Woolmark gets grant to start its “ground-breaking” insetting program

Woolmark has announced a multimillion dollar grant (A$4 million) from the Australian Government to kickstart its major Australian Wool Industry Insetting Program as part of its recently unveiled Woolmark+ roadmap. 

It will help it connect apparel brands with Australian woolgrowers looking to reduce emissions through nature-based solutions.

Insetting refers to initiatives that occur within a company’s value chain to reduce the environmental footprint directly related to the company’s business activities.

Woolmark said the industry-first initiative “will develop and trial an insetting framework, aimed at enabling emissions reductions within the textile supply chain”.

That’s a goal for retailers and brands globally and given Australia’s importance in the wool supply chain, it’s a key development.

The strategic partnership between Woolmark and other key groups “creates a comprehensive approach to implement, report, and scale insetting”. 

A key element will be the “creation of 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 within the value chain”.

Woolmark MD John Roberts said: “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.”

The project aims to break down significant barriers woolgrowers face when reducing GHG emissions, including the lack of guidance on best practices, upfront capital, and market engagement.