During a recent episode of The Future of Everything podcast hosted by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Revathi Advaithi, a member of the U.S. Government advisory committee on supply chain policies said, “It is shocking to me that in this day and age, we don’t understand how much supply or demand is needed to run the world, with so much data and so much information out there.” Advaithi, CEO of Flex, a global manufacturer for everyday products, added, “AI can help improve utilization of equipment, help gain knowledge on how working capital is deployed, and help drive factory productivity. I’m very excited because this gives small, medium manufacturing an edge.”

Faced with the question of, ‘if not now, when’ concerning the footwear industry’s hefty carbon footprint, recent developments in next-gen materials and new age technologies are compelling examples of how companies are answering the call to action. These days businesses are going beyond established sustainability practices by escalating decarbonization efforts, resulting in innovative research and modern manufacturing methods that lighten the eco impact of shoes and help combat climate change.

As children in preschool, we learn how to share. Yet as we grow older and get involved in more vital ventures, like our careers and business, we sometimes forget that cooperation is still important. As Independent Chair of the Board for the Fair Wear Foundation, Mark Held honestly believes “that all business relationships should be equitable and long-term, based on shared values and shared responsibility.” Brands are accountable for their actions. Stakeholders should hold feet to the fire. As co-founder and former President of the European Outdoor Group, Held is also involved with the organization’s Race to Zero. In December 2023, members of the EOG voted to make committing to the initiative by the end of 2024 a mandatory requirement of association membership. The climate action effort has been “interesting, inspiring and at times, frustrating,” he said. But alas, it’s another opportunity for industry to work together toward a common goal. Prior to his expert talk at Performance Days Munich on “Not Accepting the Status Quo,” we caught up with Held.

In February 2024, Snowsports Industries America (SIA), the Winter Sports Sustainability Network (WSN) managed by Peak 63, and the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) hosted a webinar to launch the Global Climate Pact, bringing winter sports brands from Europe and the U.S. together in a unified front to accelerate climate action. Chris Steinkamp, SIA’s head of climate advocacy, voiced the need for “an achievable set of principles and a clear path forward to addressing climate change by stepping up as an industry” since “the European Sustainability Reporting Standards will soon impact us all.”

No one said circular textiles would be easy. FinModelsLab, a provider of financial tools and resources for startups, estimates that the cost of setting up a textile business from scratch is over $19 million. Creation of a textile-to-textile circular fiber business requires millions of additional dollars for collecting, sorting and processing the textile waste used as inputs. Circular fiber startups are facing issues with financing, supply chains, and the customer commitments needed to enable production at scale. Are we seeing an inflection point in textile circularity’s growth curve?

Eco elements have been a part of outdoor accessories, like sunglasses, for some time. The increasing use of castor oil seeds used in textiles, plastics, coatings, personal care items, pharmaceuticals – and bio-polymers in sunglass frames – for its bio-based origin and low carbon footprint have actually heightened the need to monitor the supply chain.

The future of polyester was the theme of Performance Days in Munich. Over the duration of the two-day show, attendees and experts discussed and debated which direction synthetics would take in the future. What is clear is that polyester, not just in the performance sports and outdoor sectors, but also in the fashion domain, continues to be a staple fiber in delivering lightweight performance. The show’s buzzwords focused on circularity, tile-to-textile, efficiency and waste.