but operates on an annual budget of roughly $250,000. Compare that to Yellowstone (similar size) at a working budget of ~$77 million per year. Illegal gold miners and loggers are encroaching on Yaguas, but funding limitations make it challenging for park rangers to keep up. This project was a pilot designed to answer whether we can monitor nature at scale, on minimal budget, in one of the most remote rainforests on Earth. Results from the two-week expedition: • 218 birds identified from 18,000 bird detection events via bioacoustics sensors • 34 mammals detected from 57,863 camera trap videos • 99 fish families and a host of microorganisms from 15 eDNA river sampling points • 854 nocturnal insect taxa from 160,000 entotrap photos • 122 tree taxa identified from imagery All from a concentrated pilot area designed to test what's scalable. Worth reading the full piece if you're interested in the future of scalable biodiversity monitoring! Incredible team effort with the expertise and support of several organisations: Conservación Internacional Perú Limelight and Selvatek Okala Frankfurt Zoological Society / Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt Patrick J McGovern Foundation Ali Swanson Thomas Walla Jeremy Cusack Image credit: Prof. Etienne Laliberté

🌍 Today, August 1, 2024, is Earth Overshoot Day, the day we’ve used up all the natural resources that our planet can regenerate in a year. For the fashion industry—a sector notorious for its environmental footprint—this day is a critical reminder of our urgent need for systemic change. 📌 In 2024, we are consuming 1.75 times the Earth's annual ecological budget. 📌 The fashion industry alone is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions and contributes to over 20% of water pollution, with 93 billion cubic meters utilized annually. 📌 Consumers today buy 60% more clothing than 15 years ago, while clothing waste has surged due to early discardment, overproduction, and cheap fabrication. 📌 Alarmingly, nearly one-third of the clothing produced is either burned or discarded before reaching consumers. As we reflect on these statistics, it's crucial for the fashion industry to embrace #sustainable practices, enhance #traceability, and #reduce waste. With regulations like the European Union’s #CSDDD, #CSRD, #ESPR coming into sharper focus, the pressure is mounting for us to rethink our practices. A robust traceability system is no-longer an option. Brands that prioritize sustainability today will be the leaders of tomorrow. Let’s take this Earth Overshoot Day as a wake-up call to rethink and reshape the fashion industry for a sustainable future. 🌱 . . #EarthOvershootDay #Sustainability #FashionRevolution #ClimateAction #CircularEconomy #FashionIndustry #SustainableFashion Image: Statista

🌿 Sustainability in Textiles: The Trends Shaping 2025 and Beyond 🌿 The textile and garment sector is undergoing one of its most transformative periods. With rising consumer awareness, stricter global regulations, and increasing pressure from international buyers, sustainability has become a core business strategy, not just a compliance requirement. Here are the top trends and best practices defining the industry today: ✅ Shift Toward Circular Materials Manufacturers are rapidly adopting organic cotton, recycled polyester, biodegradable fibers, and innovative next-gen materials. This reduces dependency on virgin resources and lowers overall environmental impact. ✅ Cleaner Dyeing & Finishing Technologies Water-efficient dyeing, digital printing, dope-dyed yarns, and closed-loop treatment systems are becoming essential to minimise water waste and chemical pollution — two of the sector’s biggest challenges. ✅ Energy-Efficient Manufacturing Factories are investing in renewable energy, heat-recovery systems, and automation to cut carbon emissions and improve operational efficiency. ✅ Transparent & Ethical Supply Chains From fibre traceability to fair labour practices, transparency has become a competitive advantage. Brands increasingly prefer suppliers who demonstrate accountability and responsible manufacturing. ✅ Designing for Circularity Long-lasting, repairable and recyclable garments are gaining priority, helping reduce waste from the very first design decision. As sustainability accelerates across global value chains, the real opportunity lies in adopting practices that strengthen both planet resilience and business resilience. The future of fashion is green — and the textile sector has the power to lead it. 🌱 #SustainableTextiles #GarmentIndustry #CircularEconomy #EcoInnovation #GreenManufacturing #SustainableFashion #TextileTrends #EthicalProduction #ClimateAction #IndustryTransformation

Sustainable Materials Are No Longer Enough. Consumers Demand Sustainable Supply Chains. One of the biggest misconceptions in the apparel industry is that consumers judge sustainability solely by materials. For years, brands have focused on organic cotton, recycled polyester, and responsibly sourced fibers, assuming these attributes alone drive purchasing decisions. While material sustainability remains important, today's consumers increasingly assess the sustainability of the entire value chain, including raw-material sourcing, manufacturing, worker welfare, renewable energy, traceability, and climate action. The data tells an important story. According to PwC's 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey, 80% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainably produced products, with an average premium of 9.7%, even amid inflationary pressures. Consumers also define sustainability broadly: 40% value responsible production and recycling, 38% value environmentally friendly packaging, and 34% value biodiversity and water stewardship. Yet sustainability alone does not close the sale. The apparel industry continues to face the "intention-action gap." While consumers say sustainability matters, purchasing decisions remain heavily influenced by price, quality, durability, and style. McKinsey found that 67% consider sustainable materials important and 63% value brands that promote sustainability. However, 75% buy from brands they trust, suggesting that credibility outweighs sustainability claims. The biggest shift is that consumers are increasingly scrutinizing the supply chain. According to the Fashion Retail Outlook 2026 report, 49% are more likely to buy apparel when product origin and sustainability claims are independently verified through Digital Product Passports or similar traceability systems, and 74% would pay a premium for fully traceable, sustainability-verified products. This signals a fundamental shift. Sustainable materials are becoming the baseline expectation rather than a competitive advantage. Differentiation now comes from demonstrating responsible sourcing, ethical labour practices, adoption of renewable energy, water stewardship, carbon reduction, and transparent supply chains. This trend is evident across the industry. McKinsey's 2024 Global Apparel Chief Procurement Officer Survey found that more than 80% of sourcing leaders now consider ESG certifications, traceability, transparency, and sustainable materials prerequisites for supplier selection. Consumers are no longer asking, "Is this made from recycled polyester?" They are asking, "Who made it? Where did it come from? Can you prove your claims?" The brands that will lead the next decade won't just sell sustainable products; they will build transparent, resilient, and low-carbon supply chains.

Before billions of eyes turn to the football fields of the FIFA World Cup, this World Environment Week offers an opportunity to reflect on another field-related milestone: the equivalent of more than 200,000 soccer/football fields of native vegetation reconnected across three of Brazil’s most important biomes. Over the past four years, Suzano International has connected 214,368 hectares of native vegetation fragments through ecological corridors across the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Amazon. With our 2025 results, we have already achieved 43% of our commitment to connect 500,000 hectares of native forest by 2030. Today, Suzano maintains and protects more than 1.1 million hectares of native vegetation, equivalent to 40% of its total land area. But we understand that ecological processes are not limited to land boundaries. That is why our biodiversity commitment is implemented at a landscape scale, transcending the boundaries of the company’s properties to create ecological corridors that enable the free movement of species and the flow of natural processes. Ecological corridors act as green bridges between areas fragmented by human activity, allowing species to move, feed, reproduce, and improve their chances of survival. Beyond increasing forest cover, they also help restore natural processes that are essential to ecosystem balance. Biodiversity sustains systems that are essential to life itself, including pollination, soil fertility, climate regulation, water availability, pest and disease control, and forest stability. Studies by the World Economic Forum (2020) and PwC (2023) indicate that more than half of the world’s GDP depends moderately or highly on nature and its ecosystem services. Supporting biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration not only protects the environment and benefits society as a whole, but also helps ensure the long-term resilience of businesses. Check out Suzano’s 2025 Sustainability Report to see how the company has been combating biodiversity loss and increasingly integrating sustainability into its business model: https://lnkd.in/eyyAz83g #WePlantTheFuture #biodiversity #WorldEnvironmentWeek

150 struggling species are recovering in England after a “collective endeavour” to restore nature. After non-profit Natural England invested 13 million pounds in grants to conservation projects across the country, dormice, voles, willow tits, and other species are thriving for the first time in decades. Conservationists relocated 15,000 individual animals and plants to expand species’ territories and bred more than 12,000 individual invertebrates, mammals, birds in captivity for release into the wild. The results? In Northamptonshire, Cheshire, and other regions, new wetlands, banksides, and ponds were created for 42 newly released water voles. In Hastings and East Sussex, the rare hawksbeard mining bee was discovered for the first time in a century in newly planted wildflower meadows. In Kent, a chough chick hatched for the first time in 200 years thanks to a captive breeding program. In total, they enhanced or created 2400 hectares or 5930 acres of habitat. But not without help from the community. More than 80,000 people participated in 465 educational events and activities, and the volunteers contributed nearly 100,000 hours of conservation work worth over 1 million pounds. The non-profit is hosting a celebration at Brandon Marsh in Warwickshire where the once rare eurasian bittern is recovering with the planting of new reedbeds. But the efforts to restore wildlife can’t end now. Thousands of endemic species in the UK have been lost, and thousands more are endangered due to centuries of industrialization and agriculture. We need to move beyond only involving specialists and fund more projects with more volunteers and more support from the private sector. To aid in future conservation efforts, Natural England is publishing a threatened species recovery actions guide for more than 1,000 of England’s most threatened species. All in all, this is amazing news. Do you think we can restore nature to collectively bring back endangered species from the brink? Source: https://lnkd.in/gwCWs6WN