Cascale was proud to join global apparel leaders in London for the official launch of the Apparel and Textile Transformation Initiative (ATTI) - a manufacturer-led, nationally grounded, and globally coordinated effort to accelerate environmental transformation across the apparel and textile sector.

Convened by the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), the event drew manufacturers, brands, federations, and civil society into a unified call for bold, localized action and a rebalancing of industry systems to better support those driving production.

Opening remarks from Matthijs Crietee (IAF secretary general) and Cem Altan (IAF president) laid the foundation for a day focused on structural change, while Christian Schindler (ITMF director general) emphasized that ATTI is designed not to compete with existing initiatives but to fill a critical gap; centering manufacturers in transformation efforts that have often been brand-led or fragmented.

Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, business engagement lead for global climate action at UN Climate Change, spoke to the complexity of the current moment, urging the industry to move beyond isolated efforts and toward truly collaborative models that include policy, finance, and operational stakeholders. She emphasized that the pressure cannot fall solely on sustainability teams, and that systems change demands cross-functional and cross-sector alignment.

The core focus of the event was unpacking the ATTI model, which first prioritizes a needs assessments and collaborative solution design. From there, implementation can expand toward national chapters, which are to be decided. Speakers such as Miran Ali (ATTI global council, Bangladesh) and Selçuk Mehmet Kaya (İHKİB sustainability committee president) spoke candidly about the ongoing mismatch between brand expectations and manufacturer realities, citing rising demands with little corresponding support. Both emphasized the need for greater accountability from brands and a commitment to shared investment in decarbonization.

From the brand side, Fernando de Bunes (Inditex’s chief risk officer) and Felicity Tapsell (BESTSELLER’s head of responsible sourcing) affirmed their support for ATTI’s practical, country-focused structure. They stressed the importance of building transformation plans that respond to the national context and working directly with manufacturers to identify systemic barriers.

Later in the program, Eva von Alvensleben, executive director of The Fashion Pact, framed ATTI as a much-needed mechanism to connect initiatives, scale impact, and ensure manufacturers have a seat at the table. She highlighted the role of coalition-building to unlock industry-wide transformation, even when the path is complex and sometimes messy.

Andrew Martin, executive vice president at Cascale, highlighted the alignment between ATTI and the Industry Decarbonization Roadmap (IDR), a collaborative, industry-wide initiative to accelerate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions across the textile, apparel, and footwear value chain, aiming for a 45 percent reduction by 2030. It moves the industry from ambition to measurable action — prioritizing high-impact facilities while supporting scalable, inclusive, and commercially viable pathways to decarbonization. Initially catalyzed by Cascale and the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), the IDR is now designed as an open, evolving platform for collective industry leadership and action.

Martin described ATTI as a natural complement to the IDR’s goals of supporting national transformation pathways with global coordination: “Manufacturers know what needs to be done. What they’re asking for is alignment. Not ten different targets and twenty different timelines from brands. Brand alignment came out as the top barrier in our recent polling of manufacturers at our Cascale Forum event in Ho Chi Minh City - not finance, not tech. Alignment.”

He also emphasized the importance of avoiding duplication and building trust through meaningful support. “We’re bringing what we can — harmonized data, brand engagement, and credible partnerships. But this only works if manufacturers are the ones leading the agenda.”

Andres Bragagnini, senior manager of strategic engagement at Aii, underscored the need for coordinated action that integrates technical solutions, financing mechanisms, and manufacturer-led planning. He outlined how ATTI complements the IDR’s intent to focus action in high-impact production countries by putting solutions directly into manufacturers’ hands.

As the event concluded, speakers and participants agreed that ATTI represents a fresh opportunity to address climate targets through grounded, practical collaboration. With manufacturers leading, brands aligning, and organizations like Cascale and Aii providing trusted support, the industry has a clearer path to deliver on its 2030 climate goals.

“This is a dream come true,” Martin concluded. “For years, we’ve been trying to connect the dots - harmonizing data, aligning with brand expectations, and localizing implementation. ATTI brings all of that together, but crucially, it puts manufacturers in the driver’s seat.”