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The EEA’s Circularity Metrics Lab Textiles Module has developed a set of metrics to monitor environmental performance and circularity uptake in the textiles sector. In this webinar, the EEA will present these metrics, including actual data for each metric, and engage with a selected group of experts and stakeholders to discuss:
The strengths and weaknesses of the metrics
Best practices for using the metrics effectively
Improving data collection and quality moving forward, and the role of stakeholders
How the metrics can inform target setting and decision-making
Additional metrics needed, including those that address social and economic progress
Agenda
Why are metrics needed? Mike Schragger, SFA
Presentation of the metrics: Lars Fogh Mortensen, EEA
Panel Discussion
The link to the EEA briefing, module and report will be shared in advance.
(additional panelists to be confirmed)
From the perspective of European consumption, textiles are among the household consumption domains with the highest negative life cycle pressures on the environment and climate change (ETC CE, 2022, 2025). Textiles have therefore been identified as one of the key value chains in the EU Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) whose aim is to pave the way for a cleaner and more competitive Europe (EU, 2020). The CEAP, adopted in March 2020, is one of the main building blocks of the European Green Deal (European Commission, 2021). Another deliverable of the European Green Deal was the adoption of the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan in May 2021. One of the targets set in this plan is to reduce microplastics released into the environment by 30 % and to significantly reduce waste generation, including a 50 % decrease in residual municipal waste by 2030 (European Commission, 2024b).
The commitments of the European Green Deal and CEAP are implemented in the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, which addresses the production and consumption of textiles. The objectives of the textiles strategy are being implemented in various regulations and directives. More recently, the new Competitiveness Compass for the EU will ‘guide the work in the coming five years and lists priority actions to reignite economic dynamism in Europe’ (EC, 2025). The textiles and clothing sector in the EU is a significant contributor to our competitiveness, generation of value added and employment. Innovation in textiles production and consumption – including through digitalisation – and decarbonising the textiles industry can contribute to boosting EU competitiveness.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) supported by its European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use (ETC CE) provides data, indicators, information and knowledge to support the shift towards a circular economy in the EU. Despite significant political attention on textiles in the EU in recent years, there are still significant monitoring, data and indicator gaps. The state of the European circular textile economy, as well as its drivers, pressures and responses, remain difficult to assess.
Within this policy context, the objective of the new EEA Circular Metrics Lab Textile Module is to track circularity uptake in the textile production and consumption value chain in line with the direction and objectives set in the EU policy.
The Sustainable Fashion Academy (SFA) is a non-profit organization based in Stockholm, Sweden. SFA’s mission is to exponentially accelerate progress towards science-based sustainability targets and the global sustainability goals (SDGs) by leveraging the power and influence of the apparel and textiles industries. To achieve this, SFA initiates research and analysis to inform better decision-making, inspires and educates change agents, and mobilizes key stakeholders around issues needed to transform the industry, including policy, finance and accountability. www.sustainablefashionacademy.org
The European Environment Agency is an agency of the European Union and provides valuable insights on the state of Europe’s environment. Thanks to reliable data collected from their extensive network, they actively support Europe’s environment and climate policies. www.eea.europa.eu/en
The EEA’s Circularity Metrics Lab (CML) uses a range of sources such as European datasets, national statistics, surveys, and novel dataflows to provide insights on progress towards the development of the circular economy. It is intended to complement other monitoring frameworks by presenting additional evidence on circularity, including metrics focussed on the implementation of circular principles and practices. www.eea.europa.eu/en/circularity