How can the global garment sector move from knowing what human rights and environmental due diligence looks like to making it work consistently, at scale, and under real business pressure?
Global supply chains face unprecedented challenges. Climate disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, shifting trade dynamics, and shrinking civic space put pressure on workers, suppliers, and brands alike. In this complex environment, human rights and environmental due diligence is central to managing risk, strengthening relationships, and building long-term stability.
Turning Ambition into Practical Change
Fair Wear and its partners are guiding the garment sector towards responsible and resilient supply chains. By convening brands, suppliers, workers, policymakers, and investors, Fair Wear translates policy ambition into practical action and helps shape industry standards for human rights and environmental due diligence.
For more than 25 years, Fair Wear has worked with stakeholders across the garment, textile, and footwear industry to advance labour rights. Key achievements include:
- Supporting the remediation of labour rights violations and grievances in over 20 countries
- Offering risk-based approaches that guide risk prevention and mitigation at the factory level
- Creating industry-wide alignment on responsible purchasing and stakeholder engagement
- Delivering hundreds of workplace trainings on wages, social dialogue, and safe working conditions
- Despite progress, unsafe workplaces, low wages, and imbalanced sourcing relationships continue to affect millions of workers. The challenge now is investing in actions that work consistently under real commercial pressures.
A Collaborative Approach to Systemic Change
In 2026, Fair Wear will continue to connect actors across the sector to turn principles into practice through three main approaches:
Evidence and Innovation
- Pioneering worker-centred due diligence methods with our member brands and other companies
- Integrating environmental and labour risks identification and remediation
- Extending facilitation tools and support to suppliers and business associations, for example through our groundbreaking fair price methodology
- Sharing knowledge and harmonising practices with partners such as the Green Button
Industry Alignment
- Convening stakeholders to create shared standards, expectations, and accountability mechanisms
- Aligning industry actors on shared reference points, such as the Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices and the STITCH Framework for Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement, of use to retailers, regulators, policy makers and companies alike.
- Translating international standards into practical guidance for real-world business operations
Impactful HREDD facilitation
- Equipping brands, suppliers, and workers with tools, guidance, and training with our local teams and stakeholder networks
- Updating policies such as the Forced Labour Policy to respond to evolving legal landscapes and risks
- Demonstrating how responsible purchasing through costing, contracting, and forecasting supports human rights improvements
- Delivering gender-responsive guidance and Factory Onsite Assessments addressing risks including social dialogue, wages, occupational health and safety, and harassment
From Frameworks to Practice: Shaping the Future Together
Through the above approaches we will be embedding human rights and environmental due diligence into sourcing, supplier engagement, and business decision-making. Fair Wear works with partners to make due diligence practical and impactful. This includes strengthening worker voices, improving purchasing practices, and integrating access to remedy into daily operations.
In 2026 we will scale due diligence globally, strengthen local networks, and share practical guidance with industry stakeholders to affect change in global supply chains, improving labour conditions for workers everywhere.