Helping brands through their sustainability journey.
To affect demand and value we need to support the brands that are currently using wool, that are innovating with wool or could make the transition to wool.
When we looked at what these brands are grappling with from a sustainability perspective and how quickly this space is evolving we felt we needed a central place to catch;
- what’s top of mind for brands,
- the market context they’re working within, and
- to use this information to prioritise work that would be most useful to brands.
The approach we took to this work was to have structured conversations with brands, and then wrap around market and broader agri-sector context.
We took a local and global point of view. Currently around 85% of strong wool produced in NZ is exported in greasy or scoured fibre form. This is changing and New Zealand businesses continue to grow, but as they do, they too will likely set their sights on export markets.
We don’t profess to have captured this expansive topic in its entirety.
This is a best representation at a point in time. Like so much of the regulation and corporate intent, this work will continue to evolve, but it does provide an overarching sense of the direction of travel.
Wool’s a complex natural fibre, grown renewably in a natural system. But natural and renewable claims are no longer enough. We have to make it easier for brands to use wool.
The report explores four key themes:
- Sustainability and Carbon Reporting: Making it easier for brands to advocate for the wool products they produce, or make the shift to wool, by meeting both best and next practices.
- Building a Nature Positive Story: Moving beyond carbon to consider a broader view of impact, such as the restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem health.
- Positioning for Procurement: Unlocking new opportunities including how to capitalise on the coalition government’s recent wool procurement preference.
- Partnership and Collaboration: Encouraging more shared innovation to address sector-wide challenges and advance opportunities.
This report is a call to action for our wool sector to move forward together, to create and sustain value. Read it here.