The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) had recently partnered with Fair wear foundation formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding for a comprehensive one-year program on capacity building of Indian textile exporters on understanding the upcoming due diligence frameworks in EU and strengthen suppliers’ voices in the consultations. Enacted in May 2024, Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) mandates European companies to implement comprehensive human rights and environmental due diligence across global supply chains.
This directive is expected to reduce the multiplicity of reporting’s through a unified legal framework within the EU, fostering legal certainty and a level playing field. This presents an opportunity for Indian manufacturers to adopt human rights and environmental due diligence (HRDD) practices, enhancing their negotiation leverage and better understanding of their risks and opportunities.
“The CSDDD is a transformative development for the Indian textile and apparel sector,” stated Sh. T Rajkumar Immediate Past Chairman of CITI. “By embracing this directive, our industry can not only meet global standards but also leverage shared responsibilities with brands, engage meaningfully with stakeholders, and address power imbalances.“
As part of this collaborative effort, the Fair Wear Foundation and CITI had partnered for a Capacity Building Workshop titled “Sustainable Practices: Navigating Social and Environmental Compliances” in association with SIMA in Coimbatore on 26th July 2024.
The workshop featured insights from knowledge partners, Fair Wear Foundation, and Regulatory Representatives & Managers Association (RRMA) who highlighted the importance of chemical compliance in the textile value chain.
On social due diligence, participants were educated on the CSDDD’s implications for brands, outline due diligence obligations and environmental responsibilities, and detail the climate change combat plan stipulated by the directive. Key sessions included discussions on brand obligations, monitoring and sanctions by authorities, business partner responsibilities, and integrating due diligence into company policies.
RRMA has covered the topic on global regulatory landscape for chemical management in various countries, emphasizing the importance of compliance with regulations to protect environmental and human health. It discussed specific regulations, authorities responsible, compliance obligations, circular economy principles, and sustainable chemical management practices. Insights were provided into chemical compliance in the textile sector, focusing on regulatory standards, hazardous chemicals categorization, sustainability certificates, and the global regulatory landscape. It highlights the significance of certifications like OEKO-TEX®️, ZDHC, GOTS, Blue Sign, Cradle to Cradle, and Eco Label in promoting environmentally friendly practices in the textile industry.
During his Welcome Address, SIMA Chairman, Dr.S.K.Sundararaman has mentioned that the regulatory changes are not merely challenges to overcome, but they are opportunities to improve power balance between suppliers and brands and demonstrate our leadership in sustainability and ethical business practices. He stated that in order to support the mills in this part of the country in complying with the Social and Environmental mandates, SIMA has formed a “Sustainability Cell” to advise the members periodically on the developments by involving experts in this domain. He stated that SIMA is helping its members in complying with the provisions of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act by engaging with the Internal Committee formed by the members as an “External Member”. For the betterment of women employees and prevent their exploitation, SIMA as a proactive measure, brought out a Code of Conduct for Women right from selection upto their engagement and functioning in the mills either with the hostel or the day scholar titled “Recruitment Guidelines and Code of Discipline for Women Employment in Textile Industry”, specifically for the employers to comply with the labour laws. Besides bringing out a
Code, SIMA also entered into an MoU with M/s. TUV Rheinland as a third-party international certifying body to audit and provide star rating certificate to the textile mills based on their compliance. He stated that SIMA also entered into MoU with BSI for compliance audit. SIMA also developed version 2.0 of the Code of Conduct to enable the members to meet the buyer’s standards, covering statutory compliance, health, safety and environmental standards, recruitment guidelines and code of conduct for employment of women, migrant workers and the engagement of contract labour in textile industry.