H&M Foundation shifts focus of Global Change Award 2025 to help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050

The H&M Foundation has unveiled a change in strategic direction in its annual innovation challenge, the Global Change Award (GCA), to support the textile industry’s aim of halving its greenhouse gas emissions each decade to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The GCA 2025 is now open to innovative solutions and concepts that seek to address various high-emission areas across the value chain - including sustainable materials, responsible production processes, conscious consumptions, and other processes that support this,

"The textile industry needs all hands on deck if we are going to meet our climate goals by 2050, and we must ensure this transition is fair for everyone. I really believe that innovation is key to decarbonizing the industry and that the Global Change Award can play a role in identifying and growing future changemakers whose ideas can have a transformative impact if given the right support," said Karl-Johan Persson, board member of the H&M Foundation, in a statement.

First launched in 2015, the GCA has granted 46 innovators a combined total of 8 million euros in addition to expert support and guidance. The GCA will continue to award ten winners each year, giving each winner € 200,000 while focusing on initiatives that decarbonize the textile industry. In addition, the H&M Foundation noted that it is taking a holistic approach by equipping changemakers with a mindset that balances the needs of both people and the planet.

By shifting to a nomination-based process, the GCA also aims to reach a wider range of innovators. Additionally, changemakers are encouraged to adopt a systems change approach, considering the entire textile value chain and its broader impact on communities and the environment.

"While the industry is hungry for innovation, the holistic perspective to decarbonisation is often lacking, and the critical early stages of an innovator's journey overlooked – this is where philanthropy can make a real difference", said Annie Lindmark, programme director for Innovation at the H&M Foundation, in a statement.

Alongside receiving financial backing, GCA 2025 winners will be given access to a valuable network of mentors, collaborators, and industry experts to help turn their ideas into reality. In partnership with Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, the H&M Foundation will guide the winners through a yearlong, customized Changemaker Programme.

The winners of the Global Change Award 2025 are set to be announced in April 2025.