Woolmark has unveiled Woolmark+, a significant sustainability initiative for the wool industry.
- The programme comprises 13 science-based initiatives aimed at environmental stewardship.
- Seven initiatives are already in motion, with one launched in July and others to follow.
- One key focus is on nature-based solutions like reforestation, contrasting with carbon offsetting.
- Australia’s role as a major wool producer highlights the programme’s global impact.
Woolmark has taken a substantial step forward in sustainability by introducing the Woolmark+ programme, which serves as a comprehensive roadmap to promote sustainable practices within the wool industry. This new initiative is designed to enhance the livelihoods of those involved in the supply chain and features 13 science-based initiatives.
Seven of these initiatives are currently active, including the Woolmark recycled content specification that was launched in July. Additional initiatives are expected to roll out over time, demonstrating Woolmark’s commitment to progressive environmental practices. The programme aims to foster collaboration across the supply chain, linking woolgrowers with global brands focused on achieving emission targets.
A standout initiative within Woolmark+ is its focus on insetting, defined by the World Economic Forum as employing nature-based solutions like reforestation and regenerative agriculture. Unlike carbon offsetting, which involves purchasing carbon credits to compensate for emissions, insetting directly implements environmental solutions on farms. Woolmark’s approach also aims for a nature-positive outcome, aiming to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, with an initial assessment beginning from a 2020 baseline.
Woolmark underscores the significant role that Australian woolgrowers, who manage over 65 million hectares of land, can play in this global transition towards a low-emission, nature-positive market. John Roberts, the managing director of Woolmark, emphasises the importance of recognising and supporting this commitment, thereby illustrating the wool industry’s potential to enhance biodiversity beyond merely achieving net zero targets.
Australia’s prominence as a leading wool producer brings into focus practices such as mulesing, a procedure used to prevent flystrike in sheep. While this method has faced criticism from welfare groups, Woolmark is actively investigating alternative solutions and providing a framework for woolgrowers to reduce reliance on mulesing through research and education projects.
Woolmark+ promises to significantly contribute to sustainable advancements in the wool industry, fostering collaboration and innovation.
