The Monitor for Circular Fashion continues in 2024 with an ESG and multi-stakeholder approach to circularity.

Monitor for Circular Fashion, the SDA Bocconi research observatory on sustainable and circular fashion led by Francesca Romana Rinaldi with the scientific contribution of the Sustainability Lab, starts its fourth year of activity.

The 2024 edition involves ingredient brands, finished product brands, vendors, and service providers in the fashion industry along the entire value chain, from producers to end-users. The community of involved companies, selected for their leadership in sustainability and circularity in the fashion sector, will continue its virtuous path of dialogue on circularity's opportunities and challenges in 2024. The goal is to identify and develop concrete and measurable solutions.

Two new partners have joined the Monitor: Gruppo Mastrotto, the first tanning group in Italy and a global point of reference in the processing of high quality bovine leather and Eurojersey, leading Italian textile company manufacturing wrap-knit Sensitive® Fabrics’ range.

The first plenary meeting took place at SDA Bocconi's Milan headquarters, inaugurating the observatory's research year with all partner companies. Mauro Scalia, Director Sustainable Businesses EURATEX, talked about market surveillance and shared proposals of the European textile-clothing sector for the European Commission ecodesign regulation applied on clothing; Maria Teresa Pisani OiC Trade Facilitation Section Chief of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) updated the Monitor partners on the UNECE Sustainability Pledge; Gustavo Gonzalez-Quijano, Secretary-General of COTANCE, provided insights into leather traceability.

"In 2024, the Monitor for Circular Fashion will add a focus on circularity KPIs involving social aspects, governance, retail, logistics, and technological innovation. It will result from the collaboration with partners during the upcoming months' plenary meetings." Says Francesca Romana Rinaldi, Director of the observatory.

Since its launch in 2021, the Monitor for Circular Fashion has identified and analyzed over 40 circularity KPIs, aiming to provide concrete tools to support claims and align with the proposed European legislation against greenwashing. The 2023 annual survey revealed results on the ESG approach to circularity, highlighting the need for improvement in environmental waste management. The report emphasized challenges and the expected introduction of EPR regulations in Italy in 2025. The Social aspect included engaging new generations, with a focus on understanding their behaviors related to circularity in fashion. High sensitivity to greenwashing and interest in the digital product passport were among the findings. Governance analysis in the 2023 research report presented quantitative analyses showing positive correlations between board size, CEO duality, sustainability incentives as executive remuneration, and sustainability performance.

Experiential plenary meetings and concrete projects for KPI implementation and testing continue throughout 2024. Partner companies commit to traceability and supply chain transparency in the Circular Fashion Manifesto, extending their commitment to the 8 actions of the European Commission's Textile Transition Pathway since 2023. The updated Circular Fashion Manifesto, including new pilot projects and industrialization projects, will be presented to the press during the Milan Fashion Week in September 2024.

In 2024, C-Factor continues, as an initiative involving startups and innovative SMEs through pitch sessions within the research observatory. C-Factor 2024 focuses on innovative materials and processes for circularity in textiles, clothing, leather, and footwear. It aims to connect small players with observatory partners. The Monitor for Circular Fashion collaborates with organizations such as EEN - Enterprise Europe Network, Sector Group Textile, and ETP - European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP) for research input and scouting innovative, sustainable, and circular startups.

SDA Bocconi School of Management