The H&M Foundation has announced the top 20 finalists for the Global Change Award 2026, selected from over 450 entries worldwide. These innovative ideas aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the textile industry while promoting a just transition for people and planet.
The H&M Foundation emphasizes inclusive circularity in fashion, focusing on redesigning systems to benefit both people and the planet. By integrating social equity with environmental goals, initiatives aim to enhance livelihoods and reduce waste, driving a sustainable textile industry transformation.
A hands-on blueprint has been launched to remove one of the biggest barriers to decarbonising the fashion industry. Developed by Fashion for Good under the Future Forward Factory initiative, supported by the H&M Foundation as main funder, the open-source guide helps manufacturers achieve near net-zero operations, the blueprint offers six practical pathways with the possibility of reducing emis
Panipat, a major textile recycling hub, demonstrates a dynamic, informal ecosystem fostering circularity despite lacking visibility and investment. Promoting inclusive practices, the H&M Foundation aims to enhance worker livelihoods, tackle environmental issues, and create a fairer, sustainable recycling model.
Annie Lindmark, Programme Director at the H&M Foundation, reflects on GCA's Changemaker Week 2 in Stockholm. It emphasized collaboration, courage, and innovation among changemakers tackling systemic issues. Participants celebrated achievements, gained insights from industry leaders, and built connections, highlighting the power of imagination in driving sustainable solutions.
H&M Foundation and Accenture launched an insights report, "From Signals to Systems Change", urging the fashion industry to rethink its role in transformation. The report maps key signals of change seen in the textile industry and unveils the Reimagined System Map, a pioneering open-source framework that visualises how early-stage innovation could drive a just and net-zero textile future.
The H&M Foundation is committing SEK 53 million (approx. EUR 5 million) towards Future Forward Factories to address fashion’s most polluting stage: tier 2 textile processing. By absorbing risk early on, philanthropy gives brands, suppliers, and investors the confidence to step in at scale. The H&M Foundation is calling on others to join in accelerating this systemic transformation.
