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In June, Cascale, formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, welcomed over 200 attendees and 25 industry speakers to the Manufacturer Forum: Shanghai. The day-long event, held in collaboration with ISPO Shanghai, is part of Cascale’s ongoing event series that amplifies the voices of manufacturers around the globe.
Building on the “Catalyst for Change” theme, which has linked the organization’s recent manufacturer-led events in Bangalore, Dhaka, and Shenzhen, Cascale’s Manufacturer Forum: Shanghai featured targeted programming designed to address local challenges faced by manufacturers. This included solutions provided by the Higg Index, as well as Cascale’s growing list of impact initiatives, including the Manufacturer Climate Impact Program (MCAP).
It was the first Cascale event for Colin Browne, who became Cascale’s CEO in May. His attendance is a testament to his commitment to engage with manufacturers, understand their concerns and challenges, and elevate their voices on the global stage. This mission-critical approach from Cascale was further supported by the attendance of Board Member Dr. Delman Lee, vice chair at TAL Apparel Limited, and Scott Raskin, CEO of Worldly, the leader in environmental and social impact data for the apparel and footwear industry, which provides the exclusive platform for Cascale’s Higg Index tools.
In his opening address to the manufacturer-heavy crowd, Browne commented: “Part of my job is to amplify the voices of the experts and the manufacturers are the key experts in helping to solve many of the challenges we face today. […] I chose this as my first place to come and speak because it is so incredibly important to me that we work with manufacturers to find a way to bring your voices to the table.”
The Shanghai event reinforced the organization’s commitment to support an open exchange between manufacturers and better understand their needs and ongoing challenges to jointly develop solutions. With attendees reflecting the entire value chain – including manufacturers, service providers, industry stakeholders, strategic partners, brands and retailers, NGOs, academia, and government officials – the event facilitated pre-competitive collaboration in order to share best practices and collectively address critical challenges. Key discussions included:
- Exploring Decarbonization Strategies and Climate Change Mitigation
- Establishing Effective Science-Based Targets
- Navigating Future Legislation: Implications for Manufacturers
- Examining Critical Data: A Comparison of Higg FEM 3.0 and 4.0
- Prioritizing Workplace Health and Safety Initiatives
- Sharing Insights: Best Practices from Cascale Members and Stakeholders
Event sponsors included Benchmarks, TÜV Rheinland, Worldly, ESTS Global, GreenPont, and Stantec. Click here to learn more about Cascale’s Manufacturer Forums.
