Elevate Textiles
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2024)
Reporting Period: 2024
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:305,253 tCO2e/year (2023)
Total Energy Consumption:384,000 MWh/year (2023)
Water Consumption:4.66 million m3/year (2023)
ESG Focus Areas
- Climate Change
- Water Stewardship
- Products & Materials
- People
Environmental Achievements
- 35% reduction in scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions since 2019
- 36% reduction in overall water use since 2019 baseline year
- Cone Denim’s Parras, Mexico facility recognized with Kontoor Brands Indigood program’s Bronze status for verified water savings
- A&E Vietnam facility condensate recovery project saving 7,500 m³ of water annually
- Installation of a new 100 kWp photovoltaic system in Gutach, Germany dye house
- Reduced NOx emission concentration by 77% at Dongmei, China facility
- Cone Denim’s Jiaxing, China mill’s rooftop solar power project under construction (up to 10 MWh/year)
Social Achievements
- Completed 23 audits across facilities in 2023 through Higg FSLM program
- Implementation of Layered Process Audits globally in 2023
- A&E in the US recognized for the second time in Newsweek magazine’s list of “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity”
Governance Achievements
- Elevate Textiles is a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Fashion Industry Charter
- Elevate is a member of key organizations such as Cradle to Cradle and AAFA and actively participates in ZDHC, Textile Exchange, and the UN Fashion Industry Charter
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Net-zero emissions by 2050
Medium-term Goals:
- 46.2% reduction in scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 2030 from a 2019 baseline
- 100% renewable electricity by 2030
- Coal phase out by 2030
- 40% Reduction in water usage by 2030 against a 2019 baseline
- 100% of relevant facilities at Level 2/Progressive in ZDHC Supplier to Zero
- 100% preferred and low climate impact fibers in priority materials (polyester and cotton) by 2030
- No landfill waste by 2030
- Reduce incident rate by 10% each year, with a goal of no safety incidents
- At least 50% of suppliers will conduct environmental and social audits by 2030
Environmental Challenges
- Unexpectedly low sell-through of recycled polyester due to cost premium compared to virgin polyester
Mitigation Strategies
- Collaboration between product and sustainability teams to monitor new fiber developments and opportunities
- Sustainability incubator for incorporating new sustainable fibers into products
- Optimism for improvement as the industry pivots toward textile-to-textile and circular fiber offerings
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 23 in 2023
Responsible Procurement
- Higg Index suite of sustainability and social compliance tools
- Sustainable Procurement Policy
- Vendor Code of Conduct aligned with ILO fundamental conventions
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), Higg Index, ZDHC MRSL, UN Global Compact, UN CEO Water Mandate, UNFCC Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, Cradle to Cradle
Certifications: GRS, RCS, OCS, bluesign, OEKO-TEX, Cradle to Cradle Certified® Material Health Certificates
Third-party Assurance: Cascale-approved assessors; Third-party verification audits
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Cone Denim’s Bonzai fabric
- Safety Component’s PF Zero finish
- A&E’s ECO100 thread line
- Burlington’s Restora™ Collection
- Burlington’s MCSRenew finish
- Burlington’s PF Zero™ finish
- Burlington’s Green Circle recycled component
Awards & Recognition
- EPA’s SmartWay Excellence Award (semifinalist)