Sustainable Apparel Coalition Hosts MCAP Introductory Webinars

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition hosted a series of webinars to introduce the Manufacturer Climate Action Program (MCAP) to members located in Asia, North, Central, and South America (AMER) and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The focus was to introduce MCAP as an integral part of SAC Decarbonization Program for SAC members and non-members alike, with a primary objective to accelerate the adoption of science-aligned targets for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, as well as to highlight the SAC's strategic partnership with Aii's Carbon Leadership Program (CLP).

Joyce Tsoi, SAC director of Collective Action, APAC, hosted the webinar, and introduced Ringo Yu, the new MCAP manager. Presenters also included Andres Bragagnini, manager of stakeholder engagement and Tamara Wulf, vice president of programs at the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) and member of the apparel alliance, which the SAC formed in partnership with Textile Exchange and Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) to create a connected, end-to-end path to action for the entire apparel and footwear industry.

Yu shared information about the SAC’s Collective Action team, which oversees the development of its Decarbonization Program in support of the organization’s goals to achieve a 45 percent greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction in line with science-based targets (SBTs) by 2030 -- and to zero by 2050. The SAC launched the Decarbonization Program in 2022 and integrated SBTs into SAC’s membership requirements in 2023, with over 50 percent of members having taken this action to date.

In September of this year, the SAC announced the launch of the Manufacturer Climate Action Program (MCAP). Designed in collaboration with NIKE and Target Corporation, the MCAP is a critical component of the SAC’s Decarbonization Program, designed to catalyze support and drive the sector toward ambitious yet necessary CO2 emissions reductions.

Tsoi shared the four key elements that form the core of MCAP, empowering manufacturers to take critical action to set science-aligned targets, reduce emissions and improve operational efficiency in order to advance industry goals. Then Bragagnini and Wulf detailed Aii's Carbon Leadership Program, which can help manufacturers develop and implement a factory-level implementation plan by using Aii’s factory-level carbon toolkit, impact measurement, and validation to achieve their carbon reduction targets. They also shared details of Aii's program portfolio. The portfolio covers a range of impact programs focused on achieving actual CO2e reductions through energy efficiency and the transition to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels. Finally, Tsoi encouraged SAC brands and manufacturer members to sign up and participate in MCAP from Q1 2024, and Aii invited the factories to participate in their programming.