To be considered a serious and responsible company, and to meet the requirements of emerging legislation and stakeholder expectations, apparel and textile companies should publicly commit to science-based GHG emissions reduction targets, report regularly on progress, and take effective action. To do this, companies and organizations need to understand what it means both strategically and practically. They also need a platform to share best practices and collaborate to achieve their goals.
That is why we offer a Climate Action Program and Network for brands and retailers in a range of segments – everyday fashion, luxury, outdoor, sport, workwear – and other actors who purchase, sell or produce textiles, such as those supporting the public sector and municipalities. Our program is specifically designed to provide accessible, action-oriented support for small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), ensuring they can confidently navigate value-chain reporting.
To be considered a serious and responsible company, and to meet the requirements of emerging legislation and stakeholder expectations, apparel and textile companies should publicly commit to science-based GHG emissions reduction targets, report regularly on progress, and take effective action. To do this, companies and organizations need to understand what it means both strategically and practically. They also need a platform to share best practices and collaborate to achieve their goals.
That is why we offer a Climate Action Program and Network for brands and retailers in a range of segments – everyday fashion, luxury, outdoor, sport, workwear – and other actors who purchase, sell or produce textiles, such as those supporting the public sector and municipalities.
The purpose of this program is to help apparel and textile organizations to:
Participating offers a number of benefits:
1. Integrity, credibility & accountability: STICA is led by The Sustainable Fashion Academy, an independent, non-profit organization. SFA holds signatory members accountable for progress by requiring that they adhere to specific calculation and reporting guidelines, set targets and publicly report on their progress on an annual basis. STICA guidelines are based on the most robust global standards and are updated on a regular basis.
2. Ongoing education, training and tools: As climate action is a challenging area, and knowledge, tools and standards are often updated, we organize webinars on a regular basis to ensure the continuous education of network members and develop basic tools to help companies in their climate action work.
3. Access to a robust network of companies who share knowledge and collaborate: The signatory companies participating in STICA understand climate action is challenging and they are therefore keen to share their ideas and learn from each other. As part of the network, participants are organized into working groups designed to help members share best practices and develop collaborative projects, such as consumer engagement campaigns, co-sourcing of climate friendly transport options, co-engagement with mills and dye houses to support their transition to renewable energy, policy engagement, etc.
4. Business intelligence regarding climate and textiles: We share business intelligence related to existing solutions for greenhouse gas reductions in the apparel and textile industries. This intelligence can be reports, tools, case studies, etc.
5. Association to a platform working to drive systemic change: If individual companies reduce their emissions but the industry overall does not, we will not achieve the aggregated GHG reductions needed. This is why serious companies understand that they also need to support change at an industry level. By joining this network, signatory companies support SFA in our industry action work. As part of this support, organizations may be invited to provide input into and participate in additional activities SFA is hosting, such as developing policy positions on evolving EU legislation, pan-European industry roadmaps, and CEO roundtables and policy forums.
6. Access to expert advice, often at reduced consulting rates: For organizations that need it – especially smaller companies – we connect signatories to additional consulting support. Because we are a larger network, we are also often able to negotiate reduced prices for members.
STICA signatories commit to a set of requirements designed to drive transparency, accountability, and emissions reductions across the textile and apparel industry, ensuring alignment with emerging European policy and reporting standards:
To cover the costs associated with the development and execution of the program, as well as to support the industry action activities, signatories are asked to invest a yearly fee:
25,000 SEK / 2,250 EUR for organizations with a yearly turnover of less than 150 Million SEK / 13 Million EUR
45,000 SEK / 4,050 EUR for organizations with a yearly turnover between 150-1,000 Million SEK / 13-88 Million EUR
50,000 SEK / 4,500 EUR for organizations with a yearly turnover over 1,000 Million SEK / 88 Million EUR
To find out more about the Company Climate Action Program & Network, please contact Michael at michael@sustainablefashionacademy.org. When registering for a program, please refer to our Terms & Conditions.
If you have questions we are here to help.
The apparel and textile industries are responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Recent studies estimate that the apparel industry accounts for roughly 2% to 4% of the share of global emissions, depending on the scope of the data. There is clear consensus that the vast majority of these emissions are generated within the value chain (Scope 3) — specifically during raw fiber cultivation, yarn processing, fabric preparation, dyeing, and assembly. With the critical 2030 climate benchmarks rapidly approaching, European textile brands must take immediate, collective action to map and reduce these supply chain impacts.
STICA activities involve two workstreams. Workstream one involves supporting commercial companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in line with the 1.5°C warming pathway as specified by the Paris agreement and the Science-based Targets Initiative. Workstream two involves supporting the entire European apparel and textiles industry to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in line with the 1.5°C warming pathway while also stimulating the region to be a global leader in climate action.
STICA is coordinated by The Sustainability Fashion Academy, a non-profit independent organisation based in Sweden. SFA’s mission is to accelerate progress towards science-based sustainability targets and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by influencing the apparel industry and its stakeholders. SFA initiates research and analysis, empowers change agents with information, education and training, and mobilises key stakeholders around critical topics and goals, such as climate action. To learn more visit www.sustainablefashionacademy.org
Yes. STICA is designed to accommodate companies of all sizes and business models. A core focus of the initiative is ensuring that our tools, data verification processes, and peer networks remain highly accessible and commercially relevant for small- and medium-sized brands that require closer collaboration formats to map their value chains.
To ensure credibility and comparability, STICA requires that company members:
Set targets, measure and report in accordance with STICA guidelines, which are informed by the Science Based Targets methodology. STICA provides guidelines for how to measure and report, as well as education and training. Company targets and methods do not need to be approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, although this is encouraged.
Report progress on an annual basis (Scopes 1, 2 and 3 according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol). Members need to report progress for all scopes. New members are permitted to wait one year before reporting.Make public their targets and commitments. Companies and organizations should present their impacts and progress in their annual reports. STICA also publishes members’ progress annually.
Develop and submit Climate Transition Plans, which include their longer-term roadmaps for 2030 and 2050, as well as their shorter-term action plans.
Share knowledge and insights with other companies and engage in joint projects where possible and practical. Company and organizational representatives are expected to participate in webinars and engage in working groups if and when relevant. This ensures the network is robust and that learning is shared most effectively.
Support action at the industry level. Without changes at the industry level, there are limits to what a company can do to reduce its emissions and transform its business. By engaging at the industry level and by supporting STICA, companies also support structural change.
The STICA guidelines ensure member companies follow the most up-to-date and credible standards in GHG reporting. By following our guidelines, members are fully aligned with the GHG Protocol. When it comes to the SBTi, our minimum guidelines and requirements are primarily based on their criteria and recommendations, and we provide clear guidance on the additional requirements needed to submit targets for official SBTi validation. While not mandatory, several STICA members choose to pursue this validation.
Crucially, because the current SBTi pathway allows smaller companies to bypass strict target-setting for their Scope 3 value-chain impacts, STICA’s mandatory Scope 3 tracking makes our framework more demanding—and more rigorous—for SMEs. Regarding legislative alignment, STICA is actively mapped to help companies comply with evolving European laws. By preparing members for the rigorous data disclosures required by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), STICA ensures your business is fully ready for modern market regulations.
As climate action is a challenging area, and knowledge, tools and standards are often updated, we organize webinars on a regular basis to ensure the continuous education of network members and develop basic tools to help companies in their climate action work. Our working groups are specifically designed to help smaller and medium-sized brands share operational realities, exchange practical implementation tools, and collaborate on shared supply chain challenges to turn knowledge into measurable reductions.
Yes, absolutely. STICA already includes a number of member companies that design and retail footwear, and we actively encourage more to join. Footwear brands share the exact same value-chain complexities as apparel companies—particularly regarding material sourcing, raw processing, and wet-dyeing facilities. Expanding our footwear segment further strengthens the network’s collective leverage with shared global suppliers and enhances peer learning across the entire European footwear and accessories sector.
Most STICA signatories are simultaneously active members in other global initiatives, such as Cascale (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition), Textile Exchange, The Fashion Pact, the UN Fashion Charter, and the European Outdoor Group (EOG). When asked what makes STICA uniquely valuable alongside these macro-level networks, member companies consistently state that our highly focused structure makes it much easier—particularly for small- to medium-sized (SME) brands and retailers—to actively engage, openly share daily challenges, and learn directly from European peers facing identical commercial realities.
While larger global coalitions focus heavily on high-level indexing and global data tools, the STICA approach strictly prioritizes localized, practical implementation with a dedicated focus on helping brands translate complex compliance requirements into immediate corporate action. We highly recommend speaking with any of our active signatories to hear firsthand how STICA functions as a practical accelerator for their business.
No. STICA is open to apparel, textile, and footwear companies operating across the entire European continent, as well as international brands with a market presence in Europe. Whether your headquarters are located inside the EU or in neighboring markets like the UK or Switzerland, any company committed to reducing its absolute greenhouse gas emissions and navigating modern regulatory readiness is invited to participate. Please contact us to learn more!
INITIATIVE FOUNDERS
