Cascale is driving industry-wide climate action by equipping professionals across the apparel value chain with practical knowledge through regular trainings and workshops delivered by sustainability experts. These sessions focus on using the Higg Index tools and setting science-based targets (SBTs) to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, as demonstrated in a dedicated training held on 14 June 2023. Between December 2023 and February 2024, four additional trainings and educational events were planned. Through its Decarbonisation Program, launched alongside updates to the Higg Index, Cascale requires corporate members to commit to SBTs, offering support via initiatives like the Pakistan Environment Trust and the Manufacturer Climate Action Program. Moving into 2024 and 2025, Cascale expanded its impact with events such as the Brand and Retail Forum in Brussels, Manufacturer Forums in Dhaka and Shanghai. Through the collaboration with the IAF for a Manufacturer Interview Group, including individual interviews with 12 manufacturers and consultation webinars from November 2024 to January 2025, Cascale has further aimed to support manufacturers to amplify their voice on relevant policy frameworks. Cascale also actively participated in the AAFA’s International Apparel & Footwear Compliance Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in December 2024 and the Cambodia Global Textile Summit in Phnom Penh in March 2025 to drive engagement with APAC manufacturers and key stakeholders. Cascale’s efforts will continue throughout 2025 by holding the largest Cascale Forum in May in Ho Chi Minh City and the Annual Meeting in Hong Kong in September. Participation in major regional events and the upcoming  Industry Decarbonisation Roadmap launch in 2025 reinforce Cascale’s strategic action pillars - combating climate change and supporting decent work. The acquisition of Better Buying tools in February 2025 further strengthens its mission to normalise fair, responsible purchasing practices across the consumer goods industry. 

Progress reported in June 2026: 
Cascale's work over the past year has advanced both dimensions of this pledge: climate action, through science-based targets, decarbonisation programmes, and engagement in the GHG Protocol, and responsible purchasing practices, principally through the Better Buying suite of tools that Cascale integrated in early 2025.

On climate action

• Manufacturer Climate Action Program (MCAP). Cascale continues to run its 18-month climate action onboarding and capability-building programme, which now supports over 85 manufacturers in 19 countries in developing and validating Science-Aligned Targets (SATs). The 2025 MCAP Annual Impact Report ("Beyond Targets") was published on 18 June 2026
• Science-based and science-aligned targets across the membership. Cascale requires Brand & Retail members to set Science-Based Targets (SBTs) and Manufacturer members to set Science-Aligned Targets (SATs). To date, 67% of Cascale members have set or begun setting SBTs or SATs.
• Industry Decarbonization Roadmap (IDR). In collaboration with the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), Cascale contributed to the IDR using Higg FEM data, identifying that around 10% of facilities (~1,800 Tier 2 wet-processing mills) account for over 80%of supply-chain emissions, enabling members to target action where impact is greatest.
• Input to the GHG Protocol's Actions and Market Instruments (AMI) White Paper. Cascale submitted input to the GHG Protocol's Request for Information, contributing to the harmonisation of how organisations report climate mitigation activities via multi-statement reporting framework that recognises a wider range of climate action.

On responsible purchasing practices - Better Buying
Following the integration of key Better Buying Institute (BBI) assets into Cascale in early 2025, responsible purchasing practices are now a core pillar of Cascale's "Support Decent Work for All" strategic pillar, delivered through two flagship, evidence-based tools:

• Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index (BBPPI). The BBPPI is a comprehensive, anonymous supplier survey that evaluates how buyer companies' Tier 1 purchasing practices impact suppliers across seven categories: Planning and Forecasting; Cost and Cost Negotiation; Payment and Terms; Design and Development; Sourcing and Order Placement; Management of the Purchasing Process; and Win-Win Sustainable Partnership.
  • In April 2025 Cascale launched the ninth annual BBPPI ratings cycle, the first under Cascale's stewardship.
  • BBPPI 2025 Report, published 11 November 2025, was the first BBPPI report issued by Cascale. The report evidenced that sustained engagement drives measurable improvement even amid tariff-driven disruption.
• Better Buying Partnership Index (BBPI). A shorter, 12-question, 5-minute anonymous survey (aligned with Better Buying's Five Principles of Responsible Purchasing - time, visibility, stability, fair financials, and shared responsibility) that assesses partnership quality on a -100 to +100 scale using Net Promoter Scoring, classifying buyers as True Partners, Collaborators, or Detractors.
  • BBPI 2025 Report, published 10 February 2025, was the first BBPI report issued by Cascale.
  • The fifth annual BBPI ratings cycle was launched on 1 October 2025, the first BBPI cycle under Cascale.
• Cascale Better Buying Responsible Purchasing Practices Snapshot Survey 2025 was published 30 January 2026, amplifying anonymised supplier feedback to show what is working and where improvement is still needed.