The ZDHC 2026 Brands to Zero Report has revealed meaningful progress in how fashion and apparel brands are embedding sustainable chemical management into their corporate strategies and supply chain operations. A total of 21 brands achieved Champion Level in the latest assessment, a notable rise from the 15 brands that reached the same tier in the previous cycle.
Independently conducted by KPMG Netherlands, the report evaluates ZDHC signatory brands across two primary dimensions — corporate governance and supply-chain performance. Three recognition levels structure the framework: Pioneer, Accelerator and Champion, each reflecting a different stage of implementation maturity. Brands earning Champion status have demonstrated that sustainable chemical management is embedded within both corporate and purchasing processes, and that this commitment is backed by evidence of implementation at scale across their supply chains.
What the Results Reveal About Progress and Its Limits
One of the report’s most telling findings is the distinction between monitoring supplier data and actively driving improvement. The proportion of brands requiring suppliers to submit ZDHC InCheck data climbed from 75% to 91%, while those monitoring this data rose from 87% to 91%. InCheck data tracks chemical inventory conformance against ZDHC’s Manufacturing Restricted Substances List — commonly referred to as the MRSL — which sets requirements for chemical formulations used across textile, leather and footwear manufacturing.
Despite these gains, the proportion of brands actively following up with suppliers on the findings from this data moved from 60% to 74%. While that direction is positive, ZDHC was clear that collecting and monitoring data does not automatically translate into on-the-ground improvements. The report stresses that brands must go further — engaging suppliers directly, understanding what is preventing implementation, supporting corrective action, and ensuring that improvements are sustained over time rather than treated as one-off compliance measures.
ZDHC noted that sustainable chemical management must be woven into purchasing decisions, operational responsibilities and long-term supplier relationships. Treating it purely as a compliance exercise, the organisation cautioned, falls short of what genuine progress requires.
ZDHC stated: “Brands can set expectations, but implementation takes place in manufacturing facilities, where chemical inventories are managed, production decisions are made, and wastewater performance is measured. A collaborative approach is therefore essential. Rather than treating supplier engagement as a compliance exercise, brands have an opportunity to build the capabilities and relationships that make continuous improvement possible.”
Governance and Accountability Beyond Purchasing Power
A key message running through the ZDHC Brands to Zero findings is that progress is not determined by purchasing power alone. Governance structures, accountability mechanisms, clear expectations and the quality of supplier relationships all play a role in how effectively sustainable chemical management is put into practice. This challenges any assumption that larger brands with greater procurement leverage are automatically better positioned on this front.
Factory-Level Data and the Road to Regulatory Transparency
The report also addresses the growing importance of reliable factory-level data, particularly as brands face mounting expectations around environmental transparency and sustainability reporting. Through the ZDHC Gateway, brands can access primary factory data covering both chemical inventory conformance and wastewater performance — information that can help them identify gaps, assess how implementation is progressing and target support where it is most needed across their supply chains.
ZDHC was careful to note, however, that data gathered through the Brands to Zero programme can support reporting and disclosure but does not independently satisfy every regulatory requirement. The organisation also emphasised that meaningful progress in sustainable chemical management demands collaboration that extends across the entire value chain — brands, suppliers, chemical formulators and solution providers all have a role to play.
Shared guidelines and common tools, ZDHC said, can help reduce fragmentation and promote more consistent progress across global supply chains. The organisation has set an ambitious longer-term target: achieving MRSL conformance for 100% of chemical formulations used across the ZDHC community and 70% across the wider global industry by 2030.
ZDHC added: “Reaching these goals will require continued investment, stronger collaboration and a shared commitment to evidence-based improvement.”
