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Chris Marshall, director of transparency and accountability at Cascale, participated in a recent Sourcing Journal Sustainability Summit, which centered around the theme of “Ambition vs. Action.” The event brought together industry leaders to explore critical issues facing the fashion industry and provided a platform for attendees to gain fresh insights and discuss practical solutions to drive meaningful, scalable change.
Marshall joined Sourcing Journal sourcing and labor editor, Jasmin Malik Chua for a fireside chat to discuss challenges and opportunities for the industry. After an overview of Cascale’s evolution from convening stakeholders to driving focused impact, Marshall highlighted Cascale’s strategic pillars—Combat Climate Change and Support Decent Work for All—as critical to this renewed focus.
While acknowledging the fashion industry’s struggle to meet sustainability targets, Marshall stressed the importance of continued commitment to goals, especially those related to decarbonization. He emphasized the need to accelerate action while addressing the barriers that prevent it. Marshall highlighted Cascale’s unique position to drive industry progress through the new Industry Decarbonization Roadmap (IDR), developed in partnership with Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) and with the support of RESET Carbon, which will look to prioritize action in the 10 percent of facilities across the textile and apparel supply chain that account for over 80 percent of manufacturing emissions globally, ensuring resources are targeted where they can drive the greatest impact.
Marshall also noted the need to create the business case for manufacturer investment to engage facilities and support their decarbonization journey. The IDR program seeks to leverage collective action among brands, enabling manufacturers to unlock decarbonization solutions. Expanding on Cascale’s strategic objective to Support Decent Work for All, Marshall highlighted the recent purchase of key assets of Better Buying Institute (BBI) as a significant milestone to advance responsible purchasing practices across the consumer goods industry. He shared how this strategic move reflected the organization’s commitment to amplifying supplier voices, fostering industry alignment, and embedding fair purchasing principles more deeply in global supply chains.
Speaking on recent developments in the EU around regulation with the recently proposed changes to the Omnibus Package, Marshall emphasized the need for harmonized legislation to level the playing field. He commended manufacturers and brands who have demonstrated a commitment to decarbonization and called for accelerated action. Marshall ended the discussion with an optimistic outlook for the future, noting the commitment among the delegates to collaborate on driving impactful change.
