How does fair public procurement work? FEMNET advises control groups of Fairtrade Towns Our workshop in the Fairtrade-Town Saarbrücken. Photo: © FEMNETFrom North Frisian drizzle to the sunny Saar, from vineyards on the Main to the Mecklenburg Baltic Sea: In 2018, we held strategy workshops on fair public procurement of workwear in five Fairtrade Towns across Germany. As diverse as the locations are, they all share the goal of using workwear and textiles produced in the city administration under decent working conditions and without harming the environment. Fairtrade towns offer great potential to promote fair public procurement of clothing and textiles. Because fair coffee and another fair product are served in the city administration, the topic of fair trade is present in the city administration. Because a steering group is established, civil society, retail, city politics and city administration are already networked locally around fair trade. Based on these existing structures, FEMNET offered strategy workshops on the topic of fair public procurement for fair trade town control groups for the first time in 2018. Details Published: 30 November 2018 Read more …
Experts from producing countries demand living wages for workers worldwide Press conference and panel discussion of civil society in the Textile Alliance: It's time! Stop the empty promises. Berlin. A key issue is the reward for living. Trade unionists in Bangladesh are on hunger strike due to insufficient minimum wages. In Cambodia and Indonesia, but also in Turkey, there are strikes and protests because wages are not paid. As a result, trade unionists are pressured or dismissed. The Alliance for Sustainable Textiles wants to change this and has set itself the goal of achieving social, ecological and economic improvements along the entire textile supply chain. From 2019, all companies of the Textile Alliance are to anchor measures for the payment of living wages in their suppliers as a binding alliance goal. Alliance initiatives in Cambodia, among others, are in preparation. The joint effort could have a leverage effect. For this, however, a broad participation of the industry is needed. “Existence-enhancing wages are a human right. So far, the clothing companies have only paid lip service. It is finally time for promises to become a reality", says Tim Zahn, coordinator of civil society in the Textile Alliance. Details Published: 06 November 2018 Read more …
Civil society in the Textile Alliance organises a Speakers Tour on "Violence against women in the workplace" from 5-16.11.2018 Gender-based violence against women is one of the most widespread human rights violations in the world. According to estimates, more than 30% of all women have already experienced them. Two activists from India report on approaches to how women in the clothing industry can defend themselves and how we can support them in doing so. Details Published: 05 November 2018 Read more …
Statement of the campaign for clean clothing (CCC) on the implementation concept of the Green Button of the BMZ The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development is planning to introduce a state-owned metaseal for the textile supply chain ("Green Button") and therefore invited to a round table in September 2018 to discuss the implementation concept of this metaseal. The Clean Clothes Campaign took part in this discussion and is now sharing its views in writing with this opinion: The Green Button (GK) is supposed to be a state metaseal, which initially only refers to the stage of assembly. If they want to use the GK, companies must prove that: they comply with their corporate due diligence obligations, accepting as evidence the recognition of a roadmap within the framework of the Textile Alliance. the products covered by the GC comply with the minimum social, environmental and credibility requirements for a product label rated ‘good’ and ‘very good’ on the comparison platform ‘seal clarity’. Despite criticism of the fundamental weakness of product seals, the campaign for clean clothing welcomes the combination of company and product-related criteria in the awarding of the GK. However, we have massive requests for the previously planned design of this combination, which concern the claim level, the reach, the control, the communicable ability and thus also the credibility of the planned metaseal. Details Published: 26 September 2018 Read more …
"This is how sustainability works!" – cities of Bonn, Cologne and Stuttgart show good approaches to sustainable purchasing Bonn. Today, the report ‘This is how sustainability works!’ is published. The report documents 17 flagship initiatives and projects on how we can organise ourselves more socially just and ecologically clean in Germany and around the world. FEMNET presents initiatives of the cities of Bonn, Cologne and Stuttgart for a fair public purchase of workwear. The report ‘This is how sustainability works! Germany and the Global Sustainability Agenda 2018’ breaks down the Sustainable Development Goals in a tangible and concrete way. The editors want to shake up politics and show in which range sustainability is already being implemented in practice. Details Published: 25 September 2018 Read more …
First preliminary assessment of the submitted road maps of companies in the Textile Alliance by Gisela Burckhardt The Steering Committee of the Textile Alliance in Cologne 2018. 3rd from Gisela Burckhardt. Photo: © Alliance for Sustainable Textiles Each member of the Textile Alliance had to draw up an action plan (Roadmap) and publish it for the first time this year how it intends to contribute to improving social and environmental conditions in the supply chain in 2018 (FEMNET-Action plan and Progress report as PDF files). The roadmaps are reviewed by external, independent service providers and published on the website of the Textile Alliance. Currently, the Textile Alliance has around 130 members, 79 of whom are companies that, despite some withdrawals, account for almost half of clothing sales in Germany. Brands and retailers had to plan measures for ten binding targets, six additional targets were recommended, and they were also able to set voluntary targets. The roadmaps provide information on which three main production countries companies source goods from and which three main sales markets they have. Details Published: 20 September 2018 Read more …
FEMNET progress report for 2017 and roadmap for 2018 published As a member of the Alliance for Sustainable Textiles, FEMNET has published a progress report on the goals set in 2017 and a catalogue of measures for 2018 (Roadmap). Download Progress Report 2017 (PDF file) Download the FEMNET Roadmap 2018 (PDF file) Details Published: 28 July 2018
The multipliers practice the practical implementations in the simulation game. © FEMNET Multipliers trained to disseminate eco-fair procurement procedures The multipliers practice the practical implementations in the simulation game. More and more municipalities are starting to develop more effective methods for procuring proven sustainable products. Details Published: 20 July 2018 Read more …
Cologne procures fair: Tender for work shoes successfully completed After the work shoes, workwear will also be procured according to eco-fair in the future. Photo: © FEMNET/Tobias WesselingProtection from dirt, but chic enough for funerals: Work shoes of cemetery employees must meet very special requirements. The city of Cologne, capital of fair trade in 2017, follows the Bonn example and has successfully completed its pilot project on eco-fair procurement. In collaboration with FEMNET, she procured 250 pairs of work shoes that were produced with social and environmental criteria in mind. Details Published: 18 July 2018 Read more …
Textile seal ‘Green button’ / More appearance than being Development Minister Gerd Müller plans to introduce the ‘Green Button’ label for textiles soon. However, the campaign for clean clothing warns urgently of the danger of dilution. Through the seal, Development Minister Gerd Müller wants to make it clear to consumers at first glance whether the purchased garment was also produced under ecologically good and socially acceptable conditions. ‘Such a label is desirable for consumers under two conditions: If it includes demanding social and ecological standards and if it covers the entire textile value chain, i.e. from the cotton field to the hanger. However, there is a risk of dilution with the voluntary "Green Button" seal", says Ingeborg Mehser from the Church Service in the World of Work. Details Published: 28 June 2018 Read more …
