Global Sustainability Certifications in fashion listed

Sustainability is essential in the fashion industry and with that comes the need for certifications to navigate through the complex market; whether that is labor rights, chemical control, circular standards, or fair trade for example. However, there is no official mandate for any company to verify the sustainability of their products and practices, so many different certifications and networks exist in the fashion industry.

To provide transparency to our readers, FashionUnited provides an overview of the leading sustainability certifications organized by their different categories. These labels can evaluate brands’ sustainability efforts in different aspects of production or the supply chain, applying to raw materials, end products, and/or processes. Some organizations specialize in performing audits only, others also provide educational initiatives, business support and lobbying.

As the transparency of supply chains of brands seem to blur, terms like greenwashing gain more attention in the industry. Greenwashing describes companies “conveying the false impression that a company’s products are more environmentally friendly than they are”. Hence these labels are relevant for consumers and businesses to navigate through the complexity of sustainability in the fashion industry to make more conscious purchase decisions. The Sustainability Certification Page comprises a list of organizations which issue different sustainability certifications along with a brief explanation of what the biggest labels mean. As the global B2B network, FashionUnited aims to make the fashion industry more transparent and efficient.