New Standard Targets Industry-Wide Transparency: GRI’s proposed Sector Standard aims to improve reporting across the full value chain in the global textiles and apparel industry.
Focus on Environmental and Social Risks: The draft addresses major sector risks including hazardous chemical use, gender discrimination, excessive working hours, and poor labor practices.
Stakeholder Engagement Open Until September 28: Public consultation seeks input from all players—brands, suppliers, civil society, investors—to shape a practical, globally relevant reporting framework.
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has launched a global public consultation on its proposed Textiles & Apparel Sector Standard, advancing efforts to improve transparency and accountability in one of the world’s most environmentally and socially impactful industries.
The exposure draft is open for public feedback until 28 September 2025. It targets organizations involved in textiles, clothing, footwear, and jewelry production and manufacturing—across retail and wholesale—covering impacts across the full value chain to the point of sale.
“The textiles and apparel sector provides essential goods to millions of people across the world – but with its size, complexity and fragmentation come serious risks to people and planet,” said Peter Dawkins, GRI Standards Senior Manager and project lead. “The new Sector Standard will aim to help organizations report more effectively and embed responsible business practices throughout their operations.”
The standard addresses long-standing challenges in traceability and transparency, particularly in globally dispersed supply chains. These complexities hinder efforts to manage and report on issues such as water pollution from hazardous chemicals, substandard working conditions, and gender-based discrimination.
GRI’s goal is to provide a globally consistent set of metrics that enables companies to meet evolving regulatory and stakeholder expectations. The draft seeks input on its clarity, feasibility, and relevance from a wide range of stakeholders.
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Chulendra de Silva, member of the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB), emphasized: “Sustainability in textiles and apparel is essential, given the industry’s far-reaching environmental impacts – from water and energy consumption to chemical use and waste generation. Social impacts are equally significant… The GSSB believes that a new GRI Sector Standard… can empower organizations to identify their most significant impacts and report on them with clarity and transparency.”
Key Sector Challenges
The textiles and apparel industry is associated with numerous environmental and social risks:
Water pollution and hazardous chemicals
High greenhouse gas emissions and waste—over half of all textiles are landfilled or incinerated
Labor exploitation—an estimated 70 million workers, mostly young women, often face poor conditions, wage inequality, and harassment
To support the development of the Standard, the GSSB appointed a multi-stakeholder Working Group of 21 experts from across business, civil society, labor, and investment institutions.
GRI’s Sector Standards are designed to streamline sustainability reporting by helping companies focus on the most material economic, environmental, and social impacts relevant to their industry. Reporting begins with GRI’s Universal Standards and is supplemented by Sector and Topic Standards.
Stakeholders can learn more and register for upcoming global webinars on the proposed Standard, scheduled for:
21 July at 5pm CEST
15 September at 10am CEST
For details and registration, visit the GRI website here.
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