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Associated Press
17-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Cascale's Higg FEM Reveals Opportunities for Low-Carbon Transition in Vietnam
AMSTERDAM and HONG KONG and Oakland, Calif., April 17, 2025 /3BL/ - Issued today, the ' Vietnam Country Report: Macroeconomic, Socioeconomic, and Industry Analysis ' report, developed by Cascale with support from the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), highlights the evolving macroeconomic landscape, sustainability challenges facing apparel and footwear manufacturing, and the rapid expansion of the consumer goods market in Vietnam. A strong economic outlook coupled with bold sustainability initiatives reveals a country poised to play a crucial role in global decarbonization efforts, even as tariffs threaten to put 5.5% of Vietnam's GDP at risk and raise prices for American consumers (New York Times, April 6). Tariffs and other key topics impacting Vietnam will be on the agenda at the Cascale Forum: Ho Chi Minh City on May 14-15, as Cascale members and non-members alike – including manufacturers, leading brands, service providers, and supply chain partners – come together for an immersive event to address urgent sustainability challenges and opportunities. The report includes critical analysis of data from Cascale's Higg Facility Environment Module (FEM) tool, exclusively available on Worldly. It is the first in a series of actionable reports filtering Higg FEM insights through a regional lens. In 2023, over 1,200 verified Higg FEM submissions showed coal exacerbates carbon emissions in the region: 12% of apparel and footwear facilities use coal for energy, while 94% rely on electricity purchased from Vietnam's coal-dependent grid. Although renewable energy accounts for less than 2% of the sector's energy use, the analysis underscores opportunities for transformation to a low-carbon economy, including through the Industry Decarbonization Roadmap (IDR) developed by Cascale and Aii. The report shows Vietnam can couple growth with sustainable manufacturing. Vietnam's economy is expected to grow by 6.5% in 2025, outpacing regional peers. The manufacturing sector continues to be a key driver, contributing 23.88% to GDP in 2023. Additionally, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) remains robust, reaching US$31.4 billion in the first 11 months of 2024, signaling investor confidence in Vietnam's economic resilience. Employing around three million workers and generating an estimated US$71 billion in export revenues for 2024, the apparel and footwear sector is a vital component of Vietnam's economy but faces significant sustainability challenges, including high energy consumption and carbon emissions. With commitments in place for a 65-70% increase in renewable energy by 2045 – reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a projected 70-80% – Vietnam is committed to supply chain decarbonization, in line with the IDR. The report brings Cascale and Aii's IDR into focus as a potential solution. By uniting manufacturers, brands, retailers, and stakeholders around shared goals, the IDR emphasizes collective accountability and pre-competitive collaboration to accelerate systemic change across the supply chain. With a science-based target of reducing supply chain emissions by 45% by 2030, the IDR drives measurable progress through various interventions, solutions, and programs. The IDR ensures resources are targeted, so low-carbon sourcing and other benefits can be realized. This means prioritizing action in the 10% of facilities across the textile and apparel supply chain – including some in Vietnam – that account for over 80% of global manufacturing emissions. By aligning with these initiatives, facilities in Vietnam can play a pivotal role in the global transition to a low-carbon economy.'This isn't merely about compliance—it's about long-term competitiveness,' said Colin Browne, Cascale CEO. 'Brands increasingly prefer suppliers who meet robust sustainability standards. Manufacturers investing in sustainability today will secure long-term brand partnerships tomorrow.' ABOUT CASCALE Cascale is the global nonprofit alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, which is exclusively available on Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform. Cascale unites over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe through one singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people. LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Cascale
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cascale's Higg FEM Reveals Opportunities for Low-Carbon Transition in Vietnam
AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG AND OAKLAND, CA / / April 17, 2025 / Cascale Industry Decarbonization Roadmap (IDR) could help deliver on sustainability goals as consumer goods manufacturing continues to drive GDP growth, projected at 6.5% in 2025. Issued today, the "Vietnam Country Report: Macroeconomic, Socioeconomic, and Industry Analysis" report, developed by Cascale with support from the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), highlights the evolving macroeconomic landscape, sustainability challenges facing apparel and footwear manufacturing, and the rapid expansion of the consumer goods market in Vietnam. A strong economic outlook coupled with bold sustainability initiatives reveals a country poised to play a crucial role in global decarbonization efforts, even as tariffs threaten to put 5.5% of Vietnam's GDP at risk and raise prices for American consumers (New York Times, April 6). Tariffs and other key topics impacting Vietnam will be on the agenda at the Cascale Forum: Ho Chi Minh City on May 14-15, as Cascale members and non-members alike - including manufacturers, leading brands, service providers, and supply chain partners - come together for an immersive event to address urgent sustainability challenges and opportunities. The report includes critical analysis of data from Cascale's Higg Facility Environment Module (FEM) tool, exclusively available on Worldly. It is the first in a series of actionable reports filtering Higg FEM insights through a regional lens. In 2023, over 1,200 verified Higg FEM submissions showed coal exacerbates carbon emissions in the region: 12% of apparel and footwear facilities use coal for energy, while 94% rely on electricity purchased from Vietnam's coal-dependent grid. Although renewable energy accounts for less than 2% of the sector's energy use, the analysis underscores opportunities for transformation to a low-carbon economy, including through the Industry Decarbonization Roadmap (IDR) developed by Cascale and Aii. The report shows Vietnam can couple growth with sustainable manufacturing. Vietnam's economy is expected to grow by 6.5% in 2025, outpacing regional peers. The manufacturing sector continues to be a key driver, contributing 23.88% to GDP in 2023. Additionally, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) remains robust, reaching US$31.4 billion in the first 11 months of 2024, signaling investor confidence in Vietnam's economic resilience. Employing around three million workers and generating an estimated US$71 billion in export revenues for 2024, the apparel and footwear sector is a vital component of Vietnam's economy but faces significant sustainability challenges, including high energy consumption and carbon emissions. With commitments in place for a 65-70% increase in renewable energy by 2045 - reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a projected 70-80% - Vietnam is committed to supply chain decarbonization, in line with the IDR. The report brings Cascale and Aii's IDR into focus as a potential solution. By uniting manufacturers, brands, retailers, and stakeholders around shared goals, the IDR emphasizes collective accountability and pre-competitive collaboration to accelerate systemic change across the supply chain. With a science-based target of reducing supply chain emissions by 45% by 2030, the IDR drives measurable progress through various interventions, solutions, and programs. The IDR ensures resources are targeted, so low-carbon sourcing and other benefits can be realized. This means prioritizing action in the 10% of facilities across the textile and apparel supply chain - including some in Vietnam - that account for over 80% of global manufacturing emissions. By aligning with these initiatives, facilities in Vietnam can play a pivotal role in the global transition to a low-carbon economy. "This isn't merely about compliance-it's about long-term competitiveness," said Colin Browne, Cascale CEO. "Brands increasingly prefer suppliers who meet robust sustainability standards. Manufacturers investing in sustainability today will secure long-term brand partnerships tomorrow." ABOUT CASCALE Cascale is the global nonprofit alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, which is exclusively available on Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform. Cascale unites over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe through one singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people. LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Cascale on Contact Info:Spokesperson: CascaleWebsite: info@ SOURCE: Cascale View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
14-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Cascale Highlights How the Higg Index Enhances Standardization in Sustainability Reporting
Jeremy Lardeau, senior vice president of the Higg Index at Cascale, recently joined industry leaders at The Economist's Sustainability Week Asia. Over 900 business leaders came together in Bangkok to explore how the region's rapid economic growth, substantial renewable investments, and diverse ecosystems provide opportunities to lead on decarbonization. Lardeau joined the 'Troubling taxonomies: how to standardize sustainability reporting' panel, moderated by Vijay Vaitheeswaran, global energy and climate innovation editor at The Economist. Participants also included Ornsaran Pomme Manuamorn, senior financial sector specialist at World Bank, and Susanna Hasenoehrl, head of sustainable solutions business, Asia-Pacific and Japan at SAP. While acknowledging the complexity of the supply chains, Lardeau explained the benefits of standardized sustainability reporting and the use of a common framework. He highlighted reporting challenges including limited resources, duplicative work, contradicting information, and a lack of comparable data. Lardeau also noted that governments have an important role to play in promoting standardized environmental reporting systems through sensible regulation. Lardeau shared how Cascale's Higg Index suite of tools unites the industry on a common framework, bringing together 40,000 users – including over 300 Cascale members – across the value chain. He also noted that the Higg Index facility tools, specifically the Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM) and the Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (Higg FSLM), can contribute facility-level assessments to broader reporting needs. And Lardeau highlighted how supply chain management platforms can help companies comply with disclosures required by legislation. Emphasizing the importance of collaboration to scale up strategic partnerships, Lardeau noted that Cascale's new Industry Decarbonization Roadmap (IDR), developed in partnership with Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) outlines key strategies to accelerate collective action for supply chain decarbonization. Attendees were invited to register for the Cascale Forum, which will take place May 14-15 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The two-day event will bring manufacturers, suppliers, brands, retailers, and key industry stakeholders together to drive actionable solutions on decarbonization, foundational environmental performance, responsible purchasing practices, and more. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Cascale
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cascale Explores How MCAP Can Accelerate Climate Action for Manufacturers at Komar Events
NORTHAMPTON, MA / / March 31, 2025 / Cascale: Joyce Tsoi, senior director of the Decarbonization Program at Cascale, recently presented at the virtual Komar Supply Chain Sustainability Forums in Vietnam and Cambodia. The event brought together Komar Brands' Tier 1 and 2 suppliers and featured presentations from industry experts on supplier best practices and brainstorming sessions on environmental and product sustainability initiatives. Tsoi kicked off her presentation by giving an overview of Cascale's origins and its vision to convene stakeholders across the industry on a pre-competitive basis to develop a common approach to measuring sustainability. After an overview of Cascale's growth in membership and evolution, Tsoi highlighted Cascale's strategic pillars - Combat Climate Change and Support Decent Work for All - as critical to the organization's renewed focus. Decarbonization remains a critical focus for the industry. In Vietnam and Cambodia alone, we've seen only 27 companies committed to set science-based targets (SBTs), and out of those, 12 companies have validated targets from the apparel, footwear, and textile sector. From Higg FEM data insight, we need to continue to strive for significant actions in South East Asia. Without significant actions and progress, the economic, environmental, and social impacts will continue to escalate. Tsoi shared Cascale's efforts to combat climate change and accelerate industry-wide decarbonization through the new Industry Decarbonization Roadmap (IDR), developed in partnership with Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) and with the support of RESET Carbon. She noted how science-based targets (SBTs) and science-aligned targets (SATs) provided a focused first step for companies embarking on their decarbonization journey, complementing the broader IDR roadmap. IDR is a bold, industry-wide initiative to tackle supply chain emissions at scale, aiming to decarbonize global manufacturing from tier 1 finished production assembly, tier 2 material production to tier 3 raw material processing facilities. Central to IDR, Tsoi highlighted the Manufacturer Climate Action Program (MCAP) framework and how Cascale works with manufacturers to commit and set SATs for validation, evaluate their climate risks, develop a decarbonization plan, and communicate progress with stakeholders. She detailed the program's benefits, including peer-to-peer learning, best practice sharing in the industry, as well as technical advisory support, training, and guidance. She shared how capacity-building programs - such as MCAP - enable knowledge and skills to be scaled to support manufacturers step-by-step in their target-setting process to support developing their decarbonization plan. In tandem, Tsoi emphasized the importance of leveraging tools such as the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) in establishing a firm environmental foundation for effective action. With this accurate energy and carbon baseline measurement, companies can determine their focus on tangible energy and carbon reduction opportunities, develop an action plan to take necessary actions, and achieve meaningful progress. Delving deeper into the Higg FEM, Tsoi shared key insights on its adoption in facilities in Vietnam and Cambodia, which showed a significant growth, with more facilities recognizing the Higg FEM as a core tool for measuring environmental performance. Lastly, she noted the critical value of responsible purchasing practices in moving the industry forward, highlighting Cascale's recent purchase of key assets of Better Buying Institute (BBI) as a testament of its commitment to advance responsible purchasing practices across the consumer goods industry. Tsoi concluded her presentation by inviting attendees to register for the Cascale Forum, which will take place May 14-15 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The two-day event will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, brands, retailers, and key industry stakeholders to drive actionable solutions for decarbonization, environmental performance, responsible purchasing practices, and audit fatigue. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Cascale on Contact Info: Spokesperson: CascaleWebsite: info@ SOURCE: Cascale View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
