Overwhelmed by daily operations, LinkedIn shoutouts, and a maze of new “green” material options? Then it’s about time to step back and gain perspective. We asked four sustainability experts to share their thoughts about what to focus on strategically—with some unexpected answers.

1. Invite the suppliers to the team

Sustainability requires a team effort, with suppliers playing a crucial role, says Joel Svedlund, sustainability consultant at Peak 63 Outdoor Lab.

“It is important to acknowledge the supplier’s role here—very few outdoor brands develop new solutions by themselves. Instead, most materials and other solutions are developed by suppliers with specific skill sets for the solutions at hand. The outdoor brand’s role is often to inspire, challenge, and test innovations that are developed by others,” says Joel Svedlund.

A key issue arises when outdoor brands make public pledges, such as commitments to “go biobased” or to “use recycled content,” without realizing that these shifts often require large supplier investments. The success of sustainable materials depends on technical capabilities, market demand, and investor support. For instance, Swedish textile recycler Renewcell invested heavily in a plant to recycle cotton waste. However, when some buyers, including key investor H&M, declined to cover the high costs, Renewcell declared bankruptcy in early 2024.

Suppliers are also responsible for managing a major sustainability lever: water and renewable energy in production.

“We need to double down on renewable energy solutions throughout the supply chains and, of course, in society. Energy sources are currently more important than material choices in product moves towards halved GHG emissions until 2030. With supply chains in many highly fossil-dependent countries, this should be a top priority for the industry,” argues Joel Svedlund.

2. Conventional materials over innovations?

Despite a growing range of new materials, cotton and polyester are likely to remain dominant in outdoor apparel. For Suyash Goenka, Product Director at Fusion Clothing in India, this is a balancing act. Fusion Clothing, an early adopter of certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and Fairtrade, has long supported traceability and premium payments for farmers.

Today, Fusion Clothing explores innovations like carbon-capture polyester, which uses waste CO₂ to replace fossil-based polyester. Suyash Goenka points out that scaling up the production of certified and tested materials will have a greater environmental impact than small pilot projects.

“We need to make a large impact, such as organic cotton, despite its constraints,” he says.

Cotton’s environmental footprint is significant. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that cotton accounts for 16% of all pesticides used in farming and 46% of fertilizers annually, accounting for 10% of India’s freshwater use altogether. Cotton also requires a great deal of water, though organic cotton has a lighter footprint and offers certification through Textile Exchange and other sources. Durability also plays a key role in sustainability.

“If you can use a particular product 10 times instead of one, there is a substantial increase in environmental benefits,” Suyash Goenka explains.

3. A strategic view on policy and legislation

“Sustainability is not a trend. It is here to stay,” states Louisa Smith, international textile consultant and head of ISPO Textrends. While consumer interest in sustainability may fluctuate, legislation is now the main driver of environmental action, especially through the EU Green Deal.

“It is much easier when a legal restriction comes into play, which evens out the playing field and all of the industry can focus on innovating within this framework rather than using old, inexpensive but harmful solutions.”

Although “greenwashing” remains a problem, brands avoid communicating their sustainability efforts. This practice may increase as more legislation pressures brands to verify their sustainability claims. However, tools like Higg’s Product Passports, new reporting requirements, and data standardization aim to improve transparency.

Much of the “tsunami of legislation” has fallen to sustainability teams, but companies that engage more broadly with government requirements will be better positioned to address them strategically, adds Louisa Smith.

4. Business within the Planetary Boundaries

The Planetary Boundaries framework, which defines limits for global ecological resilience, is well-known in environmental science but less familiar in the outdoor industry. Anna Rodewald, co-owner of Greenroom Voice, a communication agency for sustainability in the outdoor sector, views it as essential. Anna Rodewald, who also organizes the Sustainability Hub at ISPO Munich and Performance Days, believes it is vital for the industry to embrace this framework.

“We are in a ‘race to the top’—the most climate-friendly and sustainable companies, those with the best solutions for society, will be the winners in the future. Within the outdoor industry, as in any other, there are companies that recognize this reality—and those that ignore it,” says Anna Rodewald.

“The key is to always keep the basic objectives in mind and set clear priorities. Anything that is not in line with Planetary Boundaries will sooner or later lose relevance,” she continues. She emphasizes that collaboration is essential. With six of nine Planetary Boundaries already breached, collective efforts are critical.

“The outdoor industry is not just a solution provider and shows that collaborations within the industry are feasible and that overarching issues can be tackled together.”

Joel Svedlund also stresses the importance of Planetary Boundaries and that traceability, transparency, and accountability are essential for effective strategic decisions.

“A good solution made with bad processes may be worse than a standard solution. Whether it is recycling, waste mining, green chemistry, biobased materials, or CO₂-captured polymers, they’re only interesting if they actually improve impact and don’t have any significant downsides.”

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