Woolmark Stitches Together ‘Nature-Positive’ Wool Roadmap
At a time when “carbon tunnel vision” is blinding the industry from making meaningful change, Woolmark is looking beyond net-zero to nature-positive with a new scheme.
Woolmark+ is a roadmap to drive the wool industry toward what the marketing arm of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) calls nature positivity—something Woolmark has invested $34 million AUD (about $23 million) into over the past two years.
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“Nature positive means halting and reversing nature loss by 2030, measured from a baseline of 2020, with approached to restoration optimized for carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery and livelihood benefits,” the roadmap reads.
The “future-facing program” for the wool industry consists of 13 science-based initiatives designed to deliver practical solutions across the entire wool value chain and intended to advance regeneration, reduce emissions and increase productivity.
The overarching goal? Simply supporting partners across the supply chain.
“As consumer and regulatory demands for sustainable and traceable products increase, brands are under pressure to source fibers and fabrics with lower emissions and a reduced environmental impact,” AWI’s CEO and Woolmark’s managing director John Roberts told Sourcing Journal. “Woolmark+ is dedicated to accelerating innovations that address these challenges throughout the supply chain.”
To develop the Woolmark+ roadmap, Roberts continued, the Australian merino wool marketers engaged with over 50 stakeholders—from woolgrowers to supply chain players to brands—gaining insights that have shaped the resulting 13 initiatives.
“These initiatives prioritize key areas such as biodiversity, sheep health, sustainable livelihoods, climate action, responsible value chains and the circular economy,” Roberts said. “Ultimately, they aim to connect the sustainability goals of our partners right along the wool value chain and support them where they’re at on their sustainability journey.”
Case in point: the Carbon Insetting program will enable brands and the supply chain to meet their Scope 3 emission targets while supporting the livelihoods of woolgrowers by facilitating a “diversified income stream” for their on-farm emissions reductions.
“Each of the Woolmark+ initiatives will have its own positive impact; combined, they aim to ensure ongoing demand for wool by enhancing both the inherent value of wool and the environmental benefits of wool production,” Roberts said. “By connecting sustainability goals along the supply chain and providing scalable opportunities for woolgrowers and brands, we’re seeking to drive forward a thriving, responsible and nature-positive wool industry.”
Ultimately, Woolmark wants to ensure there’s ongoing demand for wool. And that in response to this demand, woolgrowers won’t have to cut corners.
“Key initiatives, such as the Nature Positive Farming Framework that aims to develop science-based, practical metrics for assessing and reporting on the environmental outcomes of on wool farms, will enable woolgrowers to quantify, evidence and promote the positive impact of their farming practices,” Roberts said. “This will enable global brands to better understand, value and support woolgrowers’ ‘nature positive’ practices.”
Each Woolmark+ initiative involves a “broad range” of stakeholders, Roberts explained.
For the Carbon Insetting program, the not-for-profit organization collaborated with climate change investment and advisory firm Pollination Group and will work closely with woolgrowers and brands to develop the initial framework, he continued. Meanwhile, the Nature Positive Farming program has already conducted natural capital accounting research on 100-plus Australian farms in partnership with Farming for the Future—a research and change program initiated by the philanthropic non-profit Macdoch Foundation—and Melbourne’s La Trobe University.
As the program develops, the “Filter by Fabric” campaigner is now engaging with more woolgrowers and on-farm certification schemes. The Methane Emissions Reduction in Livestock initiative includes nine research programs with partners like the University of New England, the University of Western Australia and various government departments Down Under. Plus, over 4,600 woolgrowers have already participated in the Lifetime Ewe Management program, under Woolmark’s ewe and lamb wellbeing initiative, “enhancing their understanding of the impact of ewe nutrition on reproduction and birth rates,” Roberts explained.
While the funding partners for these new initiatives (meaning the Insetting program, the Nature Positive Farming program and the Nature Positive Impact program) will be announced in the coming months, the global authority on wool did disclose the details of already-funded (via direct and collaborative investment) ventures.
The Methane Emissions Reduction in Livestock bit received a direct investment from Woolmark of $2.89 million AUD ($1.96 million) and $7.67 million ($5.2 million) from contributing parties. Woolmark put $475,000 AUD (roughly $320,000) into the Carbon Storage partnership while contributors, including Meat Livestock Australia, accounted for $18 million AUD ($12.1 million). The Enhanced Sheep Productivity and Profitability project saw Woolmark inject $8 million AUD ($5.43 million) and another $5 million ($3.39 million) from partners including the Australian Merino Sire Evaluation Association (AMSEA) as well as site committees and site partners like Murdoch University in Perth and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).
All to say, Woolmark ponied up $7.71 million (about 37 percent) while investors accounted for $20.81 million (the roughly remaining 63 percent). This falls short by not much (about 9.5 percent) of the aforementioned and allegedly invested $23 million. Woolmark noted that the provided figures pertain specifically to certain Woolmark+ initiatives, and not all nature-positive undertakings over two years.
“With more than 60 years of experience, Woolmark understands the nuances of the textile industry and is dedicated to driving its success by aligning economic prosperity with positive ecological and social impact,” Roberts said in a statement. “Woolgrowers in Australia are stewards of over 65 million hectares of land, and they can play a critical role in the global transition to a low-emission, nature positive market. Their commitment to nature needs to be well recognized and supported to demonstrate the wool industry’s role in supporting and enhancing biodiversity, beyond net-zero targets.”
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