UK’s leading retailer, Tesco has joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol as part of its commitment to sourcing 100% sustainable cotton by 2025.
Tesco’s membership marks a momentous step in its ambitious sustainability program which sets its plan for climate action, its tactic to protecting important ecosystems such as forests and marine environments, and its work on promoting sustainable agricultural practices that protect soil health and biodiversity.
Tesco also desires to continue to provide transparency throughout its clothing supply chain – a key reason for sourcing more sustainable materials through the Trust Protocol for both its home and clothing product lines.
Dr. Gary Adams, President of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol said, “Tesco is committed to playing a leading role in sustainable solutions for consumers across the world/UK, and we are proud to be supporting them in this ambition.”.
“Collaboration is key, as with each member that joins, we have greater resources to help provide tools and knowledge to not only help U.S. growers improve their sustainability practices but to also give more brands and retailers the supply chain confidence they need,” Adams added.
The Trust Protocol provides fashion brands and retailers with the critical assurances they need to show the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more responsibly grown. It works by providing member brands access to the Protocol Credit Management System to validate consumption of cotton and associated credit and to aggregate year-over-year data in six sustainability areas: water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss, and land-use efficiency.
Joe Little, Head of Technical & Sustainability, Tesco said, “We want to offer our customers great quality affordable fashion while, at the same time, reducing our environmental impact.”
Little added, “Our customers trust that we source and produce all of our products responsibly and ethically and becoming a member of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol gives us access to more sustainably grown cotton. Working with the Trust Protocol will allow us to further our sustainability ambitions as we work towards our goal of 100% sustainable cotton by 2025.”
The Trust Protocol is governed by a board of directors, including Tesco’s Little. It is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and recognized by Textile Exchange and Forum for the Future. It is also part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cotton 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040, and CottonUP initiatives.
