AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS WOOLMARK+ INSETTING PROGRAM

Woolmark welcomes an AU$4 million (about US$2,622,000) grant from the Australian Government to launch its groundbreaking Australian Wool Industry Insetting Program, part of the recently unveiled Woolmark+ roadmap. The program will connect apparel brands with Australian woolgrowers seeking to reduce emissions through nature-based solutions, with Woolmark spearheading the industry’s move towards nature-positive outcomes. This industry-first initiative will develop and trial an insetting framework to reduce emissions within the textile supply chain.

Editor’s Note: According to The World Economic Forum, “carbon ‘insetting’ [as opposed to offsetting] focuses on doing more good rather than doing less bad within one’s value chain.”

The strategic partnership between Woolmark, Pollination, and Landcare Australia creates a comprehensive approach to implement, report, and scale insetting to enable woolgrowers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through nature-based solutions on farms. A key element will be creating a mechanism to facilitate the connection between global fashion and textile brands and woolgrowers with GHG emission reductions on Australian wool-growing properties, which in turn can reduce the brand’s Scope 3 emissions. [Scope 3 emissions are the result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organization but that the organization indirectly affects in its value chain. within the value chain.]

“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. “Brands are increasingly seeking ways to address their Scope 3 emissions, but scaling these efforts has been a challenge. 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. We’re grateful to the Australian government for their support of this game- changing initiative.”

The project aims to remove significant barriers to reducing GHG emissions, including the lack of guidance on best practices, upfront capital, and market engagement. By addressing these challenges, this initiative will provide woolgrowers with some of the tools needed to manage more than 65 million hectares of Australian land more sustainably, setting the stage for impactful emissions reductions across the wool value chain.

“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,” said Lara Phillips, Director at Pollination.

Landcare Australia, a not-for-profit organization driving improved environmental land management for over 35 years, is excited about this groundbreaking project.
“Supporting woolgrowers to understand their opportunities in emerging environmental markets as well as providing on-ground implementation support for environmental plantings will help reduce emissions while increasing biodiversity within the wool value chain,” said Landcare Australia CEO Dr Shane Norrish.

The Australian Wool Industry Insetting Program is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.

Woolmark is inviting Australian woolgrowers and global fashion and textile brands to collaborate in achieving GHG reductions. Interested brands and woolgrowers are invited to contact woolmarkplus@wool.com to get involved or for more information.