Textile Exchange has launched the new Materials Matter Standard which focuses on connecting climate and nature outcomes with practices at the start of the supply chain.

The new standard is the culmination of the organisation’s work to strengthen its focus on impacts on the ground, putting climate, nature, animals and the producers of fibres at the heart of the system.

In 2021, Textile Exchange began a sweeping revision of its standards framework with the aim of developing a harmonised system that incorporates outcomes aligned with its climate and nature strategy.

“The new Materials Matter Standard is more than a certification – it’s a commitment to creating a future where every material tells a story of positive impact,” said Textile Exchange CEO Claire Bergkamp. “By integrating practice-based criteria with measurable outcomes, we provide a system that rewards best practice on the ground and that brands, retailers, and consumers can trust.”

Built on multi-stakeholder collaboration, the Materials Matter Standard adopts a holistic view, integrating more responsible practices across climate, land use, human rights and animal welfare.

It is designed around a holistic set of regenerative outcomes, building on the adaptability embedded in current standards for animal fibre production systems. This approach allows producers to demonstrate conformance based on the unique context of their farms and operations, aligning with regenerative agriculture’s focus on improving soil health, biodiversity and overall ecological resilience.

It also connects certified raw materials to a globally scaled chain of custody standard and traceability system. Coupled with the Content Claim Standard, the Textile Exchange Trackit traceability programme supports the Materials Matter Standard by providing tools for verifying and tracking certified materials and related attributes. This helps to ensure that claims are transparent and substantiated and that certification data is centralised, contributing to a more robust and credible certification process.

“We’ve worked with a global network of communities, NGOs, producers, brands, animal welfare organisations and environmental experts to ensure the new standard empowers the industry to speak with one clear, unified voice on what sustainability in production systems truly means,” said Laura Kohler, senior director of standards systems at the Textile Exchange.

www.textileexchange.org