For apparel and footwear brands and retailers, PG&S emissions are the result of all value chain activities involved in manufacturing finished goods, from raw materials to fabric manufacturing to product assembly. For companies operating in the apparel and footwear sector, scope 3 emissions typically make up the vast majority of their total emissions, SAC said in a press release.
In association with the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (Fashion Charter) convened by the United Nations on Climate Change, the US Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) issues. It is available for public consultation.
For each company that sets a science-based target, the basis for the target is an inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in scopes 1, 2 and 3. While the GHG Protocol has published technical guidance for To calculate PG&S emissions and other Scope 3 categories, the instructions for calculating PG&S emissions are generic and not specific to the apparel and footwear sector.
The purpose of the guidance is to provide apparel and footwear sector-specific guidance for calculating PG&S emissions so that there is greater consistency in how apparel and footwear companies develop their PG&S inventories. Companies can overcome common challenges faced by the industry, for example the need to use a mix of primary and secondary data. Companies that start the process of measuring PG&S emissions can do so more efficiently and in line with industry practice, which in turn should lead to more companies measuring emissions and setting targets.
Over time, with more consistent inventories, the apparel and footwear sector will be able to more accurately measure its progress toward the GHG reductions needed to stay aligned with the SBTs.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)