Without a doubt, the release of the Apparel & Footwear PEFCR is a key step toward harmonising environmental impact measurement. However, it is worth mentioning that it is not making unanimity in the TCLF ecosystem, as several sectors within the ecosystem—particularly the European leather & footwear, wool & fur industries —have raised serious concerns about how the current methodology addresses durability, a critical factor in assessing true sustainability.

Durability is central to circularity, as longer-lasting & natural products reduce resource use and waste. Yet, the PEFCR’s current approach overlooks this, despite the calls from natural material global alliance urging the Technical Secretariat to better reflect durability in the framework.

As it stands, the final A&F PEFCR disproportionately penalises high-quality products made with natural & durable materials like leather, wool, or silk. This sends the wrong market signal by incentivising brands to move away from these material options while common sense would already indicate their higher durability compared to fast-fashion, fossil-derived alternatives.

Nevertheless, COTANCE supports the Commission’s plan to review key methodological elements in the next revision phase, and we strongly hope that durability metrics and allocation rules will be given due attention.

After all, how can we claim to support sustainable fashion if we don't have commonly agreed metrics, or worse, if we have metrics that penalise natural materials that are built to last?

More information can be found here: https://mailchi.mp/ec9bd7c25ed9/the-industry-is-concerned-durability-vs-fast-fashion