The Fashion Pact-led European Accelerator is entering a new stage of development, introducing additional industry resources and a pilot initiative designed to help suppliers reduce carbon emissions across fashion supply chains.
Launched in October last year, the European Accelerator brings together seven major fashion groups: Burberry, CHANEL, Ermenegildo Zegna Group, Jimmy Choo, Kering, Moncler Group and Prada Group. The initiative was initially established to simplify the collection of environmental information from suppliers through a common, standardised questionnaire.
With this reporting mechanism now in place, the programme is shifting towards practical implementation. Its next phase will focus on helping suppliers interpret the information gathered, assess their environmental performance and identify realistic opportunities to lower emissions.
The initiative is also working towards developing technical resources and collaborative solutions that can support suppliers operating across different segments of the fashion industry.
New framework to support supplier decarbonisation
A key development is the introduction of a Decarbonisation Accelerator Framework, a voluntary self-assessment resource intended to guide suppliers in identifying suitable emissions-reduction measures. The tool will help businesses evaluate potential environmental benefits alongside technical requirements and financial considerations before deciding on specific interventions.
The framework draws on information collected through the European Accelerator’s environmental questionnaire and a pilot programme involving several categories of manufacturers. Participants included textile producers, tanneries, metal and plastic accessory manufacturers, and finished-product suppliers.
Quantis provided technical expertise during its development, with additional contributions from Confindustria Moda, ICEC and Consorzio Physis.
Eva von Alvensleben, executive director and secretary general at The Fashion Pact, highlighted the importance of moving beyond environmental reporting towards practical industry collaboration.
“The progress being made by the European Accelerator demonstrates how collective action at a brand level can move beyond reporting to actively supporting suppliers to identify and advance decarbonisation solutions,” explained Eva von Alvensleben, executive director and secretary general at The Fashion Pact.
“By combining easier data collection, practical implementation support and collective renewable energy models, the Accelerator provides a framework intended to help suppliers assess and pursue decarbonisation opportunities.”
The new framework will be published as an open-source resource on the European Accelerator website. It will be accompanied by an implementation playbook featuring recommended actions and case studies from suppliers that have already carried out emissions-reduction projects.
The initiative’s original environmental questionnaire will also remain freely accessible, allowing fashion brands to use it independently for supply-chain reporting. Following feedback from participating brands and suppliers, the questionnaire has undergone revisions covering governance arrangements, emissions accounting methodologies and information about investments in decarbonisation.
Collective renewable energy initiative in Italy
Alongside its technical resources, the European Accelerator is advancing a feasibility assessment for a collective power purchase agreement (PPA) involving suppliers in Italy’s Como textile district.
Power purchase agreements are long-term electricity procurement contracts that allow businesses to secure power under agreed commercial terms, potentially improving price visibility and reducing exposure to energy market fluctuations.
The initiative addresses a significant operating expense for manufacturers in the region. According to the Confindustria Como Textile Group, energy represents approximately 40% of operating costs for businesses in the district.
The feasibility study is being jointly financed by the European Accelerator and Confindustria Como. Centro Tessile Serico Sostenibile, Consorzio Energia Lombardia Nord and J4Energy are providing coordination and technical assistance.
Under the proposed arrangement, participating suppliers would be able to purchase renewable electricity collectively rather than negotiating separate procurement arrangements individually. The approach could help manufacturers access renewable energy while creating greater coordination across the local textile industry.
Although the assessment could pave the way for a district-wide PPA involving textile supply-chain businesses, a formal agreement has not yet been confirmed.
The European Accelerator believes that the Como project could offer a replicable approach for other industrial clusters in Italy and potentially across European fashion supply chains.
Moving towards measurable supply chain improvements
The expanded programme reflects a broader industry effort to translate sustainability commitments into practical action at the manufacturing level. Through standardised reporting, technical guidance and collective energy procurement, the initiative aims to make fashion supply chain decarbonisation more accessible to suppliers facing financial and operational constraints.
Its next phase will be important in determining how effectively collaborative industry initiatives can turn environmental data into measurable emissions reductions across Europe’s textile and fashion manufacturing network.
