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Industry Talk

World Textile Summit to explore business logic of textile sustainability

The Summit will delve into a range of topics that link decisions on sustainability to profitability and corporate success.

6th October 2015

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Milan

Sustainable

Aligning with the overarching theme of ITMA 2015 and designed to assist senior textile decision-makers in formulating strategy, the Summit will delve into a range of topics that link decisions on sustainability to profitability and corporate success. These include the role of sustainability in differentiating brands and companies, business profitability and security, investment decisions, the circular supply chain, and more.

The Summit’s opening address on 13 November will be made by Mary Porter Peschka, Global Acting Director, Sustainable Business Advisory, of the International Finance Corporation (World Bank), which published a 2012 report highlighting the ways in which sustainable business practices can cut costs, increase revenues, reduce risk and improve access to capital through better governance.

Business insights

In a morning packed with business insights, Paula Oliveira, Director, Interbrand, will explain how sustainability can deliver a marketing edge by differentiating brands and companies. The Summit will also hear from Vivek Tandon, co-founder of French private-equity investor Aloe Group, which specialises in sustainable investments and has interests in the fibre sector.

First-hand experience of the advantages of investment in clean manufacturing will come from three textile industry leaders – Alfonso Saibene Canepa, Director, Canepa SpA (Italy); Roger Yeh, President, Everest Textile Co Ltd (Taiwan); and Ajay Sardana, Vice-President, Aditya Birla Group (India).

Finally, delegates will be granted a preview of the findings of an important study by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), part of the University of Cambridge, whose Natural Capital Leaders Platform has investigated the natural capital dependencies and impacts of cotton production and the risks associated with these.

Sustainable growth

In the afternoon the Summit will begin by exploring ways in which companies in the textile supply chain can capture sustainable growth. Delegates will hear first from Frank Henke, VP for Social & Environmental Affairs, Adidas. Picking up on the theme, Christian Dietrich, Director, Systain Consulting, will describe the response of suppliers to an initiative by a grouping of major retailers to mitigate the CO2 burden of their businesses.

Helga Vanthournout, Engagement Manager, McKinsey & Co, will consider how recycling and reuse of end-of-life products can deliver economic and business value. And developing the theme of materials, Linda Keppinger, Global Materials Director, Nike Inc, will review sustainable trends in product development.

In conclusion, Burak Tun, Director Sales, Menderes Tekstil (Turkey) and Alan Garosi, Global Marketing Manager, Fulgar (Italy) will each present a short case study focusing on their own company’s application of environmentally friendly materials and will participate from the platform in an open discussion on the strategic choices to be made in material selection.

www.worldtextilesummit.com

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