Sustainability

PEFCR & Certifications: Decoding the New Sustainability Standards for Apparel & Footwear

PERFORMANCE DAYS, Munich

Expert Talk Stage

Thursday 06th March 2025

11:15 - 12:35 CET

A recent European Commission study revealed that over 50% of environmental claims on product performance are misleading, vague, or unsubstantiated (McGuinn et al., 2023). In response, the EU has launched several ambitious regulatory initiatives to drive transparency and credibility in sustainability claims, with the Green Claims Directive and the EcoDesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) standing as key pillars of this transformation. These regulations aim to combat greenwashing, enforce stricter sustainability criteria, and reshape market access within the EU.

To support this regulatory framework, the EU is developing a standardized methodology to assess the environmental footprint of apparel & footwear: the PEFCR A&F. This initiative represents a major shift in how sustainability is measured, reported, and communicated in the fashion industry, providing a harmonized approach for brands and manufacturers to evaluate and disclose their environmental impact. Set to be officially adopted in April 2025, the PEFCR A&F will soon become a key reference for environmental performance assessment, requiring businesses to align their strategies with this new framework.

However, concerns are rising among brands and manufacturers. Many companies are questioning:

  • How should they adapt to this new methodology?
  • What impact will PEFCR have on business operations and supply chains?
  • How does PEFCR interact with existing certifications, and can they support compliance efforts?

What This Session Will Cover:

  • Introduction to PEFCR for Apparel & Footwear
  • From Certification-Based Ecolabelling to LCA-Based Ecolabelling
  • Developing a Strategic Roadmap

This session will not compare certifications or rank compliance tools. Instead, it will provide critical insights and practical steps to help brands and manufacturers prepare for PEFCR, integrate it into their sustainability strategy, and confidently navigate the evolving regulatory landscape.

Join us to decode the PEFCR for Apparel & Footwear and build a compliance roadmap for the future!

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Certification is in everyone’s mouth today. We hear a lot of opinions about certifications, such as: does it pay off, is it a valuable certification or only fake, we hear about audit fatigue, and much more. What is right? What is wrong? How do you find the right trail for your company or stakeholder perspective?

Today, I will look at the different types of certifications and their purpose. We will look at the theory behind them and the facts we need to collect and understand in order to assess the quality of a certification and the value for your company or your stakeholder perspective.

Beware, we will not discuss which certification is the best one by giving a score. Our intention is to take the perspective of a neutral observer and give you some thought processes and tools that will support you in your own evaluation.

We will also give you examples from our own experience and practice.

Welcome!

About the orators

Ms Karin Ekberg

Leadership & Sustainability

Founder & CEO

Education & Experience Karin has a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Chalmers, Gothenburg, and ETH Zürich technical universities and a Diploma from post-studies in environmental management at the University of Zürich. She has more than 35 years of international consulting and industry experience in several sectors, based out of Switzerland, Brazil, Sweden, and Germany, with extended business projects mainly in Europe, North America, and Asia. Karin has spent five years in the position as Head of Environmental Services at Adidas Group, one of the world’s leading sporting goods companies. She was responsible for establishing and maintaining group-wide environmental strategies and programs for the company’s internal business operations and its global supply chain. Previously, Karin held the position of Director Sustainability at ASSA ABLOY for six years, developing and implementing sustainability strategies for the group globally. ASSA ABLOY is the largest global supplier of intelligent lock and security solutions. From 2012 to 2013, Karin was the Chair of the Board of Directors at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, now known as Cascale. Cascale is a trade organization comprised of brands, retailers, and manufacturers, among others. Cascale represents more than a third of the global apparel and footwear market and working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of apparel and footwear products. Karin has also been engaged during the set-up and first years of the ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) taking on several leadership roles within the ZDHC collaboration and is also an approved ZDHC trainer. Karin’s focus is on sustainability strategies, sustainable products and sustainable manufacturing.

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Stéphane Popescu

COSE361

Directeur Général

SHORT VERSION

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

In a context of multiple crises, the environmental crisis remains a major challenge for the fashion industry, which must evolve towards sustainable practices. Regulators and consumers demand more transparency and commitment. Stéphane Popescu, a key player in this transformation, works for a model that is more respectful of the environment and people.

With more than 17 years of experience in fashion, he has held strategic positions in purchasing, sourcing and sustainable development, contributing to regulatory discussions and responsible innovation.

In 2019, he co-founded COSE361, a consulting firm dedicated to responsible fashion, supporting brands, manufacturers and institutions in improving their societal and environmental impact.

COSE361 participates in major initiatives, such as:

  • PEFCR Apparel & Footwear, for a harmonized environmental assessment,
  • CSF Mode & Luxe, on product traceability,
  • Durhabi, measuring the sustainability of clothing.

Thanks to his pragmatic and committed approach, Stéphane Popescu has made COSE361 a key player in the transition to more responsible fashion.

Contact details :
COSE361 – Directeur Général
9 Bis Rue Gérando, 75009 Paris
E-mail : stephane@cose361.com

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