Australia
Aligning economic prosperity with positive ecological and social impact.
Woolmark+ is a new roadmap designed to unite woolgrowers, the supply chain and brands in ensuring a sustainable future for the wool industry.
It sets out 13 practical initiatives intended to empower nature regeneration, reduce carbon emissions and optimise productivity. This, the Woolmark Company believes, will not only support woolgrowers in meeting their business objectives but also align with the increasing commitment from brands to mitigate Scope 3 supply chain emissions.
The initiative will establish the foundation for a wool ‘insetting’ market, linking woolgrowers with global brands aiming to meet their emission targets through on-farm, nature-based solutions.
A programme comprising nine research and development projects is further identifying effective strategies to reduce methane emissions from grazing sheep, with early results indicating a 19% average methane reduction and 27% productivity increase in grazing sheep consuming Agolin, and a 50% methane reduction when consuming Asparagopsis.
Also being developed as part of Woolmark+ is a nature positive farming specification in consultation with woolgrowers and industry partners to provide credible measures of on-farm environmental performance and enable brands to make defensible claims. Building on detailed ecological assessment of 130 wool farms, this study has identified a set of core metrics that can cost-effectively verify on-farm performance. A pilot project will look at operationalising these metrics.
In addition, a nature positive impact programme is connecting investors with research, development and conservation projects that reduce emissions, enhance biodiversity, promote climate resilience and enable circularity and a new Recycled sub-brand has been added to the Woolmark Certification programme.
“With more than 60 years of experience, Woolmark understands the nuances of the textile industry and is dedicated to driving its success by aligning economic prosperity with positive ecological and social impact,” explains Woolmark Company MD John Roberts. “Woolgrowers in Australia are stewards of over 65 million hectares of land and they can play a critical role in the global transition to a low-emission, nature positive market. Their commitment to nature needs to be well recognised and supported to demonstrate the wool industry’s role in supporting and enhancing biodiversity, beyond net zero targets.”
Benefit of all
At its core, Woolmark+ focuses on supporting the livelihoods of woolgrowers in their role as stewards of nature. Through research, training and the development of new tools and investment avenues, the initiatives aim to help woolgrowers to enhance climate resilience, reduce carbon emissions, foster biodiversity and progress animal wellbeing.
The Carbon Storage Partnership is just one example of how Woolmark is collaboratively investing to identify effective and appropriate techniques for woolgrowers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while building biodiversity and improving productivity. The project is due to finish in 2025 and on-farm modelling is under way and case studies for various regional zones have been completed.
Alongside environmental stewardship, the roadmap promotes a holistic, nature positive approach through the development of supply chain programmes that aim to advance circularity, while ensuring demand for wool.
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