WHEN: 19 March 2025 I TIME: 14:00 - 15:30 (Bangkok Time) I Register HERE
Background:
The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles addresses the production and consumption of textiles, whilst recognising the importance of the textiles sector. Textiles are the fabric of everyday life. We use them in clothes and furniture, medical and protective equipment, buildings and vehicles. However, urgent action is needed as their impact on the environment continues to grow. The consumption of clothing and footwear is expected to increase by 63% by 2030, from 62 million tonnes now to 102 million tonnes in 2030 [1]. In the EU, the consumption of textiles, most of which are imported, now accounts on average for the fourth highest negative impact on the environment and on climate change and third highest for water and land use from a global life cycle perspective [2].
The EU Eco-Design and Sustainable Product Regulation is the centre piece of the Circular Economy action plan and a key element to the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. It aims to make products more environmentally friendly throughout their life cycle. It sets stricter ecodesign requirements for a wider range of products compared to the previous regulation. This will not only reduce environmental impact but also create a level playing field for businesses in the EU and potentially set global standards for sustainability.
The ESPR provides the legal basis for setting the ecodesign requirements, however these requirements will vary per product category. In delegated acts, the specific requirements per product category will be outlined, these are still under development and are planned to be published by 2026. Product categories with a significant environmental impact will be prioritized. Textiles are a key focus area and will be included the first release of the ESPR framework.
Products placed on the EU market will need to follow ecodesign requirements addressing the following 9 elements:
- Durability and reliability
- Reusability
- Upgradability, reparability, maintenance and refurbishment
- Presence of substances of concern in products
- Energy and resource efficiency
- Products’ recycled content
- Product remanufacturing and recycling
- Carbon and environmental footprints
- Expected generation of waste material
Selected product categories will need follow information requirements through a Digital Product Passport (DPP). This is basically a digital record containing key information about the product's entire lifecycle. The purpose of a Digital Product Passport is to enhance transparency, traceability, and sustainability throughout its lifecycle and support the practices of the circular economy such as repair, reuse, repurposing, redistribution or recycling and bans on destruction of unsold products that would facilitate activities keeping materials withing production and consumption system.
The EU seeks to strengthen the sustainability of global value chains and provide an opportunity for more sustainable production in partner countries, which will accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN Agenda 2030, particularly SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Rules will apply equally to all products placed on the EU market, whether these originate in the EU or not. The proposed mechanism ensures a level playing field for businesses aiming to sell their products on the EU market – enabling sustainability frontrunners, and those businesses that are investing in sustainability, to move to the fore.
Webinar Session:
The EU SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component and the European Environment Bureau, are convening the webinar, The EU Eco-Design Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR) and the Textile Sector: impact and opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region to:
- Present the EU ESPR
- Understand what is means for the Asia-Pacific region, in particular for the textile sector
- Present what is expected in the coming years, what opportunities will arise from this new Regulation and more generally from an eco-design perspective for the textile value chain.
Moderators:
Elodie MARIA-SUBE, Expert on EU policy development and partnership building at the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component
Elodie is specialized in European Affairs related to topics of circular economy, SCP, climate change and environmental management, and has extensive experience in stakeholder consultation and engagement at the EU level, as well as with high-level officials in Ministries of Environment and Finance in Asia. For over a decade, Elodie has worked in South and South-East Asia on environment and climate change. She is currently leading the SWITCH-Asia Technical Advisory project on Sustainable/ Green Public Procurement for Transformation.
Speakers:
Emily MACINTOSH, Senior Policy Officer for Textile, European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Emily Macintosh is a Senior Policy Officer at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations in Europe with over 185 members in more than 41 countries. Since 2018, she has been working on advocacy for resource use reduction and sufficiency approaches to EU textiles policies. Before focusing on textiles, she worked in the EEB’s communications team on nature and agriculture topics, and held previous roles in Brussels, including at the European Parliament. Emily’s educational background is in journalism.
Carsten WENTINK, Policy officer at the European Commission, DG Environment
Carsten Wentink is an expert in circular economy and sustainable product policy. He is a policy officer at the European Commission, DG Environment, focusing on textiles under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.
Zainab NAEEM, Head of Ecological Sustainability & Circular Economy, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)
Zainab Naeem is a PhD scholar in Environmental Sciences with expertise in circular economy, climate resilience, and environmental diplomacy. At SDPI, she leads research and policy advocacy on circularity in plastics, used-textiles trade, and sustainable resource management. She has spearheaded projects on plastic waste scoping, corporate sustainability reporting, and water stewardship, while also facilitating capacity-building on carbon markets, urban resilience, and climate communications.
In his role as an Industrial Development Officer in UNIDO’s Energy Systems and Infrastructure Division, Mark Draeck manages a USD $40M portfolio of technical cooperation projects in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Working with industrial organizations in various sectors, Mark and his team are championing an energy efficiency first approach in the global race towards renewables in the industrial sector.
Mark Draeck, Industrial Development Officer, Energy Systems and Infrastructure Division, UNIDO
Since 2021 Mark Draeck acts as the Chief Technical Advisor on the EU and Finland funded SWITCH2CE project (https://www.switchtocircular.eu/) to support circular economy practices in the plastic, textile and ICT value chains, with country focus on Bangladesh, Egypt and Morocco. Mark joined UNIDO in Vienna, Austria in 2010 as an Industrial Development Officer in the Department of Energy, and managed a portfolio of technical cooperation projects in Africa, Asia, MENA and Eastern Europe on renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency practices, clean technology innovation, electric mobility and sustainable cities. Before joining UNIDO, Mark worked as an Energy Policy Advisor for the Flemish Government in Brussels, Belgium, and as a Carbon Group Manager in the consulting sector in London, UK. Mark holds a Master in Biological Sciences from the University of Leuven, a degree in Environmental Management from Ghent University, and an MBA certificate from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.
Rene VAN BERKEL, Circular Economy Expert, SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component
Dr René Van Berkel was formerly the Representative and Head of the Regional Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in India. In this role he was responsible for industry and government advocacy and coordination of UNIDO technical assistance portfolio on inclusive and sustainable industrial development, covering energy and resource efficiency, renewable energy, innovation, digitalization and circularity and MSME development. Previously he served amongst others in thematic leadership roles on resource efficient and cleaner production in UNIDO and as Professor of Cleaner Production at Curtin University of Technology in Australia. René has a three decade track record of pioneering and implementing SCP techniques, practices and policies in manufacturing and other productive sectors in Asia (including India, Indonesia, China, Viet Nam, Bangladesh and Myanmar) and globally. He currently serves as Senior Circular Economy Expert for the EU SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component.
Boedi SATRIO, General Manager of Business Development, Investor Relations, and Sustainability for Pan Brothers
Boedi Satrio oversees Business Development, Government and Investor Relations, and Sustainability for Pan Brothers and its subsidiaries, one of Indonesia’s largest garment manufacturers specializing in technical wear like GORE-Tex adventure jackets and pants. Before taking on this role in 2022, he spent over 20 years in sales and business development across the IT and telecommunications sectors, working with companies such as Logica (now CGI), Comptel, and Nokia Solutions Networks. His career spans multiple countries, including the Netherlands, Scotland, Malaysia, and Indonesia, with notable achievements like securing a deal to build a new 3G greenfield operator in Indonesia. He holds an MSc in Informatics from Delft University of Technology.
Leonie VAAS, General Manager, Sustainability Hirdaramani Apparel
Leonie Vaas has 15 years of experience in textile innovation and sustainability. Recognized as a UN Global Compact SDG Pioneer for Responsible Production in 2021, she is currently pursuing a PhD in sustainable management at Management and Science University, Malaysia. A qualified chemical engineer, she holds an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University (UK) and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. She is also a lead auditor for ISO 14001 and a certified Sustainability Manager specializing in energy and water management. Leonie has expertise in ESG strategy, sustainability reporting (GRI standards), and has developed globally recognized waste-to-fashion natural dyes. She also lectures on sustainability at several Sri Lankan universities.
Agenda
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19 March 2025 |
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14:00 |
Introduction to the Webinar
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14:05 |
EU Eco-Design Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR) and the Textile Sector
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14:20 |
EU Eco-Design Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR) and the Textile Sector: Impact and Opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region Moderated by Elodie MARIA-SUBE, Key Expert on EU policy development and partnership building, SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component
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15:00 |
Q&A |
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15:25 |
Concluding Remarks and Next Steps
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[1] European Environment Agency (EEA) (2019) Textiles and the environment in a circular economy
[2] EEA (2022) Textiles and the environment: the role of design in Europe’s circular economy
