The Value of Environmental Data

One outcome of companies setting increasingly ambitious environmental targets is increased scrutiny of data from stakeholders who want to know whether i) the targets are both achievable and beneficial, and ii) brands are really meeting their targets.  

As a result, many brands, retailers and producers still find data collection a confusing task, which fuels a belief that data is often too vague rather than collecting and tracking impact.  

Collecting data should be the beginning of a sustainability strategy, not the endpoint. In other words, companies should collect the right information for the right reasons. 

What data, then, should companies collect? What value is there in data? And to what use can data be put when it comes to sustainability? And in an era of increasing digitalisation, what tools are available for data collection and analysis?  

Attendees will hear from experts discussing issues ranging from the value of data (how data collected by producers for brands can be beneficial for producers) to how partnerships between businesses in different parts of the supply chain are tackling how data can help in design and production. The session is moderated by Jessie Li, consultant and co-founder of the Manufactured podcast.

SPEAKERS

Laureen van Breen, Managing Director, WikiRate

Laureen van Breen is the Managing Director of WikiRate - an open data platform with a diverse community that collects and analyzes company commitments, actions and impacts on people and the planet. Its mission is to empower better decision making and help tackle the world’s challenges with open data.

Margreet Vrieling, Fair Wear Associate Director on behalf of The Industry We Want

Margreet Vrieling is the Associate Director at Fair Wear Foundation on behalf of the Industry We Want, she has a background in international cooperation focusing on labour rights and the social aspects of sustainability, and represented the  Netherlands delegation at the ILO. She is part of the management at Fair Wear and works mainly on external relations, including The Industry We Want initiative.

Saqib Shahzad, Head of Sustainability, Sapphire Diamond Fabrics Limited, Pakistan

He is not only the current head of Sustainability at Sapphire Diamond Fabrics Limited in Pakistan Mr. Shahzad also brings great expertise from across the whole supply chain, covering the stops from spinning, weaving and processing. He has been in the apparel industry for more than 17 years and is an expert on a broad number of areas such as Water Management, Chemical Management, Waste Management and Social Fairness, including the respective standards.

Sittisak Sugsaisakon, Senior Energy Advisor, USAID Mekong Sustainable Manufacturing Alliance

Dr Sittisak is an expert on climate change and sustainable development from the ground level implementation to high level policy engagement. At the Alliance, he is working with many apparel factories in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. As per his 20-year experience working in environmental issues, he has a lot of point on environmental data collection particularly the data related to decarbonization and climate change.

Joyce Tsoi, Director of Collective Action Programs, SAC

Joyce Tsoi is based in Hong Kong. She manages all SAC’s Collective Action programs and activities, support members and EcoSystem partners to prioritize actions, accelerate sustainable environmental and social impacts and transform our industry into one that gives more than it takes- to the people and the planet. Through building strong industry partnership and collaboration with our Ecosystem and strategic partners from all sectors across our value chain, our aspirational goals could be achieved together: 45% GHG emissions reduction in line with Science Based Targets by 2030 against a 2020 baseline to combat climate change; supports workers’ rights, safety and livelihoods by 2025.