Toward a Sustainable Textile Value Chain

The textile industry is one of the sectors with the greatest environmental and social impacts globally, with China accounting for a significant share in both the production and consumption stages of the value chain. 

This case study report is an outcome of the project “Sustainability in the textile value chain, promoting Ecolabel and Sustainable Public procurement”, implemented by China Environmental United Certification Center (CEC), which is affiliated with the Environmental Development Center (EDC) under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China. The project adopted a value chain analysis approach and a life cycle assessment (LCA) concept to develop the Ecological Textile Technical Specifications, systematically integrating criteria on climate change, biodiversity, pollution control, and social impacts. The project organized multiple promotion activities for standard interpretation and the adoption of sustainable procurement, and conducted pilot assessments in three well-known Chinese textile enterprises. These efforts have effectively advanced the green and low-carbon transformation of China’s textile enterprises.

The activities were supported by the EcoAdvance project, a collaborative effort between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), GIZ, and Öko-Institut, receiving financial support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).