Latest news with #InternationalCocoaInitiative
Business of Fashion
4 days ago
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Better Cotton Appoints Nick Weatherill CEO
Fashion's biggest sustainable cotton initiative, Better Cotton, has appointed former International Cocoa Initiative executive director Nick Weatherill as its new CEO. Weatherill takes over from Alan McClay, who has led the nonprofit organisation for the past decade. The 20-year-old initiative was set up by an international group of environmental organisations, brands and trade groups with the aim of rapidly increasing volumes of cotton produced with lower environmental impact and higher social standards. Roughly a fifth of the world's cotton production is now certified under the programme and it's become a go-to for brands from H&M to Louis Vuitton. But it's also come under fire from critics who argue its standards are too lax. Weatherill takes over after a period in which the organisation has moved to tighten up its oversight, introducing a traceability solution in 2023 and becoming a certification scheme earlier this year. Weatherill's 'appointment marks a renewed impetus that will ensure Better Cotton evolves to an even more impactful standard, benefitting the environment, farmers, workers, and local economies,' said McClay. Learn more: Are H&M and Zara Harming Forests in Brazil? Cotton linked to environmental and human rights abuses in Brazil is leaking into the supply chains of major fashion brands, a new investigation has found, prompting Zara-owner Inditex to send a scathing rebuke to the industry's biggest sustainable cotton certifier.
Fashion United
5 days ago
- Business
- Fashion United
Nick Weatherhill appointed CEO of Better Cotton
Better Cotton has announced a change in leadership, with Nick Weatherhill stepping in as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Alan McClay, who officially announced his departure in December 2024 after a decade at the helm. McClay, who led the organisation for ten years, will remain active within Better Cotton through June 2025 to support a smooth leadership transition. His tenure was marked by significant progress in advancing sustainability standards across the global cotton industry. Weatherhill brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously worked with the International Cocoa Initiative and the European Commission, as well as serving as a consultant for various international organisations. 'Better Cotton is the most important benchmark for sustainability in the cotton industry—a position that makes its work vital for the entire sector, today and in the years to come,' Weatherhill said in a statement. 'I look forward to leading the organisation at a time when it is increasing its impact on cotton quality and on the livelihoods of millions of farmers and workers worldwide, building on the fantastic work that Alan has done over the past ten years.' This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
Fashion Network
5 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Nick Weatherill is new Better Cotton CEO
Global not-for-profit organisation Better Cotton on Thursday named Nick Weatherill as its new CEO. The world's largest cotton sustainability initiative will now be led by the Briton who's a former executive director of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI). He replaces Alan McClay, who's been leading the organisation for the past decade and announced his plan to step down at the end of last year. Better Cotton said that in his previous role "he led efforts to drive impactful, scalable solutions across the cocoa supply chain'. It added that he 'has a strong record of promoting sustainability and human rights in global supply chains'. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, he's also provided valuable consultancy for organisations such as the International Trade Centre – the joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organisation supporting sustainable and inclusive trade in developing countries. He's an English Language and Literature graduate from the University of Oxford and has a master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Weatherill said of his new role: 'Better Cotton is the most important reference in sustainability in the cotton industry, a position that makes its work vital for the whole sector, today and in the years to come. I look forward to leading the organisation at a moment when it increases its impact on the quality of cotton and the livelihoods of millions of farmers and workers around the world, building on the fantastic work Alan has done over the past 10 years.' The change in leadership happens at a time when Better Cotton is making significant progress in its global activities. In 2023, the organisation launched its traceability solution, allowing Physical Better Cotton to be traced back to its country of origin, and in early 2025, it announced it had become a certification scheme, ensuring greater transparency through the supply chain. McClay and Weatherill will work together over the course of June to ensure a smooth transition in the leadership of Better Cotton. Both will be present at the organisation's conference in İzmir, Türkiye, on 18-19 June.
Fashion Network
5 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Nick Weatherill is new Better Cotton CEO
Global not-for-profit organisation Better Cotton on Thursday named Nick Weatherill as its new CEO. The world's largest cotton sustainability initiative will now be led by the Briton who's a former executive director of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI). He replaces Alan McClay, who's been leading the organisation for the past decade and announced his plan to step down at the end of last year. Better Cotton said that in his previous role "he led efforts to drive impactful, scalable solutions across the cocoa supply chain'. It added that he 'has a strong record of promoting sustainability and human rights in global supply chains'. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, he's also provided valuable consultancy for organisations such as the International Trade Centre – the joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organisation supporting sustainable and inclusive trade in developing countries. He's an English Language and Literature graduate from the University of Oxford and has a master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Weatherill said of his new role: 'Better Cotton is the most important reference in sustainability in the cotton industry, a position that makes its work vital for the whole sector, today and in the years to come. I look forward to leading the organisation at a moment when it increases its impact on the quality of cotton and the livelihoods of millions of farmers and workers around the world, building on the fantastic work Alan has done over the past 10 years.' The change in leadership happens at a time when Better Cotton is making significant progress in its global activities. In 2023, the organisation launched its traceability solution, allowing Physical Better Cotton to be traced back to its country of origin, and in early 2025, it announced it had become a certification scheme, ensuring greater transparency through the supply chain. McClay and Weatherill will work together over the course of June to ensure a smooth transition in the leadership of Better Cotton. Both will be present at the organisation's conference in İzmir, Türkiye, on 18-19 June.
Fashion Network
5 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Nick Weatherill is new Better Cotton CEO
Global not-for-profit organisation Better Cotton on Thursday named Nick Weatherill as its new CEO. The world's largest cotton sustainability initiative will now be led by the Briton who's a former executive director of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI). He replaces Alan McClay, who's been leading the organisation for the past decade and announced his plan to step down at the end of last year. Better Cotton said that in his previous role "he led efforts to drive impactful, scalable solutions across the cocoa supply chain'. It added that he 'has a strong record of promoting sustainability and human rights in global supply chains'. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, he's also provided valuable consultancy for organisations such as the International Trade Centre – the joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organisation supporting sustainable and inclusive trade in developing countries. He's an English Language and Literature graduate from the University of Oxford and has a master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Weatherill said of his new role: 'Better Cotton is the most important reference in sustainability in the cotton industry, a position that makes its work vital for the whole sector, today and in the years to come. I look forward to leading the organisation at a moment when it increases its impact on the quality of cotton and the livelihoods of millions of farmers and workers around the world, building on the fantastic work Alan has done over the past 10 years.' The change in leadership happens at a time when Better Cotton is making significant progress in its global activities. In 2023, the organisation launched its traceability solution, allowing Physical Better Cotton to be traced back to its country of origin, and in early 2025, it announced it had become a certification scheme, ensuring greater transparency through the supply chain. McClay and Weatherill will work together over the course of June to ensure a smooth transition in the leadership of Better Cotton. Both will be present at the organisation's conference in İzmir, Türkiye, on 18-19 June.
