New Carbonfact Platform Links Brands with Cutting-Edge Material Suppliers

The Role of Next-Generation Materials in Achieving Net-Zero in Fashion

Next-generation materials could contribute up to 39 percent of the emissions reductions needed for the fashion industry to reach net-zero, according to a report from The Sustainability Directive. This organization serves as a resource aggregator for individuals and companies seeking solutions to combat climate change.

Despite this potential, assessing the true impact of these innovative materials remains a challenge. A study by Carbonfact, a carbon management software company tailored for the apparel and footwear industry, revealed that brands struggle to compare new materials and processes due to varying Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and the need for non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to access data. Suppliers also face difficulties in managing access and updates, often leading to inefficient manual back-and-forth communication instead of focusing on reducing the industry's environmental footprint.

To address this issue, Carbonfact has launched Carbonfact for Suppliers, an environmental data exchange system designed to connect brands with suppliers. This platform aims to simplify the process of discovering and evaluating innovative, lower-impact materials and processes.

"Brands struggle to compare innovative materials and processes because every supplier's LCA looks different and often requires an NDA to access," said Martin Daniel, co-founder at Carbonfact. "At the same time, suppliers worry about exposing sensitive details and spend hours managing access and updates; everyone ends up stuck in manual back-and-forth instead of focusing on reducing the industry's footprint."

The free public directory allows brands to discover innovative materials and processes while providing suppliers with a secure way to share verified and comparable environmental data. According to the French firm, the need for such a platform was clear.

"Innovative materials and processes can play a big role in reaching net zero, but understanding their real impact is hard," said Jonathan Davies, product marketing and content lead at Carbonfact. "We built Carbonfact for Suppliers to fix this."

How the Platform Works

More than 20 top material creators, including Circulose, Manteco, and Recover, have already joined the platform by creating profiles and uploading their environmental data. New suppliers can request to join, submit their reports for free verification, or ask Carbonfact’s science team to generate a new report if necessary.

"Let's take Manteco's MWool fabric, for example," Davies said in a video demonstration. "As a brand, I can go into Manteco's profile—which has been claimed and already filled out with a bit of information—and I can request access. Once I've been granted access, I'll be able to view the environmental data of the MWool fabric."

Upon onboarding to the platform, suppliers are given a public profile and a page for each material, along with the option to display verified LCA results in a comparable and straightforward format. Suppliers also maintain control over who sees the detailed methodology data.

"This section is confidential," Davies said. "It's only accessible to the brands that the supplier has decided to share it with—and, by the way, suppliers can share the environmental data with individual brands, with all Carbonfact customers, or make it publicly available."

Verification and Transparency

The platform includes detailed environmental breakdowns, system boundaries, and lifecycle assessments, all certified by Carbonfact. Davies explained that this means the company's science team thoroughly reviews uploaded LCAs for free, ensuring that all information within the platform is verified and comparable.

"Carbonfact's new supplier platform finally gives us a secure and credible way to share our LCA data with brands," said Giuseppe Picerno, head of innovation and sustainability at Manteco. "We stay fully in control of what we share—and with whom—while becoming visible in the exact workflows where brands evaluate materials."

Copenhagen-based Samsøe Samsøe also found that using the Adore Me partner's Carbonfact for Suppliers solution simplified and streamlined the process for reviewing next-gen materials.

"The fact that the data is verified and comparable means we can evaluate options fairly," said Femme van Gils, head of sustainability at the Scandi streetstyle-inspired label. "And this accelerates our ability to scale lower-impact materials."

Conclusion

With the growing demand for sustainable practices in the fashion industry, platforms like Carbonfact for Suppliers are becoming essential tools for both brands and suppliers. By providing a secure, transparent, and standardized way to share environmental data, these platforms help drive meaningful progress toward a more sustainable future.