Part of the Woolmark+ roadmap, the programme aims to connect apparel brands with Australian woolgrowers. It uses nature-based solutions to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on wool-growing properties.
The project has been funded by the Australian Government’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.
The Woolmark initiative, developed in partnership with environmental consultancy Pollination and not-for-profit Landcare Australia, will establish a framework to enable emissions reductions within the textile supply chain.
Lara Phillips, director at Pollination commented: “By supporting nature-based solutions such as environmental plantings and best-practice flock management, the project will lay the foundation for scalable, high-integrity emissions reductions that deliver environmental and economic benefits for Australian woolgrowers.”
Through this partnership, Woolmark seeks to address industry challenges like high upfront capital costs, limited best-practice guidance, and market access, ultimately aiming to foster more sustainable practices on the 65m hectares of Australian land used for wool production.
A key feature of the initiative is creating a system that links fashion and textile brands to woolgrowers who can offer GHG emissions reductions.
“We want to offer woolgrowers an option and brands a solution that allows emissions reductions to remain within the textile supply chain,” said Woolmark managing director John Roberts. “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.
The initiative also emphasises environmental practices, such as native plantings and optimised flock management, which are expected to support long-term emissions reductions and biodiversity within Australia’s wool industry.
