Woolmark has announced that it is the recipient of a four million AUS dollar grant provided by the Australian Government to help kickstart the development and implementation of its insetting framework.

The grant will specifically back the firm’s recently launched Woolmark+ roadmap as part of its Australian Wool Industry Insetting Programme, an initiative aiming to push forward emissions reductions within the textile supply chain through nature-based solutions.

The project has been established as a partnership between Woolmark, Pollination and Landcare Australia, all of which have set out to create a comprehensive approach to implement, report and scale insetting and thus help wool growers reduce emissions.

A key part of this is the development of a mechanism to facilitate connections between global fashion and textile brands and wool growers on Australian properties, dismantling potential obstacles between such firms and providing guidance on the best practices to achieve emissions reductions.

In a release, the initiative was described by Woolmark managing director, John Roberts, as both an option for wool growers and a solution for brands.

Roberts continued: “Brands are increasingly seeking ways to address their Scope 3 emissions, but scaling these efforts has been a challenge.

“Insetting presents an exciting opportunity for brands to meet their emissions targets in a way that aligns with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) while simultaneously supporting Australian woolgrowers. We’re grateful to the Australian government for their support of this game changing initiative.”

Insetting in particular refers to the integration of sustainability initiatives into a business model of a company through factors such as sustainable sourcing, local production or circular practices.