New System Map-based framework aims to help global fashion stakeholders halve emissions and enable a just transition by 2050
The H&M Foundation has unveiled a new open-access toolkit designed to fast-track climate action across the textile industry, enabling stakeholders to identify key leverage points for reducing emissions and driving a just transition.
The initiative builds on the foundation’s 2024 introduction of the System Map—a visual framework that reimagines the textile sector as a complex, interconnected ecosystem shaped by capital flows, policy incentives, innovation, and consumer demand.
With the launch of the toolkit, organisations can now translate this systemic understanding into practical action.
The textile industry faces mounting pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions by half every decade until 2050 to align with global climate goals.
According to the foundation, the primary barrier is no longer ambition but a lack of coordination across the value chain.
The toolkit, developed in collaboration with Accenture, offers a structured approach for brands, manufacturers, policymakers, investors, and civil society organisations to integrate climate strategies into their operations.
It can be delivered through digital or in-person workshops and includes modules such as identifying organisational influence, pinpointing systemic leverage points, and reimagining a decarbonised textile future.
Anna Gedda, CEO of H&M Foundation, emphasised the need for collective action, stating that fragmented efforts within isolated segments of the fashion industry are insufficient to achieve meaningful change. She highlighted that the toolkit enables stakeholders to move beyond siloed optimisation and instead collaborate on system-wide transformation.
The System Map challenges the traditional linear model of fashion by illustrating the full textile lifecycle—from fibre production to end-of-life—while highlighting emissions hotspots and structural challenges such as power imbalances and profit-driven decision-making.
By mapping these dynamics, it helps stakeholders avoid unintended consequences, such as shifting environmental or social burdens along the value chain.
A key focus of the toolkit is ensuring that decarbonisation efforts are aligned with principles of equity.
The foundation underscores that climate action must not disproportionately impact vulnerable communities within the supply chain. Instead, the toolkit provides guidance on addressing structural inequalities and fostering fairer outcomes.
With both the System Map and toolkit freely accessible, the H&M Foundation aims to shift the industry from awareness to implementation.
The initiative calls for collective redesign of the textile system, urging stakeholders to adopt a shared perspective and work collaboratively toward sustainable transformation.