The Value Change Initiative (VCI)’s fourth Apparel & Footwear Working Group launches on May 7^th, 2025, with leading companies like Primark, Nike, and Zalando, among others. As the apparel and footwear industry approaches £2 trillion in value, its environmental impact continues to grow, with up to 8% of global emissions attributed to the sector. Much of these emissions take place along a company’s value chain, otherwise known as Scope 3 emissions.

The Apparel & Footwear Working Group IV aims to address sector specific challenges in Scope 3 emission accounting, reporting and claiming, ensuring the VCI Guidance supports pragmatic climate action in the sector.

Focus of the Working Group

Participants in the Working Group will:

– Explore SBTi’s Net-Zero framework and Environmental Attribute Certificates (EACs)

– Develop solutions for traceability in natural fibers and blends

– Evaluate market-based and co-investment mechanisms

The Working Group offers an opportunity for industry peers to collaborate to develop actionable guidance, strengthen their organization’s decarbonization strategy, and maximize the impact of their value chain interventions. Participation in the working group also supports the knowledge to credibly measure and report progress, ensuring alignment with evolving standards while helping to shape the future of industry policy.

Objective and outcome

The Apparel and Footwear Working Group IV will evaluate Scope 3 standards and frameworks, co-developing solutions and incentives to support effective action. The group will also extend VCI’s guidance to address Scope 3 accounting complexities within apparel and footwear value chains. 

The final deliverable will be the Apparel and Footwear Value Chain Intervention Guidance addendum, providing harmonized frameworks for Scope 3 reporting and interventions. Explore the guidance from the previous Apparel and Footwear Working Group here.

The Apparel and Footwear Working Group IV will run from May to July 2025, structured into four interactive sessions around accounting Market-Based Mechanisms (MBMs), traceability, neutralization and claims & reporting.

Join pioneering companies to decarbonize the apparel and footwear sector

Admissions into the Working Group are still open. Get in touch with our team to learn more.