Can Cleaner Chemistry Save Fashion – and Nature?

Ecotextile Talks, host Philip Berman talks to Frank Michel, CEO of the ZDHC Foundation, about why he thinks cleaner chemistry is becoming a hard ESG requirement rather than a nice-to-have for the global textile value chain.

They explore how ZDHC has evolved from its original Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) focus into a broader nature-impact lens that links process chemistry to water quality, biodiversity, climate, and investor risk.

Frank explains the thinking behind ZDHC's new impact framework, developed with environmental consultancy Quantis, which uses lifecycle assessment (LCA) and facility-level data to model how switching from conventional to ZDHC‑conformant chemicals can cut pollution indicators – with early pilots suggesting local reductions of 80–96% when compliant formulations replace non-compliant ones.

They discuss why this work matters for ESG ratings, and why major rating agencies are now asking sharper questions about chemical risk, in an industry some investors increasingly compare to the fossil fuel one, from a risk perspective.

https://www.roadmaptozero.com/zdhc-quantis-report-2025

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