Launch Event - Innovative Business Practices and Economic Models in the Textile Value Chain (InTex)

The United Nations Environment Programme has organised the launch event of the InTex project on 15 June 2021 at 11:00 a.m. CEST.

Background

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is implementing a three-year project funded by the European Union (EU) to promote innovative business practices and economic models in the textile value chain. The InTex project has five components: two components with a global reach, and three components that focus on national implementation in three countries in Africa: Kenya, South Africa, and Tunisia. The two global components aims to increase access to environmental and lifecycle data so businesses and policymakers can make better-informed decisions and implement relevant strategies. They also aim to provide evidence of environmental and socio-economic impacts of different sustainable economic models in the textiles value chain. The three national components aim to increase the uptake of eco-innovation and use of Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) within textile SMEs while incorporating a strong component on LCA data generation.

As part of UNEP’s work on global value chains, the InTex project will be officially launched to further UNEP’s work with partners in the textiles sector. Building on the UNEP report “Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain. Global Stocktaking”, and its upcoming roadmap for sustainability and circularity in the textile value chain, the InTex project will provide an assessment of the potential of sustainable economic models to support the transition to sustainable consumption and production in the textiles value chain. It will further secure long-term access and interoperability of life cycle assessment databases globally. At national level, the InTex project will build the capacity of UNEP’s three partners in Africa to support SMEs in their local textile sectors on both UNEP’s eco-innovation approach, and the European Union’s Product Environmental Footprint methodology. Working with both the SMEs, governments, and other value chain stakeholders, this represents a powerful opportunity to build on the increasing importance of the textile sector to local economies as well as share innovative methodologies to create more resource-efficient, resilient, and internationally competitive SMEs.

Recording video here

Agenda

Welcome and Introduction (10 minutes)

• Elisa Tonda (UNEP, Head of Consumption and Production Unit)
• Emmanuelle Maire (European Union, Head of Unit - Sustainable Production, Products & Consumption – Directorate General for Environment).

Statements (Government representative) (15 minutes)

• Rym Jelassi (Government of Tunisia, General Coordinator, Tunisian Textile and Clothing Federation)
• Mahendra Shunmoogam (Government of South Africa, Director for Policy Implementation, Department of Trade, Industry and Competition)
• Fred Masibo Simiyu (Government of Kenya, Acting Director, Research and Trade Policy Analysis, Ministry of Industralization, Trade and Enterprise Development)

Panel, including Q&A session (30 minutes)

• Moderator: Llorenç Milà i Canals  (UNEP,  Head of the Secretariat - Life Cycle Initiative)
• Emanuela Gregorio (African Development Bank, Fashionomics Africa Coordinator)
• Emmanuelle Maire (European Union, Head of Unit - Sustainable Production, Products & Consumption – Directorate General for Environment)
• Naouel Mejri (CITET, Director of business support)
• Josphat Igadwa Mwasiagi (Moi University, Professor in the School of Engineering)
• Lee-Hendor Ruiters (NCPC-South Africa, Regional Manager)
• Zubeida Zwavel (CARES, Executive director)

Important Note: The online meeting for this webinar will be Cisco Webex Events, please download the application here on your desktop or mobile beforehand.

For more information about the InTex project: https://www.unep.org/intex

Download the project brochure here.

Contacts

For more information about this webinar, please contact:

• Bettina Heller, bettina.heller@un.org
• Claudia Giacovelli, claudia.giacovelli@un.org 
• Claire Thiebault, claire.thiebault@un.org